They, too, Are Israelis

I have lived in Israel, in all, about a year. I still do not have Arab friends. All I have met are Jews, Christians, and non-Arab non-Jews. The only times that I come into contact with Arabs are when I am in Jerusalem in a taxi or in a restaurant in an Arab village. Therefore, I get most of my news and opinions from reading the media that is available anywhere in the western world or from the left wing Jews or international protestors that go into the West Bank to protest the Israeli government’s building of the security barrier.

Tel Aviv is a city founded only about 100 years ago in what was desert north of Jaffa. It is said that it was founded due to the pogroms of Jaffa for the Jews to have a safe place to live on their own. It is a progressive secular Western city that is homogeneously secular Jewish.

Israel is a land of about 20% Arabs. The relations between the Jews and the Israeli Arabs (some refer to them as Palestinians in Israel) are still somewhat tense after the failure of the peace talks in the year 2,000. During the 2nd Intifada where buses were blowing up everywhere in Israel which led to the construction of the much-contested security barrier, it was discovered that some Israeli Arabs had helped suicide terrorists across the border. Many Israeli Jews started the “Hummus Intifada” where Jews boycotted Arab restaurants and shops causing great economic damage to the Israeli Arab families. This has since subsided but tensions remain as have resentment by the Israeli Arabs.

I feel the situation in Israel with the Arabs is like the situation in the 1950’s with the African Americans (then termed “Negros”). Arabs have equal rights as do the Jews throughout the land under the law but there are problems unique to them and they are not fully treated as equals. OK, they don’t have to sit in the back of the bus, eat at different restaurants, or drink from different fountains. There are no direct laws within the country to limit their freedoms. The problem for them is the same as it is for the secular Jews: The Ultra-religeous Jews get welfare funds to keep praying instead of working, and don’t have to serve in the armed forces. The infrastructures in their villages are often poorer because their local elected governments don’t pay their federal taxes. Israel is strict, for some reason, on building permits to all. Many build without permits or approved plans causing the government to withhold funds until they enforce the laws.

In the 1990’s, the Arab/Jewish relations in Israel were greatly improved. Palestinians came over the border by the thousands each day to work in Israel. Most manual labor was done by Palestinians. Israelis and Arabs seemed to socialize more. Now, the Israeli Arabs feel shunned by their country of Israel and identify more with the Palestinians.

With most of the world enthusiastically against Israel (including far-left leaning Jews and non-Jewish immigrants that have married Israelis), Israel can’t afford to have 20% of its population waiting for the country to be destroyed. My plan is to get involved with Israeli Jewish/Arab relations. This is for justice for the Arabs that live here, regardless of their political opinions, but mostly, for the survival of Israel. We have to prepare for the day when the USA will not be there to support Israel. That day will come. After all, from the days of Joseph, Jews have fled to other countries, worked hard, and risen to the top of the civilization to powerful positions only to have the ruling regime change and persecute those Jews that were so helpful and influential in the previous administration. Why, on earth, should we think this will be any different. I refer to the USA and her support of Israel. Israel is small and virtually indefensible for the long term. We will have to negotiate for peace. The government wants to do it from a point of power. I want to start with the great percentage of her own population that is currently identifying with the enemy.

These opinions are from someone who gets his information from the media or others that have worked with the Arab populations. I will, from here forward, be a witness and meet directly with this population that needs to be pulled into the fold. It is their country, too.