Arab Israeli acknowledges the Arab Israeli radicalism

As readers of this blog might know, Arab Israelis have become increasingly and troublingly radical over the years. I covered this topic a few days ago in my discussion of the "Future Vision" document. However, please read the link below, which is a new take on the subject. It is an Arab Israeli asking the Arab Israelis to vote in 'moderates,' so as to avoid the resulting bigotry which will befall Arab Israelis, should they vote in radical Arab parties who seek the destruction of the state. His claim is that the Arab Israeli support for extremism has caused the rise of the 'racist' Israel Beitenu party, led by Avigdor Lieberman.

His words:

The Arab-Israeli leadership is increasing pushing us into anti-Israel radicalism. This extremism climaxed with the “Death to the Jews” chants during Operation Cast Lead. Here is what I have to say to those leaders: Look at what you’ve done.

We did not cry out in the face of rocket attacks on southern residents that went on for years. We did not cry out in the face of the suffering of our brethren, Gaza residents, who have been brutally repressed by Hamas. Yet we cried out, of all things, in the face of an onslaught against the most radical element in the Arab world.

The Arab-Israeli leadership won’t connect, heaven forbid, to the moderate Arab elements such as Egypt, Mahmoud Abbas’ Palestinian Authority, or Jordan. These are of no interest to it. We saw Azmi Bishara, who left, and we saw where he went to.

I don’t need to explain what Hamas is all about. The Egyptians and Palestinian Authority officials are doing it better than me. They ask Hamas how it can talk about victory when the war against Israel – which it sought and advanced – was managed on the backs and blood of thousands of Palestinians that were killed, wounded, or lost their property, while Hamas’ leadership stayed at fortified bunkers or in Damascus.

So now we can accurately measure the result of this conduct: 18. Why 18? Because this is the number of Knesset seats that the polls predict for Avigdor Lieberman’s party, Yisrael Beiteinu.

Apparently, we got what we deserve. If we, citizens of the State of Israel, which has a Jewish majority, connect to the worst enemies of the State, why are we surprised that this is what we get?

Anyway. My thought is that Avigdor Lieberman may or may not be a racist, but it is a terrible idea for Jews to vote for his Israel Beitenu party, regardless. He plans on dividing Jerusalem, and casting out parts of the Galilee (which have large blocks of Arab Israelis) in exchange for a 'territory exchange' within the West Bank. It is true that Lieberman has said rather incendiary things about Arabs and Arab Israelis, but that does not mean he is necessarily acting in the best interests of Jews. One does not mean the other.

I just think it is interesting to see the strange dynamics of politics in Israel and beyond. Lieberman is branded as anti-Arab, but that does not mean he is pro-Jew. One should not imply the other. On election day, I personally am rooting against Lieberman, as I believe he represents the worst of all worlds. Given I am not Israeli, it is not my place to be advocating for any politician on this blog. but please - do not vote for Lieberman, thinking he will be a true 'hawk' on security issues! He has openly said things to contradict such sentiments!

Future vision: what the Arab Israeli leadership is calling for in Israel

FYI, this is an old article (from 2007), but within it is information which is vital to understanding the dynamic between Jews and Arabs within Israel. The mainstream leadership of Arab Israelis have united around a "Future Vision" document which does the following:

• Ellimination of the Jewish character of Israel
• Ellimination of the Law of return
• Ellimination of the Magen David as Israel's national symbol
• Making Israel an officially bi-national state
• An apparent call for right of return for Palestinians (end of the Law of return for Jews, but implementation of 'right of return' for Palestinians)

More equal distribution of government aid and benefits (this is a tricky subject; aid is not distributed equally in part because Arab Israelis do not serve in the IDF, nor do they vote in the same percentages Jews vote; much of the aid is distributed based upon voting numbers as well as status as an IDF veteran)

The "Future Vision" document calls the creation of Israel a "Nakba" (catastrophe in Arabic) Ending any Jewish control over the Arab schools - teaching Arab Israelis a "Nakba education" (please note that already Arab Israelis learn a "nakba education")

Here are more articles discussing the 'future vision,' which came out around the time I first was in Israel...

IHT

Haaretz

The document itself

Please note a few background facts. Firstly, as you may or may not be aware, there are 57 members of the Organization of Islamic Conference. This means 57 states in the world define themselves as explicitly Muslim in character. There are numerous states which also explicitly call themselves Christian in character. In neighboring Jordan, Jews are not allowed citizenship, nor can they own land. In Saudi Arabia, non-Muslims are not even allowed to enter the city of Mecca, nor can non-Muslims get citizenship or even be allowed to openly practice their religion. Furthermore, any Palestinian state would most likely be defined as Islamic in character.

As far as the Law of Return goes; it is important to note that the Arab Israeli document does not mention the more than 750,000 Jews who were kicked out of Arab countries after 1948, without compensation, and for the mere crime of being Jewish. It is also important to note that while the Arab Israeli document calls for the end of the Jewish Law of Return, it calls for an explicitly Arab return to Israel, thereby reducing Jews in the one state they are a majority to a minority within Israel. This document also fails to note the fact that the 'Palestinian' refugees exist because they declared war upon the nascent state of Israel in 1948; there would be no refugee problem if there was no war which was declared upon Israel.

Thus far, no major Arab Israeli leader I am aware of has disavowed the "Future Vision" document. In fact, it appears that, though the document itself may not have been read by Arab Israelis, the concepts within them are certainly widely accepted.

In my opinion, it is harmful for Arab Israelis to learn a different history than Jewish Israelis, and have a separate education system. This means they become a separate people, and a state-within-a-state. It is problematic enough that Arab Israelis are exempt from the IDF and rarely serve in National Service. What the "Future Vision" document is calling for is essentially a "two state solution," wherein there is a 'Palestine' in the West Bank, and an Israel-of-Arab-character-possibly-to-be-renamed-an-Arab-name to the West. So really two Arab states.

Food for thought when considering what should be done re: the Israeli-Arab conflict.

Human butchers mass murder in Jerusalem yeshiva

Just disgusting. Israeli Arab terrorists killed at least eight yeshiva boys today.

I have no words. This is an Israeli Arab group, supposedly 'so well integrated' into society,' who are doing the butchering, and in this case they purposely attacked a school - with teenage boys. The brutality and inhumanity is disgusting and beyond words.

What is most shocking is that somehow, despite the fact that this attack happened, 'peace talks' will go on, as if somehow there is a culture for 'peace,' or anything other than a desire for PIECES of Jews.

Tragic.

UPDATE:

If you have time, please say the following:

PSALM 130: A song of ascents. From the depths I called you Ado-nay. My Lord, hear my voice, may Your ears be attentive to the sound of my pleas. If you preserve iniquities, O' God, my Lord, who could survive? For with you is forgiveness, that you may be feared. I put confidence in Ado-nay, my soul put confidence, and I hoped for his word. I yearn for my Lord, among those longing for the dawn, those longing for the dawn. Let Israel hope for Ado-nay, for with Ado-nay is kindness, and with Him is abundant redemption. And He shall redeem Israel for all its iniquities.

PRAYER FOR THE ILL: He who blessed our forefathers, Avraham, Yitzchak and Ya'acov, Moshe, Aharon, David and Shlomo, may He bless and heal those injured today in the terrorist attack at Yeshivat Mercaz Harav. Because I (insert your name) will, without taking a vow, contribute charity on their behalf. In reward for this may the Holy One blessed be He be filled with compassion for them to restore their health, to heal them, to strengthen , to revivify them. And may He send them speedily a complete recovery from heaven among the other sick people of Israel, a recovery of the body, a recovery of the spirit, swiftly and soon and let us all respond Amen.

Bedouin Israelis gang rape Jewish Israeli women as 'revenge'

This story makes my BLOOD BOIL. A gang of serial rapists have been roaming the North of Israeli, preying upon innocent Israeli women and GANG RAPING THEM, and then saying it's justified because of IDF activities in the West Bank. These 'people' are refusing to apologize, saying their acts were justified! You can read the story here. The first victim was 13 years old. Rape, in any context, is deplorable, and never justified. It is an act of hatred, an act of violence, and an act of contempt for humanity itself! But thinking that many people in the world will actually say these innocent women asked for it simply because they are Jewish and Israeli...to think they will say they brought it upon themselves, and that these acts are considered righteous... No words. It makes my blood boil. When will the hatred stop? When will the violence end? When will we travel to the land of REASON?

The future of Israel

When I was in Tel Aviv, after the Birthright Israel trip ended, I paid particular note to the graffiti lining the walls. I took pictures of it. But the most common graffiti I saw said "Am Yisrael Chai." This translates to "The People of Israel live."

The second most common graffiti I saw was in English, and it said "Know Hope." Here is an image of that:

I have been wrestling in my head with the issue of the Arab Israeli minority in Israel. To put things in context, African Americans are about 12% of the American population, and Arab Israelis are 20% of the Israeli population. And so the Arab Israeli issue cannot be ignored or swept under the rug, as it has been for too long. Please note that the birthrate for Arab Israelis is 4.0 per woman, compared to 2.7 per woman for Jewish Israelis. 25% of the new births in Israel are Arab Israelis. This is a demographic threat that will only get worse with time.

I was reading an Arab Israeli politician's website, and I was in horror, reading what he had to say. He said that for too long, the Arab Israeli nationality has been subjugated, and their history ignored. But now, evidently, the Arab Israelis are learning their own history and identifying with their nationality.

This is a horrifying problem.

What does this mean? It means that Arab Israelis are taught that May 14, 1948, is a day of mourning, not celebration. It means that there are essentially two Israels. It should also be noted that Arab Israelis receive a fraction of the funding for their schools, compared to Jews. And yet, funding their schools also means funding schools that are teaching something incompatible with Zionism.

Think about it. In the United States, there is no minority that learns that July 4 is a day of mourning. There is no minority that is taught in a different language.

And yet doing something about this problem necessarily means going against the priniciples of democracy and equality that we as Jews hold so dear to our hearts. However, not doing something about it also means sitting on a ticking time bomb. I do not believe that a bi-national state is a state that will be welcoming Jews for long. But moreover, a binational state is not a refuge for Jews, nor a Jewish homeland.

What should Israel do about this? I see the problem, but I do not see any clear solutions. The only politician even acknowledging the problem is Avigdor Lieberman, and he is advocating a radical solution: basically saying that all Israelis should sign loyalty oaths to Israel, and be required to join the IDF. Those who are not willing to join the IDF (Arab Israelis, but also Haredi Jews and peaceniks), do not get the benefits of citizenship. Is this the only way?

The solution that I came up with is to fully fund Arab Israeli schools, and to send Jewish Israeli teachers to teach the kids Zionism. There should be one education system, and one overarching culture that unites everyone. Without this, then there is no country, and Israel is a failure. And yet, after visiting Israel, I was struck by the following...I think that most Jewish Israelis really do not trust Arab Israelis, and believe that they are not loyal to the State of Israel. I think most Jewish Israelis believe that Arab Israelis must be hating themselves while they sing the Hatikvah. And I think that, because of what they are taught by their schools, parents, and mosques, perhaps that's true. But it doesn't have to be true.

For a nonJew to live in the first world country of Israel, and get to associate with Israelis - it's a positive, not a negative. Jewish culture, history, and philosophy has shaped the world, and it is to the benefit of a nonJew who is not a hater to live in the land of Israel.

I do believe that many Jewish Israelis believe it is a slap in the face for a nonJew to be singing the Hatikvah ("The Hope"). And yet, hope is what is required to keep us going each morning. Without hope, we perish and die. The concept of Israel as a refuge for Jews, as the hope of Jews, is not exclusive to Jewry. The Jewish people, individually, are not always the best people in the world. This is unfortunate. And yet, collectively, Jews have contributed to the world in a way that vastly exceeds their numbers. Jews have contributed to the fields of science, philosophy, the arts, and politics in a way that is fundamental to world civilization.

And so why wouldn't a nonJew want to live in Israel, and be sincere in the desire to contribute to this Jewish society?

The simple answer is hate. But hate is taught, hate is learned. Lest we forget, we are all born a tabula rasa, blank slate. And this is why Israelis should be doing all in their power to stamp out the seedlings of hate until they bloom into flowers that cover the entirety of Eretz Yisrael. I have come to believe that if Israel is not willing to fully fund Arab Israeli schools and teach them Israeli nationalism and pride, then perhaps Avigdor Lieberman's plan is what is necessary. But continuing down the current primrose path that Israel is taking simply is the road to perdition. I believe this more than ever, after reading the email a friend sent.

What do you all think?

Take THAT, Jimmy Carter!

Jimmy Carter, in his abomination book, stated that Israel is an "apartheid state." Well, JPost revealed something rather momentous today: a Druze MK is now next in line to serve as president, after what happened with Moshe Katsav. Read the article, yourself! I think this should be forwarded to everyone who believes Israel is some sort of inherently evil 'apartheid state.' Let them know that not only are Arab Israelis full citizens of Israel, but they also hold important positions in the government. Cheers, Red Tulips UPDATE: It should be noted that Shimon Peres (opinion about him excluded in the name of sanity) is evidently the front runner to be the permanent replacement of Katsav. Also, Alan Dershowitz wrote a great column concerning his recent encounter with Jimmy Carter at Brandeis right here.