Constant, Endemic Violence Between Israeli Jews, Palestinian Arabs

By Ira Sharkansky, Ph.D

JERUSALEM — Israel’s situation remains dicey.

We haven’t had a strong attack on us for some years, although Iran is a serious threat.

But there have been enough reminders that we’re not really welcome in this region. Individual attacks and some killings of Israelis in East Jerusalem and the West Bank.

And a general quarrel about a comment to an American official by the Minister of Public Security, Omer Bar-Lev, in which Bar Lev acknowledged Jerish violence against Arabs in the West Bank. It came in the context of comments that the American government was comparing Israeli settlements with the Iranian nuclear program, and Bar Lev’s comment produced a storm of criticism against Bar Lev for acknowledging what we all should know. That there is Jewish violence against Arab property and individuals in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and other mixed cities.

Bar Lev responded by acknowledging that the balance of actions was heavily tilted in favor of Arab violence against Jews, but that did not silence those criticizing him for noting the Jewish side of the conflict.

Those attacking him were reluctant to acknowledge Jewish actions against Arabs, but some claimed they were no greater than cases of violence in any society.

Perhaps. But the anti-Bar Lev expressions remind us of a sentiment that we have special rights here, that should not be challenged by any right-thinking individual.

There were racist and aggressive comments against the Arabs at the funeral of a West Banker, living and studying in an illegal yeshiva, who was killed alongside his community.

It didn’t take too many days until the alleged killers and those aiding them had been seized. Apparently, Israeli security forces have sources of intelligence among the Palestinian communities. And/or skillful work with the telephones of Palestinians, plus other technologies we can only imagine.

And we mustn’t overlook that the location of the killing, and the yeshiva, are illegal outposts. They’re among others, not blessed by official Israeli recognition, that provide their own provocations of Palestinian animosity.

All this comes along with a reminder of American sentiment, as well as European, that Israeli settlement activity is threatening anything close to an even balance in what we call the Land of Israel and our neighbors call Palestine. We should admit the overlaps of the vague borders.

No doubt about it. There is much more violence in the Arab than the Jewish sector. It appears not only in attacks against Jews, but in a much higher rate of murder among Arabs than there is among Jews. And the incidence of illegal weapons in the Arab community. Some may be stolen from the IDF by Jewish soldiers and sold at very high prices to Arabs.

Along with this are frequent reminders from the President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, who comments against the Jews. And indications in Palestinian education of teaching that the land is all theirs, and that Jews are temporary interlopers.

On the positive side are Jews who teach Hebrew to the Arabs of East Jerusalem and the West Bank, and more than 100,000 Palestinians who work in Israel and obey Israeli laws while they are at it. And for many of them, their Hebrew is superior to my own. And there is cooperation between the Palestinian and Israeli security forces, often against Palestinians who threaten the Abbas government as well as Israel.

So, it’s a mixed story. We have a Jewish state, which is strong enough to threaten Muslim countries near and far that haven’t accommodated themselves to our existence. But still there is a threat of death or annihilation from individual Arabs and the Iranian regime. And our state has no clear or agreed-upon border with the Palestinians. And will the Palestinians succeed in declaring themselves a state? And what would its borders be? And what about the Jews living among them? And what about the Arabs of East Jerusalem, and their total claim–backed by Muslim governments otherwise friendly to Israel–of what Jews call the Temple Mount and the Muslims call al Aqsa?

Lots of open questions, reinforced by our great friends in the United States and Europe, and their attitudes about Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

It’s all a reminder of the historic Jewish question. Most likely, and unfortunately. We’ve always been among others. As a tolerated or not tolerated minority. Wealthier and better educated than others, but not entirely secure.

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Ira Sharkansky, Ph.D., is professor emeritus of political science at Hebrew University.  He may be contacted via ira.sharkansky@sdjewishworld.com