By Ira Sharkansky, Ph.D
JERUSALEM — In recent days, several incidents have reminded us about one of our most prominent problems. Arab attacks on Jews. And a UN speech by Mahmoud Abbas that gave Israel a year to pull out of areas beyond the 1967 lines.
Most attacks were frustrated and the Arabs were killed or seriously wounded. Occasionally they were young women or older men, both categories beyond the conventional images of young males associated with an extremist organization. Many of those involved have been isolated individuals, seemingly acting out of something peculiar, resulting in suicide by cop.
Violence among the Arabs of Israel is several times the incidence of violence within the Jewish sector. Most of that is Arab against Arab. Property rivalries; family disputes; gangs at one another’s throat.
Americans have reminded us that our closest friend still adheres to the notion of a Palestinian State, even though the President has indicated that it’ll take a lot of time to accomplish that goal.
Where would it be? What would be its borders? What about Israelis living in East Jerusalem and in many parts of the West Bank?
Mahmoud Abbas speaks like a Palestinian extremist, but acts–or doesn’t act–as someone in compliance with Israeli interests. His security forces cooperate with Israeli forces in acting against extremists, or overlooking Israeli movements to capture or eliminate those who would act against Israel and the Palestinian establishment, or to gather intelligence about this and that.
Now there’s an Arab party as part of the Israeli government, as well as Israeli ministers who have visited or who are planning to visit with Mahmoud Abbas. The Israeli Prime Minister has said that he approves of such visits although he himself has no intention of meeting with Abbas.
There are more than 100,000 Palestinians who earn their living either legally or illegally by crossing into Israel from the West Bank on a daily basis. Driving from Jerusalem on Route 443, is an odd experience. Much of the road cuts through the West Bank. There are checkpoints before entering “Israel” when going west or before reaching Jerusalem when going east. And close to the border of “Israel” when going west there is a sizable parking lot with vehicles that will transport Palestinians who work in agriculture or building sites throughout the center of the country.
Then there is Gaza. Run by movement(s) at odds with those who rule the West Bank. Israel and Egypt are usually open for the imports and exports, with some controls so cement will be used for civilian purposes rather than for tunnels built toward Israel or other military facilities. In good times there are also some thousands of workers coming to Israel on a daily basis, and fishing allowed by the Israeli navy in the Mediterranean Sea. Also Gazans coming to Israeli hospitals for medical care not available in Gaza.
There are Palestinians working as physicians or nurses in Israel who originate either in Gaza or the West Bank. Israeli Arabs provide lots of nurses, physicians, and most of our pharmacists. The physician currently serving as the head of Israel’s actions against Coronavirus is a Druze.
It’s not easy separating the Arabs of Israel from their cousins the Palestinians of the West Bank or Gaza. Arab citizens of Israel have the same rights as Jews, and many identify as Israelis. Yet many also assert their affinity with Palestinians, as well as their desire for a Palestinian State.
Those wanting to emphasize the prospects for an agreement about Palestine note that some 75 percent of Israelis living over the 1967 lines reside close to those lines. Presumably, that would facilitate some redrawing of borders. Yet what about the 25 percent living farther from “Israel?”
That’s more than 150,000 Jews unaccommodated by any new borders conceivable.
Among those living just over the borders into the West Bank are Haredim, in several towns. They’re crowded and apparently oblivious to whatever political problems they cause. Like their relatives within Israel. They’re another of the nations or tribes that complicate us. They are more than 10 percent of the more than 9 million Israelis. And who knows how many will be here in the years to come. Already there are problems of traffic, parking, and where to build the high rise apartments needed to accommodate our children and grandchildren.
What about a Palestinian State? Or a Haredi State?
The Arabs can probably support themselves. But the Haredim? Most of the men don’t work, or serve in the army. Who’d support them? And their communities are all over Israel. We’re stuck with them.
The issues concerning Palestinians and Haredim are different, except what they share by affecting our lives.
Solutions? Arrangements?
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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