IDF soldier near border following "Nakba Day" protests
Photo: Reuters
Majdal Shams infiltrators returned to Syria
Photo: Reuters
Israel must show restraint
Op-ed: Israel should not adopt Assad-like tactics, must refrain from firing at Arab protestors
What will Israel
do if tens of thousands of West Bank residents will one day start to march towards the Jewish State? Will the IDF fire at them? Will we deploy tanks against them? Will fighter jets be sent to face them? I presented this question a few months ago to a senior defense official who claimed that time works in our favor and that the Palestinians only understand force.
I did not imagine that the extreme scenario I presented will turn into reality. I also did not imagine that Israel, which prepared for various scenarios ahead of Nakba Day, did not prepare for such seemingly simple incidents – a truck driver who goes on a killing rampage in Tel Aviv and Palestinians who simply start to march towards Israel from Judea and Samaria, Syria and Lebanon.
Bloody Sunday
Damascus condemns IDF's use of force against Syrian infiltrators who crossed border, calls on international community to 'hold Israel responsible for deadliest confrontation along borders in years'
Last week, Israel celebrated its 63rd birthday. Indeed, we have reason to be proud: The economy, the various innovations, and the high-tech industry. While the global economy collapses, Israel prospers. We would do well to hold our heads high. However, despite all these achievements, Israel’s leadership over the generations failed to grant our Arab citizens a sense of belonging; a sense of home.
The prime minister declared Sunday that Israel’s Arab citizens enjoy life under a democratic regime. That’s true, yet regrettably the State treats them like foreigners. The foreign minister wants to push them out of the country’s borders and the State allows them to conduct a parallel establishment. It is no wonder that they are increasingly identifying with their Palestinian brethren, defining themselves as Palestinian and viewing our Independence Day as their catastrophe.
Had Israel been wise enough to embrace them and give them the feeling that they are a genuine part of Israeli society, they would not see fit to mourn during our Independence Day.
And if that’s not enough, long years have passed, yet since the Oslo Accords Israel’s leadership has been unable to secure an agreement with the Palestinians and the establishment of a Palestinian state alongside Israel. As this is a failure on the State of Israel’s part, our leadership must not be tempted to respond aggressively now to incidents like the ones that took place on Nakba Day.
We, who condemn Bashar Assad, cannot conduct ourselves like he does and kill protestors. Israel must show restraint, contain the situation and immediately embark on a process of dialogue both with the Palestinian leadership and with our own Arab citizens. This is the only way, maybe, to create a situation whereby in the next Independence Day each state will be celebrating its statehood, not at the expense of the other.
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