While there are extremists among the Jews too, the fact is that they do not run our lives and we are not afraid to confront them openly without the fear of being instantly murdered or lynched. Drawing an equal parralel between us is misleading, unfair, untrue and as usual, helps terrorists and the rabid Left justify any crimes against us. I would suggest you make a clear distinction between "our" and "their" extremists. And the proof is in numbers: how many Muslims (their own "brothers")have "their" extremists murdered and how many Jews have "our" extremists killed?

for Israeli Arabs and Shfaram.

there are different Arabs, there are different Jews! this is nothing unsual, exception prove the rule...)

Mayor Yassin. Inta Mabruk W'Allah Ma'ak. You should be blessed and G-d be with you. It should be noted that we remember Aharon, Moshe's (Musa) brother not for building the Golden calf but for PURSUING PEACE. - RODEF SHALOM. The late Pres. Anwar Sadat realized that he would not achieve his objectives through war and opted for peace. While it may not be an ideal peace, THE WORST PEACE IS BETTER THAN THE BEST WAR. Pres. Sadat threw down the gauntlet saying that he was willing to come to Jerusalem, speak before the Kenneset, and discuss PEACE. Menachem Begin dedicated his life to fighting patriotically for Israel (not like incompetent Olmert who has nothing to redeem him) and he realized that no chance for PEACE can be squandered. I also can attest to how nice Arabs are that I have met in Akko, Nazareth, Sakhnin, etc. On the other hand I have also witnessed the hatred in the eyes of Arabs in Ramallah, etc. BOTTOM LINE: We must cultivate every opportunity to make PEACE, build bridges, and DEMONSTRATE the value of PEACE whether ISRAELIS and ARABS can live in PEACE together for their MUTUAL BENEFIT and IMPROVED QUALITY OF LIFE. YNET MUST CONTINUE TO BROADCAST THIS LOUD AND CLEAR SO THAT THE RACISTS AND TERRORIST OF GAZA AND KFAR TAPUACH GET THE MESSAGE. ALLAH MA'AH KULNA, YAHUD W'ARABI May G-d be with all of us, Jews and Arabs so we may live in peace and give a shining example to the extremists of the world and all else.

in 2005. Don't forgive and don't forget! This is just a publicity ploy by the fifth column!

...but I would say that both Israeli Jews and Arabs, as well as us relatives and supporters in the diaspora, should take another step forward. Independence Day should not just be about commemorating a historical event, which some people will inevitably hold different and clashing perspectives. It should also be a celebration of the present and the future, looking forward to the opportunity to work together and continue to build a vibrant, beautiful country that takes pride in its role as a Jewish state but also recognizes the importance of all ethnicities and faiths in its prosperity.

Its about time some reasonable Arab voices spoke.

Ancient Israel absorbed many of the inhabitants of the land, e.g. the Gibeonites. There were Hittites in the army. King David's personal body guard was made up of Cherethites. Judah, son of Jacob, and many other Israelites, had Canaanite wives. And as for the Hebrew patriarchs themselves, read Deuteronomy 26.5: "A wandering Aramaean was my father." And the holy tongue itself is not called 'Hebrew', but "the Language of Canaan" (Isaiah 19:18).

Avraham neglects to say that the Jew who was lynched in 2005 was a terrorist and murderer who shot four people in cold blood, passengers on a bus. He wasn't lynched because of who he was, but what he did. Not a defense of lynching, but it wasn't done cold-bloodedly by people who hated him simply because he was a Jew. As for this being a ruse by a fifth column, I quote from Wikipedia: "Shefa'-Amr is home to an old synagogue on the site of an even older structure. It is recorded as being active in 1845. During the October 2000 events, mayor Yassin stopped youth wanting to burn it down with his body." Not exactly the act of a fifth columnist. I'd say the mayor has proven himself as a man of peace.

What he is doing takes true grit, and great courage. Men like Mayor Yassi, and the people of Shfaram offer the world something it is in desperate need of, and that is hope.

i honestly have to say , you are one of the bad jews in this world , i almost always read your talkbacks , and i had never had the impression that you had any sympathy for us weather its me who always voted for a jewish partie or those who vote for raed salah and tibi , and i always thought of you like i think of the natzi lieberman and his gang ( racist , hatefull , blind , and brainwashed .. please clear and clean your head before you destroy yourself.......

What good news! G-d bless the mayor of this town, G-d bless these people! I cannot wait for the day Israeli Arabs will live alongside the Jews in Israel in harmony...

I feel your fear and appreciate your situation. Sadly, silence is the greatest cause of death...not only of a person, but their people. In silence the others also do not speak and humanity dies. I wish you strength to confront your enemy: lies and hatred.

We can live together here.

you only believe in murderers and you "holy" el husseini . But you live in NYC , and those people live here , in Israel , and they see the damage you and your alikes are causing them . Go , and rejoin your "holy" guy .

Other than a few "haters" it is refreshing to see the many positive Talkbacks to this article. It goes to show that many Israelis long for co-existence and that the betterment of Israeli Arab's lives will come through positive leadership rather than the hate filled comments by many of the other Israeli Arab leaders. It also goes to show that a little goodwill can go a long way and this applies to both sides

Mayor Yassin and the residents of Shfaram have recognized something; and the rest of the country needs to do the same thing. He and his town are celebrating Independence Day. Not Jewish Independence Day not mourning the Nkaba...but recognizing that they are a part of the greater whole of Israel and wanting to celebrate as such. This is the most welcome news and needs to be met with equal acceptance. These Israelis are to be lauded. Would that there were more like them on both sides of the political divide

1. We do not know who they are. 2. We show our support of the Israeli state in the general elections. 3. We talk well about the Israeli society whenever we deem it safe enough. And we try to use reason as a weapon at any time possible. 4. We talk of forgetting the past, and forgiving, and not getting stuck in resentment and hate. We talk of looking forwards and making peace. We talk of the rights of the people of Israel to live under peaceful and orderly conditions. 5. A people cannot change its course unless it first changes its mind... You should not despise your friends or any friendly act towards the state. In fact, every true friend of this country should be allowed to immigrate and to contribute in the best possible way to the protection and welfare of this country. Israel needs every true friend that it has got - inside and outside the country. Do not think that the Arabic MKs speak for all the Arabs. You should know for whom we vote... and it is NOT any of those parties... There is, thank g-d a legal way to go about things as well, and I do hope you count that way as ACTION...

I carry personal responsibility for my ideas and actions. Whomever supports Israel does it of his own conviction. Do not speak of Arabs as a group. As little as you speak of Jews as a group. It simply does not exist. There are all sorts of people out there, both Jews and Arabs. Now, do you take responsibility for what your neighbour is doing? Didn't think so! - Well, neither do I! Give those who want the possibilities to serve the country in ways that are satisfactory to you and to us, in agreement, with all security concerns taken into account, and do it on an individual basis... Don't put all of us down, just because we haven't managed to "convert" all the other Arabs!!! And what do you expect of us? Do you think we can change some extremists' ideas with words when you can't do it with force?