Tens Of Attacks On Jews By Israeli Arabs, Numerous Lynch Attempts, Cars Burnt

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — The Jerusalem Day events and the rocket attacks by Hamas on Israel have taken the spotlight off the numerous attacks by Arab Israeli thugs and hooligans on Israelis during the course of the last few days. The idyll of coexistence between Israeli Arabs and Jews has been rudely shattered by these events, since they prove that hostility, hatred and anti-Israel sentiment exist not only in East Jerusalem but also in mixed cities like Yaffo, Ramle and Lod and in the Bedouin outposts in Tel Sheva and Segev Shalom.

In just one violent day of disturbances, Israeli Arabs broke numerous traffic lights, burnt schools and shuls but in particular attacked and nearly lynched indiscriminately numerous Israeli drivers as well as gutting their cars.

Near Tel Sheva in the Negev Bedouin Arabs, normally engaged in petty crime and weapon theft, made roadblocks on main roads and attacked Jewish cars. In one case a woman was forcibly removed from her car which was then set on fire in front of her eyes. In another case stones and projectiles were thrown at a car in which a pregant woman was rushing to Soroka hospital for an emergency procedure (tragically she lost her baby – her third miscarriage in succession.) Bedouin from Tel Sheva and Segev Shalom attacked police stations in the villages amid violent riots which caused damage to public infrastructure. In many Arab towns there were violent demonstrations in support of East Jerusalem Arabs and in Lod, Ramle and other mixed towns Jewish neighborhoods, shuls and cars were attacked. On road 6, a major North-South artery, millions of shekels of damage was done to infrastructure, including uprooting lights and even asphalt.

Ironically, these attacks are occurring at a point when Israeli Arabs might have achieved their most success in fostering their political goals, being legitimized by many parties in the Knesset as partners in forming a government and being courted and promised huge budgets in return for their support of such a government. It is hard to believe that these promises will materialize now and that a government will be formed with support from Ra’am, especially in light of the fact that it ceased all negotiations in response to Israel’s attacks on Gaza after the latest rocket attacks. Moreover the total silence and lack of condemnation on the part of Arab Israeli leaders proves indelibly that they are not real partners for peace and coexistence but rather covert supporters of terrorism and mayhem.

When push comes to shove, even Ra’am which claims to be moderate still identifies with Muslim and Palestinian goals of removing Israeli presence from Temple Mount as well as from East Jerusalem and settlements in Judea and Samaria. Despite enjoying all the benefits of Israeli society, including advanced health services, national insurance, a job market which allows them the highest level of lifestyle for Arabs in the Middle East, Israeli Arabs are in most cases simply ingrates incapable of identifying with Israel if they feel that their nationalist sentiment has been offended. Israel must rethink how it wishes to integrate Arabs into Israeli society and how it should deal with hooligans as well as fifth columnists who even celebrate rockets on Israel and yearn for the success of its avowed enemies.