Ignoring Israeli-Arab Terrorism

Much of the Washington, DC, Jewish community is excited about an event this coming Sunday on Israeli-Arabs. One-fifth of Israel's population of seven million people is comprised of Arabs, who are full citizens with voting and other rights...and responsibilities.

Israeli-Arabs, however, often complain of inequality, bias, and other unfair treatment. So, some 33 organizations have come together to co-sponsor the event, Arab Citizens of Israel - Challenges and Opportunities.

Topics will include economic empowerment, alienation and integration, seeking parity in education, and the needs of the Beduin Arab community. Many speakers likely will focus on "injustices" done onto Israeli-Arabs by Israeli Jews and the State, putting much of the blame for Israeli-Arab greviances upon others, not themselves.

Judging by the pre-announced panel of speakers and topics, omitted will be any discussion of homegrown radicalism, hatred, and incitement to terrorism by Israeli-Arab leaders like Sheikh Raed Salah, who in the past has publicly called for violence to "liberate" al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.

Israeli-Arabs continue to be involved in acts of terrorism against their Jewish countrymen and women, and this fact ought not be ignored and deserves discussion.

Last week, Israel announced the arrest of two Arab residents of Jerusalem who plotted to fire missiles into the city's soccer stadium, which potentially could have killed and injured hundreds. The two appear to have been aided by Palestinian employees of Britain's consulate in Jerusalem, who had conspired to sell weapons to Hamas and are now under arrest.

Israeli-Arab radicalization and incitement aren't on the agenda on Sunday probably because the organizers do not want to spoil an atmosphere of goodwill. But ignoring the problem of continued hostility toward Israel in some quarters of the Israeli-Arab community is not helpful at all at confronting a very serious, lingering problem. At the least, efforts to improve the conditions of Israeli-Arabs ought to be introduced Sunday as intended to help combat a sense of disenfranchisement among Israeli-Arabs that may aid recruitment into radical activity and terror.

J Street Priorities Need Adjusting

J Street, the relatively new DC-based organization which says it's pro-Israel but takes positions contrary to Israel's best interests because it misunderstands the roots of the Arab-Israeli conflict, is advertising an event in DC in November.

J Street will host two speakers from UNRWA in Gaza, the United Nations agency charged with caring for Palestinians and their descendants dislocated as a result of the 1948 Arab-Israeli war.

The speakers will address the "the impact of unremitting conflict on the people of Gaza."

What about the impact on the people of Israel? If the context is the conflict, then J Street's priority, as a "pro-Israel" organization, should be with Israel.

Only if the context is Hamas's failed leadership in Gaza, which has served only to perpetuate the conflict with Israel and the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza, then the focus should be on the "impact of the people of Gaza." This would expose Hamas as the root of the problem and increase pressure on the group.

The fact that J Street is more concerned about the impact of Gaza-Israel cross-border hostilities on Palestinians than Israelis is further evidence that this purportedly pro-Israel organization's priorities are misaligned with Israel's best interests. J Street should work to help defeat Hamas in Gaza and free Palestinians there from Hamas repression and terrorism. Seeking to blame Israel for the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza lets Hamas off the hook and only further delays the peace that J Street and the rest of us so much desire. This is why the policies of J Street hurt, not help, Israel and why J Street is not "pro-Israel" at all.

Jews Who Defame Jews and Israel

Isi Leibler has a good column today on Jews who write, speak, and otherwise engage in activities defaming other Jews, the Jewish faith, and Israel. He reveals that the New Israel Fund financially supports organizations that blamed Israel for war crimes during its campaign last winter against Hamas in Gaza and that liberal members of the Israeli Knesset who were once NIF supporters are now spearheading efforts to investigate its activities against the State.

Next, someone should identify and try to explain why so many liberal Jewish lawyers prefer to defend Arab terrorists in Israel and radical Islamists arrested in the United States and elsewhere. What is it in these people that compels them to come to the defense of enemies of Jews? Why not leave the work to others?