RUTHFULLY YOURS

Thousands of Israeli Arabs marched in Umm al-Fahm on Saturday in solidarity with the Islamic Movement’s Northern Branch. They rallied against the Diplomatic-Security Cabinet’s decision to ban its activities. This was also a show of support for the branch’s leader, Raed Salah, who was convicted of incitement to violence and is about to enter prison. The protesters observed a minute of silence at the start of the rally, in memory of the “shuhada” (martyrs) whose untimely deaths occurred as they were carrying out ramming and stabbing attacks. This moment of silence was their way of showing how ungrateful they are toward the state. It was also a means for undercutting the delicate coexistence between Israel’s Jewish and Arab citizens.

This coexistence has been built on mutual respect and fairness, but it may eventually unravel if Israeli Arabs do not change course. The Palestinianization of Israeli Arabs; their criminal incitement that Israel was desecrating Al-Aqsa mosque; their ongoing support of terrorism and their desire to join an Islamic caliphate-in-the-making could give birth to a dangerous reality. The consequences could be dire.

Two Zionist leaders, Ze’ev Jabotinsky and David Ben-Gurion, got it right early on. They both knew that the Arabs would never come to terms with the return of the Jews to their ancestral homeland. Nor did they harbor any hopes that the Arabs would be willing to partition the land or share power. But some very distinguished and well-intentioned Jews were convinced that if only the Arabs were sweet-talked and engaged by means of a dialogue in good faith, a covenant of peace and a semblance of coexistence would emerge — at the very least inside Israel. Likewise, the Israeli Left was convinced that if all trade unions formed one big labor federation, if the Israeli Supreme Court recognized the right of Arabs to live in Jewish communities and if Arabs were welcomed into universities, a cohesive Israeli society would emerge.

But it turned out that the Islamic Movement’s ideology, including the views it has not articulated publicly, could very well become the dominant ideology among Israeli Arabs. The movement has appealed to many, including those who do not consider themselves to be particularly devout Muslims, owing to their unexplained, primordial fear of the Jews being modern-day Crusaders who would like to decimate the Islamic sites on the Temple Mount and erect a Third Temple. This superstitious fear is a key part of the ongoing incitement against the state. The Islamic Movement has fanned the flames of this incitement, making both young and old run over Jews with their vehicles and stab them to death on the streets.

Israel’s citizens expect the Arab public to demonstrate loyalty toward the state. They must do the bare minimum, not more. But this may not be an easy feat because violent Islamic zealots would like the world to descend into chaos. Israel will stand firm against those who would like to abuse its democratic institutions and turn them into a threat to its very existence. Those who collude with our fiercest enemies and incite against the state cannot expect the state to act with forgiveness, understanding and tolerance.

The desire to live in peace in a Jewish and democratic state is shared by both the Left and the Right. Jabotinsky said we must erect a metaphorical “iron wall” to show the futility of terrorism. This resolve will be put to the test, and those who try to undo the foundations of our society and take us down will ultimately discover that their efforts were in vain.