Third Time is a Charm!

Israelis and Arabs kill each other since 1948. Actually, even before the State of Israel was established (and was used as an excuse for the attacks of the Arab side of the conflict) they killed each other, whether it was in British Palestine, Europe or any other spot on the planet. Nothing is new under the sun, as we all know.

However, current Intifada, third by now, did not start in Jerusalem in the last month, and has more resemblance to the first Intifada (1987-1993) than the last (10/2000-02/2005), yet it is unique in many ways. Both first and current Intifadas are folk/informal Intifadas. Both were not funded by any organization, government or financial institutes, such as the second Intifada. Most, if not all incidents were and are private initiatives of private people, or, in the case of the kidnapping of the three Jewish boys last July in the territories, local initiatives of organizations, which their higher commanders apparently were not informed, nor ordered, to execute such incidents at that time.

Moreover, most of the incidents in the current Intifada were executed by Israeli-Arabs, living in Israel, as opposed to the first Intifada, when the activists were mostly citizens of the occupied territories, under Israeli military regime. Today, Israel is no longer the official ruler in the territories and there is a legitimate Palestinian government, both in Gaza and the PA. Nevertheless, since the attacks are been executed by Arab citizens of Israel, it can be considered as some kind of a similarity.

The last war in July-August 2014, between Hamas in Gaza strip and Israel, has blown up the already burning surface. It wasn’t only a war between two official figures. It was a war within Israel as well, and the hatred against Israeli-Arabs was at its pick. Many Israeli-Arabs were not hesitate to publically show their support in Hamas, and gloated when IDF soldiers were killed or injured in Gaza, or when a missile killed or injured Israeli-Jews. Even Israeli-Arabs who work(ed) for the Israeli official authorities were not afraid to show their gloat. This ugly gloat led to a massive public attack on the Arab sector in Israel, and every Israeli-Arab that posted his or her support in Hamas and/or gloating for Israeli-Jews’ death, was fired on the spot.

Many Israeli-Jews demanded to fire Israeli-Arabs from official positions, or actually any position that requires any access with Israeli-Jews. They wanted total segregation, which could not be fully executed by law, until the last few days, when the Israeli government passed the “Nationality Law,” calling for a Jewish State, implying that the Jews in Israel are a superior race. Of course, this law just stabilizes and makes the current reality in Israel legal. This law, along with the mentality that is now so widespread in Israel, teaches the world that the Jews have not learned anything from the holocaust and acting as the Nazis acted in Germany during the 1930s of the last century. Signs with “Here we do not serve Arabs” or “Here we do not employ Arabs” are common in various cities in Israel.  

The current Intifada is a result of the rising hostility between Israeli-Arabs and Israeli-Jews, hostility that has been promoted by Israeli officials from both parties. i.e. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and a few of his right-wing cabinet members, as well as Parliament members from the right-wing and the Arab wing, who have a lot to benefit from the situation. As the attacks continue from both sides, their electoral profit is growing. Their supporters call for an immediate action against “the enemy.” Two Israeli-Arabs kill five Israeli-Jews in a Synagogue, and a couple of days later, a famous Israeli-Jewish singer does not hesitate to incite against the Arab sector with hatred songs.

Unfortunately, the truth is that both sides cannot live with each other, not to mention their neighbors from the south-east border. There is no chance for reconciliation in the existing environment nowadays, when there are obvious parties, which fuels the fire for their own good. They just don’t want peace.