Israel & the Palestinians: The Test of Leadership

Dateline: 12th October 2000

As the Days of Awe came to a close with Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement, we knew no peace of mind. We are aware of the many errors of judgment made individually and collectively in Israel, but we are sure that the dimensions of recent events were not of our instigation.

Here are our perspectives, with Points to Ponder for your discussions and on our new online Forum.

In our Eyes and Hearts

For the entire 10 days, which were also the Ten Days of Penitence in the religious calendar, we in Israel have been witnessing outbreaks of Palestinian violence with horror and concern - and not just on the TV screens. We have been weathering the storm with restraint, but it is understandable that we have also been worried sick at the unprecedented and unparalleled synchronous waves of mob-led shootings, scenes of bloodshed and destruction that were dubbed "unarmed protest" by much of the world media.

We are also alarmed at the scenes of Palestinian child involvement in all this violence: that parents would send their children into street assault and expose them to danger is unthinkable in any enlightened society. The source of this orchestrated violence is indubitably from above, it is transmitted through incitement on all PA broadcasting. It is then implemented with fanatical fervor by the Palestinian Authority's para-military youth forces and armed police, together with as many children and youth who could be whipped into a similar frenzy. It also reached the receptive ears of a small minority of Israeli Arabs, although this sector has somewhat calmed down and Israeli Arab community leaders have shown that it is leadership which sets the tone of reconciliation.

We await developments or improvements in an atmosphere more tense than we have ever known.

Call to Respect Public Order

Since Sunday 8th October, some Israeli Jews who have been virtually cloistered in their settlements and towns since the unrest began on Israel's roads, have engaged in what they see as reprisals for the traumatic seige laid to their persons, homes and livelihoods. Our leaders and police have shown no indifference to those who fomented these outrages, indeed, reaction to restore order has been swift and far-reaching, picking up many known criminal elements and some Israeli provocateurs.

These acts cannot be justified or condoned. and have been condemned outright by Israeli parliamentarians, community leaders and officials. On Tuesday October 10th, Israel's President, Moshe Katsav, with the Prime Minister, Ehud Barak, and the Opposition leader, Ariel Sharon issued a joint statement calling on all Jews to desist from these attacks on people and property, and to respect the fabric of our society and preserve coexistence. The force of law is to be applied equally and to be upheld to anyone who breaks the peace - irrespective of affiliation.

Beyond Israel

The picture also extends beyond Israel, and there can be no question that its impact has been similarly devastating. Jewish communities in the Diaspora, together with Israeli representations overseas, have been subjected to an onslaught of bombings, vandalism, and many other expressions of both anti-Israel sentiment and the crudest forms of anti-semitism, including threats of attack and actual assaults. It is a hatred which has a long and dark history: for some countries it is the skeleton in the closet - for others, the blind eye turned by governments to hotbeds of support for terrorism. This fire will not be extinguished overnight, either, even in the supposedly liberal West.

The Future

There is another side to this picture which is critical: not only has the instigator of violence manipulated the moment and the message, he has achieved a show of formidable strength which the media have been encouraged to call, "the threat of an all-out war".

Therefore, whatever happens now, when and if Chairman Arafat changes his mind, Israel will be left with the terrible human, social and economic consequences of these mindless days and the difficulties of rebuilding our normal lives, while Mr Arafat will be crowned a hero either way by his supporters and the various international bodies who convince him to step down.

Points to Ponder

These are the resources and articles we recommend for reference:

Very thought-provoking article by Sever Plotzker : http://frontpagemag.com/archives/foreignpolicy/plotzker10-09-00.htm

ADL presentation - very good: http://www.adl.org/frames/front_anti_israel_violence.html
Also available from the ADL website: How to Fight Hate

Exploring the logic of the situation:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A21390-2000Oct6.html

Updates and background available: http://www.mfa.gov.il/mfa/go.asp?MFAH0i0f0

We ask ourselves, as we would like you to do:

· What value does life really hold for those who think and act with the frenzied violence we have seen around us?

We reflect on what our democracy must protect, and compare it with what we are seeing both here and in the PA:

· The safety and lives of our children and adult citizens;

· The equality of all;

· The force of law;

· The search for peace and understanding.

We wonder how best to protect this democracy in the face of these challenges:

· To build a society over the long term, these foundations must be secure and shared by all of us;

· There must also be respect for the legitimate and equitable implementation of the force of law.

We need to discuss:

· What values are essential to the creation of peace?

· How can these be visibly fostered by leaders?

We experience the following and know that we care:

· Anguish, as our innocent citizens were attacked and killed;

· Trepidation, as three of our own soldiers were kidnapped by Hizbullah and are held incommunicado, as other were lynched in the PA Police Station in Ramallah and as terrorist acts are threatened;

· Pain and devastation at the Palestinian losses - No rejoicing has been felt in Israel at the loss of Palestinian and Israeli Arab lives;

· Bewilderment and alienation, while the PA has pursued a deliberate policy of incitement to violence by its spokesmen and officials on TV and radio, in prayers and newspapers;

· Determination to create a worthwhile future for ourselves, our families and our peoples in Israel.

You are invited to join our new Forum Discussion on
http://www.jajz-ed.org.il/forums/Thread.cfm?CFApp=17&Thread_ID=588&mc=1