Strong Israeli Government can curb domestic Arab Jew-hatred
The display of unadulterated Jew-hatred shown by a large number of Israel’s Arab residents during the past week – provoking equally condemnatory retaliatory responses by Jewish individuals – can only be dealt with and eradicated by a strong Israeli Government.
Israel’s current caretaker Government headed by Likud’s leader – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu – and Blue and White’s leader – Defence Minister Benny Gantz – has shown it is more than capable of dealing with its arch Jew-hating neighbour in Gaza – Hamas – which has fired more than 2000 rockets indiscriminately into Israel’s population centres in five days.
Yemina leader Naftali Bennett, Yisrael Beiteinu leader Avigdor Liberman and New Hope leader Gideon Sa’ar now need to put aside their personal aversion towards Netanyahu by joining forces with Netanyahu’s current coalition parties to secure an overwhelming majority of 72 of the 120 seats in the Knesset.
Gantz’s party could also be invited to join – giving Israel’s next Government 80 seats.
Either outcome would enable Israel to introduce urgent laws to regain control of the streets and begin ending the real threats posed to the lives and property of Jews – who comprise 80% of Israel’s population – and Arabs – who make up the remaining 20%.
Burning synagogues, attacking Jews and mass demonstrations of support for Hamas witnessed over the past week in the mixed Arab-Jewish population cities of Lod and Ramle and on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem cannot be allowed to continue.
Any inadequacies in Israel’s existing laws to end the current Arab riots needs to be rectified.
Any support for Hamas – as pictured below – must be made illegal. Such demonstrations are inflammatory and clearly designed to incite violence. Those identified at such gatherings need to be identified, tracked down and jailed.
Any Israeli political party supporting Hamas must be banned.
A pro-Hamas poster featuring heads of the terror organization, in front of the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem, on May 13, 2021. Credit: Israel Hayom.
Hamas’s Charter makes no bones in declaring its intention to wipe out the Jewish State:
“Palestine is an Islamic Waqf throughout all generations and to the Day or Resurrection…”
“…When our enemies usurp some Islamic lands, Jihad becomes a duty binding on all Muslims. In order to face the usurpation of Palestine by the Jews, we have no escape from raising the banner of Jihad. This would require the propagation of Islamic consciousness among the masses on all local, Arab and Islamic levels. We must spread the spirit of Jihad among the [Islamic] Umma, clash with the enemies and join the ranks of the Jihad fighters.”
Laws necessary to achieve a quick end to similar future gatherings and street violence must be introduced. Heavy jail sentences and ordering restitution for injury to lives and damage to property must be introduced to encourage compliance. Freedom of speech and rights to demonstrate and assemble must be unreservedly limited under any declared state of emergency.
Laws to enable random police and army searches for persons carrying knives, guns and other dangerous articles must be unconditionally enforceable.
Israel is a country ruled by law – not by riots.
Laws considered unfair or unjust can only be changed through the ballot box or by reasoned and persuasive argument.
A disgruntled Arab-minority population cannot be allowed to turn into a Jew-hating rioting majority.
The personal rivalries, political ambitions and aspirations of Bennett, Liberman and Sa’ar need to be put on hold in the interests of the security and personal safety of all Israel’s population – both Jews and Arabs.
Israel’s threatened conversion to a domestic battlefield must be ended.
Author’s note: The cartoon — commissioned exclusively for this article — is by Yaakov Kirschen aka “Dry Bones”- one of Israel’s foremost political and social commentators — whose cartoons have graced the columns of Israeli and international media publications for decades.
