We never left it

That Amotz Asa-El speaks so glowingly of Yair Lapid ("Back to square one?" April 21) comes as no surprise. Your columnist did, after all, nominate the Yesh Atid leader for Person of the Year honors. It would be too much to expect that Asa-El would look beyond that endorsement and make an honest and objective evaluation of Lapid's performance as Minister of Foreign Affairs or his overall contribution to the wellbeing of our nation.

What is surprising, though, is Asa-El's outlook regarding Israel's Arab population and the role they play in both the current and future governments. That he advises the Israeli Left to “nurture” Mansour Abbas is nothing short of myopic. While Abbas has, in the interest of political expediency, adopted a somewhat conciliatory acceptance of Israel as a Jewish state, it would not take much, believe me, for him to shed his sheep's clothing and show his true colors. While it is, admittedly, preferable that the United Arab List be included in the government than in the opposition (you know, keep your friends close and your enemies closer), it would be reckless to assume that Abbas is ready to pledge allegiance to the flag of Israel, or to abandon any commemoration of Nakba Day.

That, however, is only part of Asa-El's faulty arguments. He cites political stability as the price for aligning the Arab population to the political periphery. Surely, he must realize, but will not admit, that until that community is ready to accept the reality of Israel's existence, cease from aiding and abetting acts of terrorism, and appreciate that they have full and equal rights in this region's only democracy, there will be no other place for them except in the periphery.

Oh, and as to the question Asa-El asks – "Back to square one?" – the answer, I should think, is woefully clear. Considering that our prime minister seems paralyzed to take assertive action against terrorism, a single and relatively insignificant parliamentarian has brought the government to the brink of dissolution, and planned changes to conversion protocols promise nothing but havoc, we can pretty much conclude that, no, we are not back to square one. The sad fact is we never really left it.

BARRY NEWMAN Ginot Shomron