Clear and present danger in Israel
As the society in the Zionist state is shifting to the extreme right, bringing to power the most extremist government in history, the signs of anxiety are unmistakable
srael’s greed goes further with more Arab Palestinian land stolen and towns and villages uprooted. The southern region of Al Naqab offers the best example of Israel’s practices and the struggle of its people against them. The largest part of the area has been confiscated arbitrarily since 1948. Moreover, successive Israeli governments not only grabbed lands of Palestinian refugees but went further, seizing those of Palestinians who held on to their land in the face of all crimes committed by armed Zionist groups during the 1948 war.
Moreover, a debate began following the declaration of the state of Israel on the status of Palestinian citizens within its borders. The Jewish majority viewed the Arab Palestinians as people whose loyalty was in doubt, thus presuming they cooperate with hostile parties, which reflected negatively on socio-economic development of the Palestinians belonging to 1948 areas, limiting their integration into Israeli society.
With such Israeli designs persisting, Palestinians of today chose to focus on halting the policy of land seizure and home demolition, while seeking to enjoy equality as full, not second-class, citizens and pursuing efforts to restore their stolen rights.
A recent opinion poll conducted inside the 1948 areas revealed that Arab Palestinians are showing increased interest in the issues of services and living standards (related to education, labour, health, welfare etc). It is true that demands for services occupy a large part of their priorities, but they originally stem from their suffering as Palestinians targeted by Israel. In the same poll, and with regard to national issues and facing up to racism, around 41 per cent of Palestinians living inside Israel have demanded confronting racial discrimination, which reflects their concern over the rising apartheid in the Zionist state.
Therefore, commitment to civil struggle by Palestinians from 1948 areas does not negate their real struggle as part of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, evidences of which are many. These include the annual Land Day movements that foster the Palestinian identity and presence, that form an incubator for national rights and demands as an integral part of the Palestinian people. Moreover, their support to and sympathy for their Palestinian brethren in the Occupied Territories, including occupied Jerusalem, remains a priority to them, as well as their stand on the Gaza Strip.
Palestinians from 1948 areas are facing an Israeli society that is shifting to the extreme right and that has brought about the most extremist government in the history of Israel which, under Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reinforced its oppression against them. Signs of such policies were reflected in political, economic and social domains
Different opinions
Under such a government and society there are some Israeli voices that believe that the extremist-right policies against Palestinians are the most dangerous facing the Zionist state and that the government should assure them that they won’t be treated as enemies. Yedidia Stern wrote an article titled ‘The 1948 Arabs are the most balanced and reasonable’, in which he said: “There exists (in the towns of Arab Al Dakhel of 1948) a large group with clearly different opinions from either those of the Israeli Jews or the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. These opinions are worthy to note ...”
Also, Tamir Pardo, former director of the Israeli intelligence service Mossad, believes the “demographic danger is the only existential threat to Israel. It is like a time bomb ticking all the time for a long period. Israel’s leaders unusually chose to bury their heads in the sand, preoccupy themselves with ‘alternative facts’ and flee from reality while creating various other external threats”.
Since the signing of the Oslo agreements, wrote Aluf Benn, editor-in-chief of the Israeli daily Haaretz, the epicentre of the conflict with the Palestinians has moved to Al Dakhel of Israel. The Israelis fear an increased power of the Palestinians of Al Dakhel and their return to their historical story. “Remember that the word Nakba (the 1948 catastrophe) has not been used in the media for nearly 20 years.” He went on to say that since the return of the Right to power in 2009, Israeli governments are putting much effort in muting voices using a carrot-and-stick policy, but without much impact. “We are standing before a strong Palestinian minority in Israel that can tell its story and vision and make it clear that it is not part of the Israeli story, and this is very important,” he said.
In fact, this is very serious.
Professor As’ad Abdul Rahman is the chairman of the Palestinian Encyclopaedia.