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Dealing with the Cause of Arab Terror, not the Result

By Larry Fine

It seems each day some one has a new plan for stopping the Arab terror in Israel. But in reality, if we look into these various plans, whether they come from the left or right of the political scenario, they are basically reiterations that have been made before. A little change here and a bit there, but each factor keeps spouting out the same political pap that we have heard so many times before that we can almost guess the end before we read the beginning.

Why don't we ask ourselves the main questions that should be asked of any one who finds himself in such a bad situation: How did it happen? What caused such a terrible situation to come about?

Perhaps with a cursory study of the history of the Middle East, we would realize that, yes, Arabs lived in Palestine before the Jews made it their state. And yes, Jews lived here too. Relations with the Arabs were never great, although many Jews did have good relations with their Arab neighbors. Yet, when we ask them about it, they tell us, that although they had good warm relations with their individual Arab neighbors - some to the extent that their friendly neighbors would warn them before a pogrom and even help hide them from the hordes. Yet when the local Arab religious and political leaders for whatever reason had the desire to stir up trouble, then trouble was stirred up.

It is not necessary to travel to Hod HaSharon to find Jews who can say positive statements about the Arabs. Even in Hebron, Jews will tell you that before the intifada they had good Arab friends. Today, however, it is impossible to maintain any sort of friendship with Arabs that would parallel the friendships between gentiles and Jews in the Diaspora.

The reason is very simple. Any Arab who is known to be friendly to a Jew can suffer deadly consequences. Between the Jihad and the Hamas, they can force him to commit crimes to prove his loyalty to his religion and his people.

Yet we who live in Israel know that for a Rabbi to be outspoken in his views of politics, can cause him to be investigated by an unfriendly police, coupled by a nasty detention for days with out contact with a lawyer or the outside world. Why? Because his political opinion could be considered incitive.

On the other side of the green line, we who read the reports of the speeches of the various political and religious leaders of the Arabs are never surprised at the vocal hate mongering and calls for killing, plunder and murder towards us Jews. A similar call by a politician would have him banned from the Kenesest. Case in point was the late Rabbi Meir Kahane, who was ousted from the Keneset and labeled a racist.

Why is it that we do not see comparable actions taken by the Palestinian government? Why are they allowed to succeed in rousing up hatred towards the Jews in the local Arab population?

It seems that a universal law, which basically states that you are entitled to voice your religious opinion and views as long as it does not incite hatred or acts of violence against others, should apply here.

For what reason does the Israeli government, and for that matter, the international bodies, such as the UN permit Jew baiting? Do we need another holocaust to bring us to our senses that words do influence men to take action? What did Hitler do? He is not known to have personally killed a Jew; yet it was his powerful speeches that influenced the entire German nation to believe that, yes, killing Jews is morally correct. Not just did they believe, but like the Arabs, they acted on this twisted belief.

If there were some body that would have shut him up so that he could not spew his poison, perhaps Jewry would be six million richer.

The same is true with our Arab neighbors.

If the Palestinian Authority permits (and not only does it permit, it even encourages Jew baiting and hating,) should they not be removed and jailed!? This is true especially for the politicians and religious clerics in Gaza, who openly call for the destruction of the Jewish State along with the inhabitants.

Israel and the international bodies must be stiff with these hate mongers. Their radio stations must be shut down, the clerics arrested and punished. Their newspapers shut down.

Freedom of religion is an important principle in a democratic society, but when it is misused it can cause a disaster.