Arab MKs, including those from the coalition, recently made a courtesy call with the radical sheikh Raed Salah after he had been released from prison. Their visits triggered an outcry across the board, but at whom is this anger directed?
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter
This visit has not had an effect on reality, it only reinforced what has already been known. It's like the footage you regularly see on television showing Arabs celebrating Jews being killed.
The anger should not be directed at the Arab MKs who view him as the spiritual guide of the Arab Israeli community. They were all smiles and hugs, showing their true colors, and we should all listen. It is not too late to hear out what the Israeli Arabs are shouting into our ears, after years of holding on to a false paradigm and letting it run our decision-making process, which has cost us dearly.
Many people wrestle with the million-dollar question of why Arabs kill Jews. The authors of those articles often borrow various theories and excuses from sociology and mental health, and of course, they accuse the Israeli government of long-term neglect of the Arabs by not saving them from themselves. So obviously, the solution to all this is to take a weapon and fire on Jews.
All those excuses are merely designed to ensure the fantasies stay relevant and to make sure level-headed individuals steer clear of the truth and hold on to the illusion that if we could only tackle a specific obstacle, the conflict would suddenly be over. Perhaps after a century of failures, it is time to burst this bubble and open our eyes, as well as listen to what our neighbors are saying. They are shouting out their actual beliefs, either with words or with bullets.
The Arab-Israeli conflict is a war between two cultures. The Muslims will not give up land, not even in one hundred generations, because they consider it holy. We must appreciate this and acknowledge this. We would be well-served if we learned something from the Muslims' devotion and resilience in this regard.
Having internalized this, we should also see this as the starting point for coexistence, knowing that animosity is an inseparable part of our lives and that the only equilibrium is through force. Sobering up from fantasy is a painful process, but without it, one cannot cope with reality.
Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!
