They Must Go — Chapter 3

Of Declarations and Independence

bbeyond recognition. A traditionally closed Arab society has been btransformed, through mechanization and technology, into a bmodern and developed one. As equal citizens in a democratic bsociety, Israeli Arabs share with their Jewish compatriots the bprogress and benefits of Israel’s economy. . . . On the one hand bthey are active and loyal citizens to their state of domicile— bIsrael. On the other hand, they cannot disavow their neighbor- bing Arab brethren. . . . This conflict of dual loyalty is the greatest bproblem of Israeli Palestinians. . . . Only peace can normalize bthe situation of Israel’s Arab citizen, when they can proudly af- bfirm that they are Israeli and Arabs, both, without contradic- btion.”

bOf course this is nonsense, and the only frustration the byoung Arab feels is his inability to change “Israel” into b“Palestine.” There is no conflict of dual loyalty, only one of dual bauthority. On the one hand there is the Arab Palestinian author- bity to which he would willingly submit. On the other, there is the bhated Jewish one he cannot—at present—escape. It is, however, bmore comfortable to think that the Arab attitude is not one of bhate but of confusion. But if the latter exists, it is not within the bArab camp.

bThis brand of foolishness continued to be the typical, stan- bdard fare for Israelis. The Arab was equal; the Arab lived better bthan he had ever dreamed he could; the Arab was a loyal citizen b—with a few problems, none of which could not be solved by the beternal materialistic solution: more.

bThe Israeli Foreign Ministry issued a pamphlet in October b1973 entitled Minorities in Israel:

bAgain the myth of equality: “The principle of equal rights for bthe Arabs of Israel has always been integral to the Zionist bphilosophy. . . . Israel’s Proclamation of Independence (14 May b1948) affirms the principle. . . .”

bAgain the “head-and-stomach” irrelevancy: “The perplexed and bimpotent Arab of 1948 is gone. Today, a prideful, loyal Israeli bArab assesses his future soberly. The fellahin [“peasant farm- bers”] have become farmers versed in the most modern bmethods. . . . It is a magical metamorphosis. . . . The educated byoung generation are unrecognizably unlike their parents. . . . bThe roll of minority academics is steadily lengthening. . . .”

bAgain the myth of “confusion”: “In the political con- b