Timing - Why is Israel's third enemy making itself known now?

Submitted by David Pincus (United States), Dec 20, 2006 at 23:12

Mr. Pipes,

I was wondering why the Israeli Muslims are only now making this step, and I thought of one theory.

I recall that, during the war in Lebanon, a number of Israeli Muslims from Northern Israel went to Judea, Samaria, or Gaza, to seek shelter. I also remember reading that some of them were very disappointed by how they were received in those places and what the culture was like. They said that previously, they had an opinion of national unity with the Palestinians and now they didn't.

Possibly then they realized they didn't want to be part of a Palestinian state with the Palestinians, and they wanted to be part of a real society like Israel's. Until that point, they might not have made much noise about the Jewsih character of Israel because they assumed it would only be temporary, until Palestine took over. Now they realize they don't want to be part of them. They have basically become the latest group of Middle Eastern Muslims to dissociate themselves from the Palestinian people while still using the Palestinian cause as basis for their actions.

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