OTHER, VIEWS Does Arab Violence Pay Off? Haifa here is no lack of news, almost daily, on events in the Israeli-Palestinian con- frontation, but certain fun- damental aspects of that struggle have received little attention. It is time the spotlight should be turned on them. Statements by Palestinian leaders, sermons in mosques, and articles and editorials repeated in their press all lead to expression of a general opin- ion that the Arabs are winning in the ongoing battle with Israel. The few Arab personalities who raise timorous voices,.pointing to the resultant des- perate economic situation of their people and the overpowering strength of Israel, are at once hushed up by the prophets of victory and even threatened with harm. The masses follow the lead of their war- mongers. On what do they base their opti- mism? On two factors: the visible physical results of their violence and what they regard as a spirit of defeatism that appears to them to be sweeping over Israel. With regard to the first: Gideon Levi, a pro-Palestinian columnist in T Carl Alpert is a U.S. native who made aliyah in 1952. He is former head of the Zionist Organization of America's edu- cation department. His e-mail address is alpert@techunix.techniomizail the daily paper Ha'aretz, has for some time been serving as a mouthpiece for their point of view. On the sub- ject of the alleged success of the ter- rorism, he has noted that ever since the Yom Kippur War, almost 30 years ago, everything that the Arabs have gained has come about as a result of their use of force. They point to the Yom Kippur War itself, Egypt's sur- prise attack, which ended with the surrender of the entire Sinai, even the last of Israel's holdings, Yamit. The first Palestinian intifada (uprising) gained for them the Oslo agreement, the safe ensconcing of Arafat in the West Bank, the estab- lishment and arming (by Israel) of the Palestine Authority and the with- drawal of Israel from major West Bank cities and most of Gaza. It was the repeated violence of the Hezbollah that brought about Israel's hasty withdrawal from Lebanon. More recently, Dr. Abdel Aziz Rantisi, a Hamas leader, observed that the bloody and painful terrorist attack on a bus in Jerusalem was what motivated Amram Mitzna, head of the Labor Party, to declare there- after that he is prepared to withdraw unilaterally from the Gaza Strip. In other words, it appears to them that everything they have gained, and Israel's capitulation, have always come about after intense terrorist violence. The obvious moral, there- fore, is to continue with the violence rators within the Israeli ranks. Further, the publicity given to the relatively few Israelis who have refused to serve in the army in the West Bank adds Unwitting Support substantially to the belief that Israeli morale is disintegrating. The second factor contribut- Unwittingly, the idealistic but ing to their optimism, and CARL shortsighted Jewish humanitari- hence encouraging them in ALP ERT ans are playing into the hands their determination to contin- Sp ecial of Israel's foes, and are in large ue with the terror, is the reac- entary part responsible for continua- Comm tion of certain elements in don and extension of the terror. Israel and among liberal-mind- The Arabs also compare the reaction ed Jews in the U.S. and elsewhere. at funerals of the victims on both The peace movements in Israel, though they represent only a very small sides, as shown here on television. fraction of public opinion, are regarded Arab funerals are marked by excited by the Palestinians as an indication of a fury, fist waving and incitement. growing spirit of defeatism here. Jewish Jewish funerals are distinguished by street demonstrations and public meet- the tears and subdued grief of the mourners. This, too, is regarded as a ings attacking government policy are sign of growing Israeli weakness and looked upon by most Israelis only as imminent collapse, in contrast to Arab an expression of a naive and misguided fervor and determination. group exercising their freedom in a But after all this is said, it must be democracy. But to the Arabs, who do noted that the vast majority of Israelis not understand democracy, such remain confident and determined. They actions are taken very seriously and are would prefer to reach a peaceful agree- regarded as indications of a significant ment with the Palestinians, but if the split in Israeli public opinion. latter persist in resorting to violence, The Palestinians derive encourage- Israel has no alternative but to respond ment as a result. Jews in other parts with force. A change may come when a of the world as well, who endorse new, sane, responsible leadership the so-called peace movements here, emerges on the other side, prepared to are in effect bolstering the teach their people that good neighborli- Palestinians in their determination ness is preferable to hostility to increase their apparently success- When that time comes, Israel will ful terrorism. After all, they feel that they have help from unwitting collabo- not be found wanting. until Israel is brought to its knees and then eliminated entirely. The People I Live Amongst Jerusalem once lived in what shall remain an unnamed city in the Western world, in which one of the most prominent organizations was called Parents of Murdered Children. In this place, the kidnapping and molestation and murder of children was endemic, so much so that I wouldn't let my children go out of the house alone. Ever. In this city, a woman's car once broke down on the highway. Within 10 minutes, a car picked her up; and I Naomi Ragen is the author of five Jewish-themed novels, including Jephte's Daughter. Born in New York, she has lived in Israel for the past 30 years. Her e- mail address is nragen@netmedia.netil 1/ 3 2003 22 she was subsequently raped and mur- dered. And I wondered: What kind of people live in this place that within a 10-minute period a rapist-murderer would be passing by? And now I live in a place where all around me, every minute of the day, in every part of this land, there is a hidden saint and hero. I want to start with the latest story, the story of Noam in Otniel. Otniel is a yeshiva in which boys add two years to their regular army service so that they can continue their religious stud- ies. My son went there. And his friends. And the son of one of my neighbors, a remarkable young man, the kind who regularly visits a family because they lost one of their sons in the army. And now he visits them, and entered the kitchen wear- and comforts them, every ing Israel Defense Forces week. People he didn't know. army uniforms and toting Last weekend in Otniel, the M16s, 12 rounds of ammuni- boys went home for Shabbat, tion and 10 hand grenades. and the yeshiva was open to They started shooting imme- visitors. diately. Friday night. The white Under fire, Noam Apfter tablecloths. A hundred boys ran toward the door separat- wearing knitted skullcaps just NA OMI ing the kitchen from the din- returned from Sabbath prayers. RA GEN ing room where a hundred They formed a circle and . Sp ecial unsuspecting young boys were dced, an waiting for the first Com' nentag welcoming the Sabbath. course of the Sabbath meal to Wounded, with his last be served. In the kitchen, strength, he locked both locks and Gabriel, 17, Tvika, 18, Yehuda, 20, threw the key away. He locked himself and Noam, 23, were getting the first in with the terrorists, and locked them course onto the serving plates. out from harming his fellow students. Outside, two terrorists, members of Noam Apfter paid for this act of the Islamic Jihad organization, cut the heroism with his life. He and the useless wire fence around the yeshiva,