It is a devoutly desired illusion that every Israeli leader and br

official spreads. It is a persistent delusion that grows louder and br

more frantic, the more obvious its patent falsehood. Together br

with oranges and diamonds, it ranks as one of Israel’s major br

exports, this myth of the loyal, loving Arab of Israel. It is br

shouted forth—to the accompaniment of loud and happy Ameri- br

can Jewish applause—at breakfasts, brunches, lunches, teas, br

dinners, suppers, and other stomach frameworks for fund-rais- br

ing. The soothing legend of “our good Arabs who are equal and br

free and who appreciate and love Israel” is fed, along with liver, br

chicken, and stuffed derma, to the Hadassah’s portly and br

younger suburban matrons, Long Island Jewish Centers, UJA br

and Israel Bond donors, and the ever-aging and ever-fewer “Zi- br

onists” who compose the ranks of the Zionist Organization of br

America. It is adopted by Reform and Conservative rabbis br

whose ignorance of the Israeli scene complements similar lack of br

knowledge of Judaism. It ranks among the hoariest of the leg- br

ends and myths of world Jewry. To look at reality and to think other- br

wise is simply too unbearably painful.

And yet, even the Jerusalem Post was forced to see what was br

before its very eyes. In an article titled “Shattered Illusions” br

(April 2, 1976), the Post’s Yosef Goell wrote: “Part of the Israeli br

Arab community hates Israel with barely veiled, intense ha- br

tred.” True. And one could also add: The greatest part of the br

Israeli Arab community is hostile to and alienated from the state br

and would dearly love to exchange it for a “Palestine.”

What happened? What occurred to “change” the Israeli br

Arabs? What has caused an eruption of sheer hatred against the br

State of Israel by its own Arab citizens? After the Land Day br

revolt, almost everyone asked those questions. Gallons of ink br

and reams of paper and countless words, words, and more br

words were produced in an effort to understand. One could br

almost hear the shattering of the urgently held illusions of nearly br

three decades. Pity. For had people only wished to see, the signs br

were there, and had been there for many years, clear and ob- br

vious. The Arab revolt of 1976 and all the future greater and bloodier br

ones are immutable and inevitable.

There is hatred and hostility on the part of the vast majority br

of Israeli Arabs for the state in which they live. And it is neither br

a recent development nor a limited phenomenon of Land Day, br