Arab population rapidly growing—in quantity, in quality, and br

in boldness. The alienation from and hatred of the Jewish state br

is so palpable as to be clear to all but those who will not see. And br

every so often voices are raised—voices of warning.

Eli Reches is director of Tel Aviv University’s Shiloah In- br

stitute for Middle Eastern Studies. On February 23, 1978, he br

spoke at a “day of study” of the Arab-Israeli question and is- br

sued the following warning: “Too little attention is being paid to br

the growing radicalization of Israeli Arabs, with the elite strata br

becoming increasingly ultranationalist.” He added that even os- br

tensible “moderates,” like the Committee of Local Council br

Chairmen, have swung close to “extremist” lines. Reches is br

what is termed an “Arabist”—to wit, an official expert on Arab br

affairs. Israel, of course, abounds in such experts, all of whom br

raise fascinating questions, issue solemn warnings, and have not br

the slightest solution to offer.

Worse, the majority of Israelis, including those in govern- br

ment, simply refuse to think seriously about the awesome prob- br

lem. Like all governments that face excruciating questions, the br

Israeli government simply pushes the Arab problem out of sight br

and mind, hoping that it will somehow go away or that if the br

dam finally does burst, it will be after the present government br

has gone.

But the hate and the danger grow and will not go away.

A Hasidic Jew, Meir Yuskuvitz, went to the Western Wall br

to pray on the night of September 15, 1979. It was the eve of the br

Jewish Days of Penitence. His automobile broke down in the br

heart of the all-Arab area, and his son-in-law went for help. br

When he returned, he found Yuskuvitz shot dead. Terrorists br

took credit for the murder.

Not a week goes by that Jews are not beaten and women br

molested in the Old City of Jerusalem. Arab boldness grows in br

relation to the police response that they simply “cannot handle br

the situation.” The pity, of course, is that more than half of the br

Old City police are Arab. . . .

But Arab boldness and brazenness are hardly limited to br

Jerusalem. When the settlers of Mei Ami complained to the lo- br

cal police about attacks by Arabs of the Triangle, Aaron Dolov br

of Maariv wrote (August 17, 1979): “To the great surprise of the br

settlers, they heard from the officers that ‘we cannot cope with br

the problems. . . . The Arabs of the Triangle hide their weapons br