in his love affair with the Arab on the Nile, criticized Ben-Gal, br

declaring that “the Arabs of the Galilee are citizens of Israel and br

no one has the right to question their loyalty.” No matter that br

on top of that nonsequitur he ordered the general to “correct” br

the statement. No matter. Ben-Gal knew exactly what he was br

saying, because he understood the full dimension of the situ- br

ation. When a general in the Israeli Defense Forces calls Israeli br

Arabs “a cancer,” one is again confronted by the thousands of br

stunned Jews who ask: “What happened? The Arabs of Israel br

were always quiet, loyal citizens enjoying progress and equal br

rights. What caused them to change? What happened?”

The answer is: Nothing. Nothing basic, nothing fundamen- br

tal, has changed at all. The hatred was always there. The alien- br

ation was never absent. Objective, historical reasons prevented br

the reality from emerging during the first twenty years of the br

State of Israel, but those have passed. And the real reason Jews are br

so shocked today is that Israel never wanted to see the reality. br

The government and the people built elaborate illusions and br

self-delusions. We believed what we wanted to believe. But truth br

will out, and with a vengeance. The illusions are shattered, the br

delusions battered, and there is left only one last chance to face br

bitter reality.