ployment, education, governmental and public services, and br

other facets of Israeli life.” Kol also called for the establishment br

of a public council “for the fostering of Arab-Jewish relations.”

Reaction by the “head-and-stomach” people was, predict- br

ably, favorable. Since it is simpler to feel that Arabs who throw br

firebombs at soldiers and shout “The Galilee is Arab” do so out br

of “frustration” over lack of integration rather than because br

they are Arabs and the state is Jewish, the simpletons and sim- br

plistic ones approved. Thus, the Jerusalem Post editorialized: “Is- br

raelis may quiver with rage at the inroads ‘Fatah’ slogans have br

made into the minds of many young Israeli Arabs, but it must be br

admitted that part of the fault lies in Israel’s failure to provide br

suitable alternative channels of expression to his new force. . . .

“The key word that has been bruited about since the dra- br

matic occurrences of March 30, is integration. . . . It is essential br

that the dominant Jewish society, economy and policy be br

opened to welcome Arab Israelis who seek fuller personal and br

communal integration into Israel.”

It is interesting to note the difference between deluded Jew- br

ish reaction and that of even a “moderate” Israeli Arab. br

Mahmoud Abassi, Arab adviser to the Ministry of Education, is br

clearly a moderate, cautious Establishment Arab. He is a br

“good” Arab and his job guarantees this. He also approved the br

May 23, 1976 proposals but added a most pertinent comment to br

the Jewish Telegraphic Agency: “We want to be treated as br

equals just as you expect Jews in the Diaspora to be treated as equals.”

Before the knee-jerk, reflexive approval, consider very care- br

fully what Abassi said: He wants equality of the kind Jews have in br

the Diaspora, say, Canada or the United States. But the United br

States is not a state founded by and for a particular national or br

religious group. The United States was not founded as the home br

of the Swedes or Germans or Italians. It was certainly not br

founded as the sovereign state of a particular religion. Canada br

does not have a Declaration of Independence declaring it a br

Christian country or that the Anglo-Saxons have a right to “their br

state.” The United States does not have a “Law of Return” br

granting automatic entry and citizenship to one people and not br

to others. In theory it makes no difference if Jews, Catholics, br

Protestants, Bulgarians, or Greeks are the majority in the Unit- br

ed States, since all are Americans.