| Israeli Arabs: Fathers and Sons (and Daughters) |
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bly to the dean of students. An investigation was begun and evi-
bdence gathered, but no disciplinary action was taken. The ad-
bministration explained to the Jewish students that its primary
brole was to lessen tensions and preserve the delicate relationship
bbetween Arab and Jewish students. This declaration brought
bforth predictable results.
bWithin two weeks the Arab students were involved in yet
banother incident. Israel commemorates, annually, the terrible
bHolocaust that ripped away the lives of six million Jews. Known
bas the Day of the Holocaust and the Bravery, it was com-
bmemorated at Hebrew University by the lighting of memorial
bcandles at the entrance of the dormitories. That night a band of
bArab students smashed the glasses that held the candles. Even
bas an investigation was launched, the next week—Memorial
bDay for the fallen soldiers of Israel—saw similar desecrations of
bcandles in their memory. Angry protests led to a decision by a
buniversity committee to suspend the students, but the university
badministration in a “gesture of goodwill” accepted the appeal
bagainst the “harshness” of the verdict and allowed the students
bto return to the benches of Israeli intellect. Not for nothing did
bthe Arab students see in this retreat further proof of Jewish
bweakness. (It is pertinent to note that on Holocaust Day, 1980,
bmore memorial candles were desecrated. One Arab student, Sul-
biman Hasham, caught as he extinguished one of the lights, said:
b“There is enough light in the dormitories. We do not need
bcandles.”)
bThe pitiful weakness of the Hebrew University administra-
btion under President Avraham Harman inexorably led to
bgreater brazenness on the part of the Arab students. During the
blatter part of 1974, terrorist activity reached a peak, and worried
buniversity officials met with the student organization to set up
bregular guard duty in the exposed dormitories. It was decided
bthat all students who lived in the dormitories—including Arabs
b—would have to take a turn at guard duty. The Arab student
borganization immediately issued a statement that read: “No
bArab student will participate in any activity aimed at a brother
bfedayon [“freedom fighter,” the Arab term for the PLO ter-
brorists], even if this refusal involves self-sacrifice—if this must
bbe the price of the Palestinian revolution.”
bAt a press conference called by the Arab students on De-
b