(Jerusalem Post) Editorial - Knesset Member Jamal Zahalka hurled abuse at Jewish visitors and police on the Temple Mount last week during the Sukkot festival. He positioned himself at the Mugrabi Gate - the only one through which non-Muslims may enter. No sooner were Jews allowed in than he accosted the visitors and screamed, "Get out of here! You have no place here!" Zahalka's stirring defense of exclusive Muslim rights on the Mount and his anti-Jewish outbursts do a colossal disservice to Israel's Arab population. Israeli Arabs' inherent interests hinge on integration and not segregation. Arab politicians who exploit Israeli democracy to undermine Israel do not further the cause of coexistence. They intentionally create a vicious cycle whereby they radicalize the Arab sector, turn pugnacious propaganda into a vote-getting ploy and thus generate further radicalization. This is the last thing this country's Arabs need. They live in the Middle East's freest and most thriving state. Deprecating and delegitimizing it, while promulgating seditious agendas for its obliteration, is hardly conducive to building bridges.
2015-10-06 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive