Thousands of Israeli-Arab university students are commemorating on Wednesday the 3rd anniversary of Arafat's death by demanding national rights.
The three main centers of activity for what the Arabs are calling Keffiyah Day are on the campuses of Hebrew University in Jerusalem, Bar Ilan University in Ramat Gan, and the University of the Negev in Be'er Sheva.
All Arab students have been called upon to wear keffiyahs to classes, and large demonstrations will be held. The motto of the protests: "We Demand Recognition as a National Minority in Israel."
The organizers of the initiative - the National Arab Students Council - explain that they wish to show the Israeli public that the Arabs holding Israeli citizenship are in fact Arab-Palestinians.
To counter the demonstrations, the Im Tirtzu (If You Will It) organization calls upon all Zionist students and supporters to arrive at the campuses and "strengthen the Zionist voices."
Last week, an Im Tirtzu activist was attacked on the Hebrew University campus by an Arab student. Eddie Freiman, chairman of Im Tirtzu, explained that he was sitting at a booth with two other activists, and "while I was unfurling the Israeli flag above it, I saw the hate-filled eyes of the members of the Al-Baladna Al-Balad Arab group staring at me and the flag... [Later,] dozens of Arab students started streaming towards the booth opposite us, all wearing shining black and red keffiyahs and some with PLO-flag shirts. There were about 50-60 of them, and they gathered in a large circle, jumping and yelling insults towards us... Soon, I began to feel real fear; the numbers of the Arabs started growing, and the entire north-west area of the Forum was full of the students yelling and cursing at us. As they started to come towards us and knock us down, I walked forward with my hands out, requesting that they move away from our booth. In one quick moment, one of the rioters jumped on me and punched me in my shoulder, missing my head, and then pushed me backwards. Some of the mob pushed him away from me, but others cursed and threatened me..."
Freiman concluded: "I couldn't believe that I was being attacked on the campus of the Hebrew University in Jerusalem for having an Israeli flag and playing Hebrew music..."
Sheetrit Calls for Full Integration
Interior Minister Meir Sheetrit, a former Likud member now of the leftwing Kadima party, said Tuesday night that Ben-Gurion had made a mistake in not drafting Arabs into the army. Speaking at the annual Conference of the Center for Jewish-Arab Economic Development, Sheetrit said, "Ben-Gurion brought the Arabs into a ghetto… Our forefathers' days have ended. We are living in a modern state in the 21st century... Israeli citizens need to be equal in every sense, in their rights as well as in their obligations."
The chairman of the Arab Students Council, Mamduh Ajabariye, explained that it was decided to integrate the commemoration of Arafat's death in the framework of the day of protest "because he was one of the clear symbols of the keffiyah." Arafat was also considered the father of modern-day terrorism, "credited" with turning airplane hijacking into an international terrorist scourge. Ariel Sharon said in 1995, "I don't know anyone who has as much civilian Jewish blood on his hands since the time of the Nazis as Yasser Arafat." Arafat was directly responsible for the deaths of thousands of Israelis, untold numbers of Arabs, and more than 100 U.S. citizens.