During the escalation and violence of the last week in Israel, Dr. Saleh Nujeidat, online columnist for Arab-Israeli newspaper Kul Al-Arab, wrote an article urging a stop in the deterioration of relations between Jews and Arabs citizens of Israel.
Nujeidat said that such a deterioration “harms both sectors,” noting the interrelationship and shared existence between both Jews and Arabs in the country, according to an English translation published by MEMRI.
However, while stating that the relationship between Jews and Arabs is very worrying, and has now reached a dangerous phase,” Nujeidat goes on to blame the tensions on “extremism in Jewish society” and the “extremist far-right (Israeli) government, which is hostile to the Arab citizens.”
He accused the government of “disregarding” the stats of Arabs as citizens and of harming Muslim holy sites, stating that this is the reason for “the rift between these two peoples, Jewish and Arab.”
“The policy of incitement, racist discrimination and iron-fist suppression of Arab protesters has only exacerbated the tension between them. In my assessment, if the relations between the two peoples remain (so strained), they will deteriorate further and further, and eventually will surely lead to deadly clashes between them. Those who will suffer from this will no doubt be the Arab and Jewish peoples,” he said.
He offered that the solution is to “adopt a clear strategy - opposite from the policy of the extremist right-wing government.”
“…Building bridges (between Arab) and Jewish societies… promoting coexistence and adopting a wise and flexible policy of avoiding conflict,” he said, noting that the lives of Jews and Arabs are so “tightly interwoven” that there is no choice but to improve relations so everyone can live in “equality, security, safety, peace and tranquility.”
(Arutz Sheva’s North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Arutz Sheva articles, however, is Israeli time.)