Amid the violent clashes between Jewish and Arab citizens of Israel throughout the country in the recent days, Dr. Saleh Nujeidat, a columnist for the website of the Arab-Israeli paper Kul Al-Arab and a member of the Arab Center for Alternative Planning (ACAP), [1] published an article calling to urgently stop the deterioration of the relations between Israel's Jewish and Arab citizens, which, he said, harms both sectors. Since the interests of the two peoples are tightly interwoven, he said, there is need to improve their relations and adopt a strategy of bridge-building and coexistence, to ensure that both can live in equality, security and peace. Advising Israelis to lay emotions, populism and false slogans aside, Nujeidat urged them to face the challenges rationally, bravely and with an open mind, while considering their interests and the future of their children.
Saleh Nujeidat (Source: alarab.com)
The following is a translation of his article:[2]
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"The state of the relations between Arabs and Jews [inside Israel] is very worrying, and has now reached a dangerous phase. The extremism in Jewish society, and the extremist far-right [Israeli] government, which is hostile to the Arab citizens, disregarding their status as citizens and the harm done to their holy sites, have deepened 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 [themselves].
"Therefore, there is no choice but to stop this deterioration of the relations and adopt a clear strategy – opposite from the policy of the extremist right-wing government – of building bridges [between the Arab] and Jewish societies, improving the relations [between them], promoting coexistence and adopting a wise and flexible policy of avoiding conflict. The interests of the two peoples are tightly interwoven, so there is no choice but to take initiative and improve the relations between them, so that everyone can enjoy equality, security, safety, peace and tranquility. We must act to attain complete equality between the Arab and Jewish citizens.
"Finally, we must take a lesson from what is happening right in front of us, think rationally and consider the interests of our society and the future of our children. We must preserve our continuity while abandoning emotional thinking, false slogans and populism, and address the dangerous challenges facing our society with courage and an open mind, in light of the difficult circumstances the region is experiencing."
[1] According to its website, ACAP is a non-governmental, non-profit organization located in the Galilee, which was established in December 2000 to represent the genuine needs and interests of the Arab citizens of Israel on issues of planning, land, housing, and development. It is recognized by Israel's Interior Ministry as having the legal right to intervene in official planning procedures, and provides consultation services to the Arab Forum of Mayors and Local Council Heads, the Higher Follow-up Committee on Arab Affairs, Arab political and civilian leaders, NGOs, community activists, and other planning professionals (ac-ap.org/en/category/177/About-ACAP).
[2] Arab.com, May 11, 2021.
