The late Jewish author Arthur Koestler once described the conduct of Islamic leaders and their influence on the masses using terms that would not pass as politically correct today.
Referring to the constant attacks on Jews during the 1920s, he wrote: "The Islamic clerics called for a holy bloodbath on average twice a year. A pleasant and peace-loving Arab landowner would banter with his Jewish tenants during the month of Ramadan, then go to the mosque where he would listen to the preacher's sermon and then hurry back home to slaughter his tenant, his wife, and their kids with a butcher's knife."
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Jews in mixed cities in Israel have been experiencing a similar ordeal as of late due to the religious and ethnic incitement against them that has turned their peaceful Arab neighbor – with whom they had been living in coexistence – into a hater and enemy. Some 100 years after Koestler wrote about the reality in pre-state Israel and 73 years after Israel was founded, Jews' ability to defend themselves is many times greater, and the options at the disposal of Arab terrorists are very limited. But despite this, the history of terrorism and targeting of Jews since independence – especially in recent decades – shows that old habits die hard.
The fact that a wave of assaults on Jews is once again taking place – and at the month of Ramadan – is hardly a coincidence. The new TikTok trend of documenting such attacks creates a copycat effect and only intensifies it.
Over many centuries, Islam was more tolerant than Christianity when it came to its treatment of other faiths. But the Islamic fanatics have replaced the Christian fundamentals in the persecution of Jews.
Many Israeli Arabs want to live in peaceful coexistence but some of them can easily be triggered to engage in incitement or get carried away by it. It is unclear why the month of Ramadan, which is supposed to be about getting closer to God and becoming pure through introspection, is always the preferred moment to hate Jews, racism and attacks that are very much like the anti-Semitism that was common in Europe. But this has been the case for many years.
There are many examples of such hateful activity toward Jews during Ramadan, from harassment of worshippers at the Western Wall or deadly terrorist attacks. But in recent years this has also included specific targeting of people who are visually Jewish, such as Haredim. The reason is two-fold: they are on the front line when it comes to maintaining the civilian Jewish foothold in this land and also because this ensures that the attacks would not accidentally hurt Arabs.
The most recent incidents can easily be portrayed as a religious war but we can also calm things down through dialogue and by arresting the terrorists so that we can live side by side, in coexistence and in peace. At the end of the day, neither side is about to pack up and leave.
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