As if the tensions surrounding the terrible violence in the mixed cities weren't enough, the Arab public is now exposed to an even harsher atmosphere in the wake of the Higher Arab Monitoring Committee's decision to launch a general strike on Tuesday in response to Operation Guardian of the Walls.
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Employers, particularly in the private sector, Jews and Arabs alike, want no part of a political and incendiary strike of this nature. On the other hand, though, the Arab public is trying to express its voice through the acceptable and legitimate avenues in a democracy: a protest strike. Many Arab employees say they've come under threats of termination due to their absence from work. Beyond the questions of legality, there is a sense that the response has been emotional, a form of "punishment" or "revenge," or in other words, social sanctioning for merely taking a different position.
But the time has come to internalize: The Arab public in Israel has another, different narrative. In days such as these, fraught with so much tension at home and conflict on the borders, it's perhaps hard to hear but is nevertheless a fact. The Arab public lives this tension all the time, during security crises, and in times of normalcy. Since the inception of the state, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has impacted lives and molded perceptions on so many levels. In Israel, they are Arabs for whom the "Jewish state" is not their country; in the Arab world, they are Israelis for all intents and purposes. This complexity must also be understood by the Jewish public.
This doesn't mean the entire Arab public strives day and night to eradicate the Jewish state, not at all. Quite the opposite, for years the majority of this public has expressed in words and deeds its desire to integrate, only to encounter obstacles. The violence in the mixed cities -- appalling and reprehensible -- is also a reminder of the neglect of the problems of criminality, violence and illegal firearms, which to this point have only disrupted life in the country's backyard. Perhaps lemonade can be made from these lemons, and the country will enlist to handle this problem with an iron fist.
I spoke with several of the organizers, who said they actually view the protest strike as an attempt to calm the situation and channel frustrations in a non-violent direction. The strike is aimed at the government's policies, not the state. And as long as it is legal and non-violent, it is part of the legitimate toolbox entitled to every citizen, even if the demands are unpleasant to the ear.
We can't ignore the risk that the strike could devolve into violence. There are enough agitators determined to exacerbate the situation. This is the time for parents and teachers to calm and educate the younger generation. Now is the time for Arab leaders to lower the flames. And this is also the time for Jewish leaders to extend a hand to the masses of Arab citizens of Israel who are not partaking in the violence and who want to feel that the leadership sees and counts them, too.
Therefore, what's needed at this juncture is a voice of reason: yes to non-violent protest, no to punishing those who strike. Yes to condemning violence, no to boycotting businesses and hurting wages. And most importantly: No to give up on one another, and not to give up on the country.
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