Intifada and Racism (Haaretz – 2000)

Two points to consider:

A. The editorial (11.10) condemned the 'racist' phenomenon of Jews attacking Arabs. I would like to protest the repeated demagogic use of the term 'racism' in this context. Violence against innocent people is certainly unacceptable, and even morally and legally reprehensible, but there is no racism here. Racism, for example in its manifestations against Jews, is characterized by targeting Jews solely because they are Jews. Violence against Arabs in general does not come from hatred of Arabs, but from a feeling that the Arab public, as a public (of course not all the individuals who make it up), endangers and even is hostile to us. The background to this violence was violence by Arabs, while anti-Semitic targeting of Jews generally does not require any background. It is worth noting in this context that Arab terrorism (at least against Israelis) cannot be considered racist either, for exactly the same reason.

B. A worrying phenomenon on the publicist page of Haaretz. While the public, in its various shades, is beginning to reflect on its basic assumptions regarding the chance of creating peaceful coexistence with the Arab public (both externally and internally), this is not expressed in the publicist writings of Haaretz.

It is certainly legitimate to remain in a previous position despite a change in circumstances, but statistically it is unlikely to me that any of the Haaretz writers express such a reflection, while the general public is certainly divided. Is it not possible, even theoretically, that some mistake was made in the positions we have taken? I am very concerned about this fanatical and fossilized cognitive dissonance (found on both the left and the right).