An internal Shabak document says Israel’s Arabs are a long-range strategic danger to Israel’s character and very existence.
{And yet, Jerusalem Takes a Fresh Look at Maligned Vision for Arab Equality.]
Though many believe that Iran is currently Israel’s greatest danger, the General Secret Service believes that the worst threat may actually come from within. An internal General Security Service document says that Israel’s Arab population is a “genuine long-range danger to the Jewish character and very existence of the State of Israel.”
A recent meeting in the Prime Minister’s office presented Prime Minister Ehud Olmert with worrisome data in various spheres, including increasing Israeli-Arab solidarity and identification with terrorist elements, Hizbullah and the Hamas government in the Palestinian Authority.
The GSS has found that in the year 2006, 21 Israeli-Arab terror cells were uncovered, involving 24 Arab citizens. In 2005, the numbers were 17 terror cells involving 22 Arabs.
Arabs of Israel are generally recruited into terrorist gangs based on their family or business ties with Arabs of Judea and Samaria (Yesha), usually those of Samaria. The terrorists in Yesha find it easier to transport weapons using the services of Israeli-Arabs who are not bound by restrictions at checkpoints and the like.
For instance, in November 2006, a smuggling cell of ten Israeli-Arabs was found to be active in smuggling weapons from pre-1967 Israel to Judea and Samaria.
In the Negev, as well, Bedouin Arabs help out in smuggling weapons – to Gaza. Six such smuggling gangs were cracked open in 2006.
Involvement of Hizbullah in Israeli-Arab terrorist initiatives has also been long noted. In July 2006, an Israeli-Arab was arrested who admitted to his interrogators that during the recent war with Hizbullah, he transmitted information to a Lebanese Hizbullah drug-dealer regarding IDF forces, military plans, and location of rocket hits.
Some 40% of the Israeli-Arabs involved in terrorism originated in Yesha, but were permitted to come to pre-’67 Israel and receive Israeli residency after marrying Israeli-Arabs. They are then permitted to travel freely throughout the country.
Just this morning, six Israeli-Arabs from a Galilee village were indicted on charges of four brutal rapes over the past two years. The rapes were apparently another form of anti-Israel terrorism, as one victim told investigators that the rapists had told her that he was “avenging” IDF operations in Gaza. This was echoed by one of the Arabs during police questioning.
More effort must be spent identifying the many faces of the existential threat Israel faces from radical Islam then in evaluating which threat might be ultimately more dangerous. As circumstances change, so too will one aspect of radical Islam appear to be a more immediate threat to Israel then another.
It is all aspects of radical Islam that Israel must concern itself with and against which it must plan her strategies and tactics to mount a counter-offensive on a moment’s notice.
The multifaceted radical Islamist enemy of Israel is manifested by Iran, by much of the Arab world, by most Palestinians, according to recent polls, now by Arab Israeli citizens if this report is accurate and of course, the various and numerous radical Islamic groups such as Al Qaeda, Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad, and Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade.
While Israel may not be able to spread itself broad enough to engage all faces of her radical Islamic enemies at the same time, Israel must have and implement a strategy that at least beats back those who most immediately threaten her in order to give others thinking about moving against Israel a reason to think more about such move, before moving.
At this moment, it would appear to be Iran and the Palestinians.
Israel must also find a way to enlist support for launching counter offensives against each and every one of her enemies from at least the U.S. and hopefully some in the EU.
There is a concern of course that with America having met with Iran and found the talks cordial, America might take from that, that Iran can be talked to and reasoned with. Hopefully America is astute enough not to allow themselves to be conned by Iran’s cordial first talks or allow themselves to engage in self delusion that cordiality of talk from America’s enemy makes Iran any less of an enemy.