From the Editor We devote much of this Outpost to Part 1 of Kenneth Levin's thoughtful "Jews, Israelis, and the Psyche of the Abused" which throws light on what often seems the inexplicable behavior of Jews in internalizing the critique of their enemies, in Israel as in the diaspora. This behavior is of course dysfunctional in the extreme, for it reinforces the critics who can point to Jews (often indeed Jewish intellectuals admired within the community) who confirm the validity of their accusations. The "abusers" (like Jacques Chirac, of whose trips to the Middle East Arie Stav writes caustically in this issue) are then encouraged to launch even more vicious attacks on their morally cringing victims. CHUTZPAH, PA AND ISRAELI STYLE As Benny Begin has pointed out, all the cities Israel has turned over to the PLO have become cities of refuge for terrorists. They have also become giant repositories for cars stolen from Israel. In the first ten days of November, insurance companies reported 1,094 cars stolen in Israel, an increase of almost a third over the same period last year. One Israeli was told by a Palestinian police officer that if he wanted his stolen truck back, he would have to give the officer a new car! And while the Arabs turn Israel into a giant (free-for-the-grabbing) used car lot, government prosecutors turn two blind eyes. Those same government prosecutors are zealously pursuing Zo Artzeinu leaders Moshe Feiglin and Shmuel Sackett for blocking traffic in a demonstration against the Oslo agreements while Rabin was Prime Minister. State prosecutor Eli Abarbanel announced that the State was seeking a guilty verdict on all charges (believe it or not, they are accused of "sedition") and will not accept any deals or negotiations. But perhaps the ultimate in chutzpah lessons comes from the ineffable Shimon Peres. He repeats with every interview, here and in Israel, that the last four years of Israel's Labor government were the best four years in four millennia of Jewish history. The line between chutzpah and insanity blurs in the case of Israel's erstwhile Prime Minister. THE ARAB VOTE PACKS A NEW WALLOP While there has been much discussion of Israel's new electoral law providing for the direct election of the Prime Minister, one very important (unintended) consequence of the new law has gone virtually unremarked. That is the increased impact of the Arab vote. Under the old system, the Arab vote was diffused. In recent years it was basically divided between Arab parties and the Israeli left (Labor and Meretz). Insofar as

influencing the choice for Prime Minister, the votes for Arab parties were "thrown away" --which is the chief reason why many Arabs voted for "Jewish" parties. But with the new electoral system, Arabs can vote directly for Prime Minister, while voting for the party that most closely fulfills their aspirations. In the first election under the new system, the Arabs showed they understood their new power. They voted almost unanimously for Peres (with the exception of the small Arab Christian population). But they withdrew much of their vote from Labor and Meretz, doubling their vote for Arab parties, which went from five to nine seats in the Knesset. The platforms of these Arab parties are also increasingly open in their identification with the PLO (or Hamas) and their opposition to the underlying tenets of Zionism. As the Israeli Arab vote grows (it will soon reach 20% as the burgeoning population reaches voting age), the consequences for Israeli politics will be enormous. A Zionist-nationalist candidate for Prime Minister will need a huge majority of the Jewish vote to counter the built-in Arab vote for his opponent. Fear of losing the Arab vote will also constrain a future Labor candidate who might wish to move to the right. And, with potentially deadly effect, as the Arab parties grow in strength, an ever-increasing number of members of the Knesset will identify with Israel's enemies. PLEASE, DON'T QUOTE ME The following is from an interview with Benjamin Netanyahu on April 22, 1996, five weeks before the elections. Question: In case you assume office when most of Hebron is still in our hands, will you withdraw the IDF from the city? Answer: I repeat, they didn't fulfill their obligations, and I see no reason to withdraw from Hebron. My (Continued on p.11) Outpost is published by Americans for A Safe Israel 147 East 76 St. - New York, NY 10021 tel (212) 628-9400 / fax (212) 988-4065 Editor: Rael Jean Isaac Editorial Board: Erich Isaac, Ruth King, George Rubin, Herbert Zweibon. Outpost is distributed free to members of Americans For a Safe Israel. Annual membership: $50.

Outpost               - 2 -               December 1996