Q. The past week has witnessed the discovery of the three yeshiva students' bodies near Hebron, their highly emotional funeral, the kidnapping and brutal murder of a Palestinian boy from Jerusalem, and the apprehension of his young Jewish murderers. Meanwhile, Arab citizens of Israel are rioting, while rockets from Gaza continue to hit as far as Beersheva. A new intifada?

A. No, or at least, not yet. There are a number of important factors that distinguish the current situation from the circumstances that led to the second intifada that erupted in the fall of 2000; they mitigate against a new one.

YOU can help reclaim Israel's future by standing against hatred and incitement. Here are actions you can take right now:

• Spread the word. Two of the greatest obstacles are apathy and ignorance. Challenge both. Here are some easy ways:
  • Listen to APN's briefing call with David Pollock of Washington Institute for Near East Policy about the impact of incitement – both Palestinian and Israeli – and about ways to reduce it. Click here.
  • Listen to APN's briefing call with Professor Matti Steinberg, an expert on Palestinian politics and political ideology.
  • Read and Share APN's Summer Intern Hannah Ehlers, on this weeks Torah portion: Peace Parsha: In Search of an Unbroken Peace (Parshat Pinchas, July 11, 2014)
  • Read and share the"Is Peace Possible?" chapter from APN’s landmark publication, “They Say, We Say”.
  • Send around the "Price Tag Escalation Timeline," a timeline of major "Price Tag" attacks as reported by Israeli sources since January 2011, documenting a clear escalation in attacks, and the increasing spread of attacks inside the Green Line.
  • Read and share Yossi Alpher's answer in the July 7 "Hard Questions, Tough Answers" to How would you characterize the role played by incitement on both sides?

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Some Hard Truths about Incitement & Hatred

• Hatred, incitement, and racism are all serious obstacles to Israeli-Palestinian and Israeli-Arab peace. Combating this must be an important element of U.S. relations and policy in the Middle East and around the world. All sides must work to contain and eliminate them.

• A tenet of democracy is that discrimination and incitement against any people based on their religion or ethnicity is unacceptable.  Political grievances, claims of historical injustices, or ideological disagreements never justify incitement to hatred or violence, or discrimination.

• Incitement against Israel and Jews is a serious problem that can’t be ignored, particularly in light of the Jewish people's history. In Israel's short history, it has seen more than its share of hatred and violence. It has seen wars and terrorism, and faced people insisting that Israel has no right to exist or should be destroyed.  Anti-Semitism and incitement against Israel exists among Palestinians and in the Arab world, and often taints legitimate criticism of Israeli policies.  While some amount of anti-Semitism of anti-Israel incitement would certainly continue to exist even if there were peace, the flames of anti-Semitism and anti-Israel incitement are today fanned by images of violence and injustice that are part and parcel of the occupation. 

• Incitement and hatred go both ways, and both anti-Arab and anti-Muslim incitement must also be rejected.  Friends of Israel tend to focus on Arab inflammatory rhetoric, but there is no shortage of inciting rhetoric on the Israeli side as well. This is in addition to Israeli policies toward the Palestinians that the Arab world (and many others) views as discriminatory, racist, or unjust.  The “price tag” phenomenon, involving attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians and their property – and increasingly spreading inside the Green Line, with attacks against Arab, Muslim, and Christian targets inside Israel – is an example of incitement and hatred transformed into concrete actions.  The failure of Israeli authorities to effectively deal with the “price tag” phenomenon – taking strong action only when the targets of attacks are the Israeli military – sends a signal that such “price tag” actions are tolerable, if not acceptable.

• Continuing the status quo of Israeli occupation only deepens Palestinian and Arab resentment, while feeding Israeli demonization of the Palestinians. The implementation of a two-state solution will mean a reduction in friction and, over time, decline in enmity. Without peace, we can expect violence to continue, feeding anti-Israel sentiment far beyond Israel's neighborhood.  Peace can provide security and stability to both Israelis and Arabs; in doing so, it is the only serious path to changing negative attitudes and perceptions on both sides.

• Many who argue that peace is impossible due to implacable Arab hatred also reject Israel taking the steps necessary to achieve a two-state solution, namely, ceding most of the West Bank and East Jerusalem so that it, along with Gaza, can become a Palestinian state. Making the total elimination of hatred and incitement a condition for peace negotiations is a prescription for making things worse, not better. Anyone who cares about fighting anti-Semitism and anti-Israel incitement should be fighting to achieve Israeli-Palestinian peace. Moreover, anyone who cares about Israel's future will refuse to hand anti-Semites veto power over a peace agreement.

• Peace is possible even if the parties to a peace agreement still harbor prejudice and hatred toward each other.  Anti-Israel and anti-Semitic sentiments held by many Egyptians and Jordanians – and anti-Arab sentiments held by many Israelis – have not prevented durable peace agreements from taking hold. 

• Similarly, an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement can deliver huge benefits for Israel. It can help Israel better defend itself and normalize its presence in the Middle East. It can also dramatically improve Israel's standing internationally and pave the way for broader peace between Israel and the Arab world.

• Yes, many in the Arab and Muslim worlds hate Israel, hate Jews, and want to see the Jewish state disappear. Yet, Palestinian leaders have repeatedly recognized Israel, expressed readiness to live side-by-side in peace, and committed themselves to non-violent means. There are signs that the Arab world is ready to accept Israel, including the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative, offering Israel full peace and normal relations with all of the Arab states if Israel will first embrace a realistic two-state solution to its conflict with the Palestinians.

• A peace treaty cannot instantly erase Arab and Palestinian anti-Semitism or hatred of Israel.  It cannot erase either the deep-seated Israeli suspicion of Palestinians and Arabs or the often racist attitudes Israelis hold towards them. Decades of anger, fear, and hatred will not disappear overnight. But it will be significantly easier for Israelis and Arabs - for Jews, Christians and Muslims - to overcome these challenges in the context of a peace agreement and normalized relations.

• Peace with the Palestinians and the Arab world is an Israeli vital interest, and Israel cannot afford to wait for the day when its enemies first love it to seek peace. Peace is something you make with your enemies, not your friends.

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Go to the "Reclaiming Israel's Future" Campaign Homepage

• APN's Lara Friedman on recent events: A Blood Libel Against All Palestinians. (July 9, 2014)
• APN's Summer Intern Hannah Ehlers on this week's Torah portion: Peace Parsha: In Search of an Unbroken Peace (Parshat Pinchas, July 11, 2014)
• Listen to APN's briefing call with Professor Matti Steinberg, an expert on Palestinian politics and political ideology.
• Don't miss APN's briefing call with David Pollock of Washington Institute for Near East Policy about the impact of incitement – both Palestinian and Israeli – and about ways to reduce it. Listen here.
• Read APN's "Price Tag Escalation Timeline," a timeline of major "Price Tag" attacks as reported by Israeli sources since January 2011, documenting a clear escalation in attacks, and the increasing spread of attacks inside the Green Line
• Read and share the"Is Peace Possible?" chapter from APN’s landmark publication, “They Say, We Say”.
• Read Yossi Alpher's answer in the July 7 "Hard Questions, Tough Answers" to How would you characterize the role played by incitement on both sides?
• Read and Share Articles from APN:  

  General Articles

  • David Grossman at Haaretz Israel Conference for Peace: On hope and despair in the Middle East. (July 8, 2014)
  • Akiva Eldar in Al-Monitor: Palestinian 'incitement': Israel’s usual last resort (February 22, 2014)
  • Yizhar Be’er (Translated from Hebrew by Miriam Erez) in +972Magazine: Palestinian incitement: Genuine problem or right-wing dream? (February 22, 2014)
  • Lara Friedman for APN:  Be Hopeful! The Anti-Peace Squad is Freaking Out (January 9, 2014)
  • Nahum Barnea in YNet: In the land of sin and hatred: Instead of whining about Palestinian incitement, ministers should discuss state of incitement in Israel (January 6, 2014)
  • Ben Sales in JTA: Watchdogs of Palestinian incitement failing to stir alarm (October 9, 2013)
  • Lara Friedman in Open Zion: AIPAC Illustrates Current Threats Facing Israel With Bombing Photo—From 1997 (June 25, 2013)
  • Lara Friedman in Open Zion: Where’s the Shame? Settler Rabbis' Guide to Killing Non-Jews (July 6, 2012)
  • Lara Friedman in Open Zion: Where the Racism Comes From (June 6, 2012)
  • Lara Friedman in Open Zion: Yes, Israel is Thriving, But All's Not Well (March, 30, 2012)
  • Yossi Eli and Omri Maniv  in Maariv: [Kahanist] Skinheads in Jerusalem Translation by Israel News Today (March 27, 2011)

  Incitement/attacks against Peace Now

  • Ori Nir for APN: Peace Now marks 30th Anniversary of Grunzweig Assassination (February 12, 2013)
  • Yariv Oppenheimer in Haaretz: Sugar-Coated Racism (August 22, 2012)
  • Uri Misgav in Yedioth Achronoth: "She who believes does not fear" (Translation by Israel News Today) (November 18, 2011)
  • Hagit Ofran's Speech at the Rabin National Memorial  (November 12, 2011); video of speech (Hebrew with English subtitles) here.
  • Ori Nir for APN: Rabin Awaits You (November 8, 2011)
  • Yaniv Kubovich in Haaretz:IDF soldier on leave attacks group of Peace Now activists in Tel Aviv (Aug. 13, 2010)
  • Ori Nir for APN: Scary stuff - Peace Now leader was on right-wing Israeli terrorist's hit list (December 31, 2009)
  • Roni Sofer in YNet: "Minister Landau: Ya'alon was right - look at the Swedes" & "Peace Now: Landau inciting against Israel's Left" (August 23, 2009)
  • New York Times: Report on Pipe Bomb Attack on veteran Peace Now leader Zeev Sternhell (July 6, 2009)
  • Israel Channel 2 report: Peace Now Activists Assaulted; Caught on Video by Israeli News (July 5,2009)
  • Lara Friedman for APN: The Missing Elements in the Debate Over Palestinian Incitement (March 18, 2011)
  • Ori Nir for APN: Settler Violence Surging; APN Documenting and Cautioning (January 8, 2010)
  • Ori Nir for APN: Lieberman's contempt and incitement - greatest hits (June 14, 2009)
  • Lara Friedman for APN: Racism in Israel: a Predictable Byproduct of Occupation (May 24, 2012)
  • Ori Nir for APN: Wanted: Conspiracy Theories (October 11, 2010)
  • Ori Nir for APN: Stones to Strings: a Story of Hope (July 13, 2010)
  • Ori NIr for APN: A Lesson from the Rabin Assassination (October 29, 2009)
  • Ori Nir in The Washington Jewish Week: The 'West-Bankization' of Israel? (August 13, 2009)
  • Ori Nir for APN: Go to Hebron (May 5, 2009)
  • Ori Nir in The Washington Times: West Bank settlers' lawlessness, violence hurts Israel (October 27, 2008)

Return to the Main "Hatred/Incitement" Page

APN condemns the killing of a Palestinian youth in East Jerusalem.  The government of Israel must act swiftly to investigate the murder and bring the perpetrator or perpetrators to justice.  It remains to be established whether Muhammad Abu-Khdeir (16) was murdered as revenge for the kidnapping and murder of the three Israeli youths in the West Bank.  What is absolutely clear is that in the wake of the murder of the three Israeli youths, the Israeli government has fomented a mood of revenge among Israelis, beginning with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s promise of “revenge” for the killings.  That mood began taking concrete form in demonstrations and marches yesterday in Israel, which were marked with calls of “death to Arabs,” as well as attacks against Arabs inside Israel.