By Gilad Atzmon
An Israeli poll released today examining the political attitudes of Israeli youth is instructive. Among Jewish youth polled, 52% defined themselves as ‘right wing’, 30% saw themselves in the ‘centre’ and only 9% identified with the ‘Left’ whatever that means in the Jewish state.
While 76% of Israeli secular Jewish youth said that they would agree to dwell with Arabs. In , only 36% of religious Jewish youth agreed to live with Arabs.
Not surprisingly, 68% of Israeli Arab youth are willing to live in Jewish neighbourhoods. The poll suggests that the vast majority of Arab Israeli youth actually feel that they are a part of Israeli society.
I would like to learn from Ali Abunimah and other supporters of the One State Solution how they intend to sell the idea of reconciliation and harmony to Jewish youth who apparently support the most severe measures of ethnic and racial segregation.
A few years ago I participated in a One State Conference in Stuttgart. In my brief presentation, I insisted that we can not effectively discuss ‘reconciliation’ or ‘solutions’ until we attempt to grasp the true meaning of Jewish culture, Judeo-centrism and Jewish exceptionalism. Ali Abunimah wasn’t happy with my contribution; he denounced my ideas and insisted that ‘politics has noting to do with culture.’
Maybe, now that Abunimah and other well-intentioned souls see the above poll exposing the Israeli attitude to politics and Arabs, they will find the time and intellectual integrity to listen once again to my short talk in Stuttgart. Hopefully, now Abunimah will understand what the Palestinians are up against and what the necessary steps are that will lead to the point where we will be able to examine the political questions of the ‘solution.’
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