It's been about a year now since I began doing English tutoring at Arab schools in Jaffa. It's a volunteer job, arranged through a local NGO geared at improving Jewish-Moslem and Israel-Arab relations. An admirable and peaceful aim, to be sure. The kids are mostly about 10 years old, boys & girls, largely Moslem, but some Christian Arabs too. (Why did I think Arab kids were more polite and better behaved than our Jewish youth? It seems that kids are kids - noisy, rowdy and out to avoid learning at all costs. Ok, I'm exaggerating, but humor me will you?) My two bêtes noires there are Ahmad and Mohammed, both sweet boys, but determined to make my life a misery.

Sunday was "Yom Hanaqba" in Israel. That is the Arab name for the day Israel was established in 1948, the day the Arab world now nominates as "Disaster Day". Sunday was horrific, with Syrian & Lebanese attempts to broach Israel's border and repudiate her sovereignty. Several Israeli soldiers were injured, several Arabs killed and many injured. What a waste of human life.

Eli Hertz, writing in "Myths & Facts" explains why Yom Hanaqba is the fault of the Arabs, and why...More >>