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Last update - 09:13 08/08/2005 Sweet illusion By Sayed Kashua What joy. At long last we have a terror attack of our own, at long last we are on the side of the good guys. True, deep mourning and terrible sadness descended on Shfaram this weekend, but still, for the Arab sitting in front of the screen there was also a kind of achievement in the terror attack, a consolation. How long was it before MK Azmi Bishara (Balad) was interviewed on television? And not only Bishara, but all of them were there: MK Mohammed Barakeh (Hadash), MK Abdulmalik Dehamshe (United Arab List), Ahmed Tibi (Hadash-Ta'al). And they weren't even invited to condemn and to defend themselves. When was the last time an Arab MK who appeared on television wasn't there in the role of the accused who is attacked by a skeptical broadcaster? And now this weekend it happened, because of the blood that was spilled in vain in Shfaram. Now we are on the map, in the role of the victim, purely the victim. By virtue of the terror attack maybe they will let us alone a bit, because of the blood that was spilled in Shfaram, thinks the naive Arab. Maybe they will regard us differently. Advertisement After all, every group has to pay the blood tax, and everyone knows that there is nothing like a terror attack that claims lives to create a sense of belonging. At long last we are part of the family of blood. True, it wasn't a Palestinian, someone from Islamic Jihad or Hamas, who blew himself up in a bus in the middle of an Arab neighborhood, knowing without a doubt that he was killing only Arabs. In that case, the situation would have improved immeasurably. But still, even a Jewish terror attack is something. Perhaps now they will let us alone a bit, perhaps we will stop being a security threat for a moment. Perhaps now they will have pity on us a bit, will say to themselves those poor Arabs, we didn't know that they also get sad when their sons are killed. And they even showed restraint, no doubt about that. The police were there, there was a strike and a funeral and they behaved all right. Maybe after all they aren't all that dangerous. That is to say - most of them. Nevertheless, there are always a few rotten apples. True, Arabs died in previous terror attacks, restaurant workers, tourists in hotels. And then too an Arab sat in front of the television and hoped that there was an Israeli Arab among the casualties, because somehow this is supposed to soften the anger of the masses. Look, we're dying too. Please don't blame us. Please, we're really sorry. Perhaps by virtue of the terror attack in Shfaram, thinks the Arab who was educated from earliest childhood to be afraid of the authorities, we'll stop being a demographic threat. Perhaps learned and balanced experts will stop suggesting solutions like exchanges of territories. Perhaps the rightists who are proposing transfer will become a bit more delicate. Now we have a terror attack of our own, a terrorist - I swear that this is what they called him on television, a terrorist by the name of Natan Zada, who had dark skin and whose father has a mustache and who grew up in a shaky building. A terrorist, they said so many times that the viewer surely got confused and thought of him as an Arab. A Jewish terrorist killed civilians, citizens. How long have we waited for them to tell us this, how long for this definition, citizens. For this is the fear of every Arab who dwells in Zion, the threat, morning and night, of the denial of his citizenship. Isn't he shouted at from childhood, true, you are a citizen, but this is an administrative matter and it's mainly because of a mistake. This is not a long-term thing. Your citizenship is temporary. By virtue of the terror attack in Shfaram, we have received a full acknowledgment from Prime Minister Ariel Sharon himself that we are citizens. This what he said in his official condemnation of the attack. He called us citizens and not just citizens but "innocent citizens, civilians." Gentlemen, this is heavy for us, all at once. It is hard for us to digest titles like that and manifestations of solidarity that come at a single stroke. Please, serve them up to us in small portions, gradually. We are accustomed to being a cancer in the heart of the nation, a fifth column, members of minority groups, abettors of illegal sojourners and now one soldier, a terrorist named Natan Zada, has turned us into innocent citizens. Thank you, Natan Zada, for the sweet illusion. Thank you, Natan Zada, for having fulfilled a dream, though momentary, but still a big dream. With a submachine gun you have succeeded in doing what a million Arabs had not succeeded in doing. Ever since the establishment of the state, we have been begging to be part of it. We learned to keep quiet when necessary, to bend our backs, to be grateful for the discrimination, to accept the hatred with understanding, to forgive Kafr Qassem and the events of October 2000, even to bear the guilt. Thank you, Natan Zada, for having brought us such moments of illusory grace and thank you for stirring in us once again the vain hope that there is still a chance, that there is reason to dream that we will be equal citizens in the Jewish state Bookmark to del.icio.us   Deterring Tehran Bush: Disclosure of IAF strike on Syria sends a message to Iran. A lesser evil In Haaretz issue from 1932, Hitler makes a better impression than expected.   1.   We are citizens of Israel. We are loyal. We are Arab 09:34  |  Arab-Israeli 08/08/05   2.   equal citizens, equal responsibilities 09:44  |  Will 08/08/05   3.   Arab Israelis Freak too much!! 10:09  |  Yoav 08/08/05   4.   Arab-Israeli-#1-You are a citizen of Israel with eqaul rights 10:09  |  Daniel Leopold 08/08/05   5.   What equality is Will talking about? 10:13  |  Kim 08/08/05   6.   # 1 : equals, you mean doing also military service ? 10:13  |  Andre 08/08/05   7.   Feel Bad? 10:35  |  an idf soldier 08/08/05   8.   To Yoav from Toronto 10:47  |  John 08/08/05   9.   A JEWISH state 10:48  |  an idf soldier 08/08/05   10.   1 israeli arab 10:50  |  bm 08/08/05   11.   re: 5 10:58  |  ALH 08/08/05   12.   ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS 11:01  |  paul harris 08/08/05   13.   Arab-Israeli 11:14  |  Kim (the Christian Zionist) 08/08/05   14.   1000 were killed 11:14  |  richard 08/08/05   15.   re: 1 israeli arab 11:16  |  ALH 08/08/05   16.   theodore dalrymple 11:21  |  richard 08/08/05   17.   # 7 Dear Soldier - Israeli Arabs do very well in Israel Thank You Israel 11:26  |  fareed 08/08/05   18.   9 idf soldier 11:31  |  bm - another idf soldier 08/08/05   19.   #7 the israeli benefits are still too good idf soldier. they ill never leave !!! 11:37  |  paul harris 08/08/05   20.   Israeli Arabs enjoy the benefits but forget about their responsibilities 11:40  |  HowDoTheirBrothersLiveIn22ArabStates? 08/08/05   21.   The Arabs of Israel are the only Arabs in the Middle East who live in a democracy 11:44  |  TheyAlsoHaveFirstClassMedicalFacilities 08/08/05   22.   10 Arabs serve in the Israeli Knesset! 11:45  |  HowManyJewsServeInAllArabParliaments 08/08/05   23.   The Arab parliamentarians of Israel assault the Jewish state right at the podium of the Knesset 11:50  |  Can you only imagine if a Jew 08/08/05   24.   SWEET ILLUSION OF DISLOYALTY 12:08  |  fareed 08/08/05   25.   The Poor Palestinian National Identity - 12:20  |  chafeeka 08/08/05   26.   for Yoav 12:53  |  Yoav 08/08/05   27.   identity 13:21  |  leo 08/08/05   28.   What kind of article is this! 13:30  |  Danite 08/08/05   29.   13 KIM 13:32  |  Tulip 08/08/05   30.   Chafeeka #25 "Success" - a comment. 13:34  |  David McC 08/08/05   31.   Fareed 17 13:36  |  Tulip 08/08/05   32.   Will 13:37  |  Tareq 08/08/05   33.   Fareed, thanks again 13:42  |  Tulip 08/08/05   34.   Sweet Illusion 14:02  |  Ragtime 08/08/05   35.   Chafeeka-"Changing places"? 14:05  |  JOHANES Franzen 08/08/05   36.   Franzen`s morals 14:13  |  Proud Zionist 08/08/05   37.   ALH -The 14:th of Aug. 14:13  |  JOHANES Franzen 08/08/05   38.   This article 14:14  |  Tom Dilberger 08/08/05   39.   "Israeli Arab Jews" "israeli Arab Christians" "Israeli Arab Muslims" 14:17  |  JOHANES Franzen 08/08/05   40.   Palestinians will always be part of the Arab/Muslim people. 14:18  |  Hussam 08/08/05   41.   Re: #20-22 14:30  |  maxim reider 08/08/05   42.   IDF Soldier 14:32  |  Tareq 08/08/05   43.   to tareq#31 14:33  |  nina 08/08/05   44.   stop whining Sayed 14:42  |  Nurit 08/08/05   45.   item #5 14:43  |  barry 08/08/05   46.   FRANZEN Re "why not just"-----try Prozac? 14:47  |  Peter S.M. 08/08/05   47.   #38 dilberger has a history book no one else possess 14:49  |  paul harris 08/08/05   48.   ITEM #26 14:49  |  BARRY 08/08/05   49.   Johanes`s illusion 14:52  |  Saana 08/08/05   50.   Bigotry & Distorted Reality ARE NOT Pretty On Anyone Chafeeka--Remember That! 14:52  |  Proud U.S. Defender Of Palestinians 08/08/05   51.   40 hussam 14:59  |  bm 08/08/05   52.   bm - Search the web if you don`t know. 15:20  |  Hussam 08/08/05   53.   Equal Citizens in a Jewish State 15:27  |  Yaakov Sullivan 08/08/05   54.   52 mr.hussam and his non reply 15:38  |  bm 08/08/05   55.   52 mr.hussam and his non reply 15:38  |  bm 08/08/05   56.   Israel should watch out,lest those poor Israeli Arabs escape to Arab countries 15:44  |  m. 08/08/05   57.   Sully singles out Israel 15:45  |  Proud Zionist 08/08/05   58.   God Bless the Israeli Arabs 15:53  |  Jane 08/08/05   59.   Take responsibility! 16:08  |  Yan 08/08/05   60.   Prosecute lynchers 16:11  |  Yan 08/08/05   61.   # 40 Proud Hussam, you forgot the most important... 16:14  |  Andre 08/08/05   62.   These long Headings That Lead To Nowhere 16:23  |  Yaakov Sullivan 08/08/05   63.   PZ (#57) But Kahane doesn`t provide welfare services. 16:27  |  David McC 08/08/05   64.   crazy bitch 16:30  |  yaakov sullivan 08/08/05   65.   Tulip 29 16:31  |  Kim (the Christian Zionist) 08/08/05   66.   cede land 16:38  |  richard 08/08/05   67.   Correction to # 59 16:41  |  Yan 08/08/05   68.   Hussam 40 16:42  |  Kim (the Christian Zionist) 08/08/05   69.   Hi, JOHANES Franzen 16:47  |  Kim (the Christian Zionist) 08/08/05   70.   JOHANES Franzen 39 17:03  |  Kim (the Christian Zionist) 08/08/05   71.   Israeli Arabs--The Illusion Of Tolerance. 17:06  |  Proud U.S. Defender Of Palestinians 08/08/05   72.