by Dan Margalit
The Muslim-Druze brawl
in Abu Snan on Saturday was the worst in its history. In the 800 years
since Sheikh Bazz founded the village, not once has this mixed town
(which also has a handful of Christians) seen such a violent clash. The
village name means "he with the teeth" -- because Bazz had a double-edge
sword. But this name has always been just a name. Until Saturday.
The religious strife in
the village has been on the uptick in recent years, primarily because
of shifting demographics. The Muslim population has grown steadily,
threatening the delicate balance between the two predominant groups in
the village. The troubled dynamics resulted in a contested municipal
election. Nihad Mishleb, a Druze, ultimately prevailed as mayor, to the
dismay of many Muslims.
The last straw had a
very emotional component to it, but not much else. Last week, Muslim
students started wearing keffiyehs (traditional Muslim headdresses) in
solidarity with the teen that was shot by police in Kafr Kanna. The
Druze students protested, and demanded that the keffiyehs be taken off.
Such tension would have
been easily defused had it not been a microcosm of a much larger feud
over the desired degree of integration in Israeli society.
The Druze, who have
justifiably taken the government to task over their share of unfulfilled
promises, have taken an active role in Israel society and have risen to
senior positions in its defense establishment. This includes Major
General (ret.) Yusef Mishleb, who grew up in Abu Snan.
Muslims want to sever the Druze-Israeli ties, to unravel the much-touted blood bond they view with scorn.
Muslims have also
harassed a Christian priest who has called on Arab Christians to enlist
in the Israel Defense Forces and denounced Israel's decision to
recognize Israeli-Aramean as a distinct ethnic group that dates back to
the Bible and speaks its own unique language.
The Israel Police must
boost its presence in Abu Snan to make sure bloody sights on Saturday --
stabbings, hit-and-run attacks and grenade throwing -- do not recur.
All Israeli citizens are entitled to a sense of security, regardless of
their ethnicity, religious affiliation and gender. But Israel must make
it clear that any group that seeks greater integration in Israeli
society will be protected.
We must address this situation lest things become much worse.
Dan Margalit
Source: http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_opinion.php?id=10591
Copyright - Original materials copyright (c) by the authors.
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