Jerusalem's judgment day

Arabs make up 20 per cent of Israel's population. They have been long viewed with suspicion from time to time as a fifth column waiting to spread havoc when ordered to do so. While their loyalty to their country is frequently called into question they have been able to achieve a standard of living and lifestyle that is the envy of those who live in the Arab States that surround Israel.

A recent poll conducted by the Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government showed that 77 per cent of Israeli Arabs would rather live in Israel than in any other country in the world.

Another poll conducted with 668 adult Israeli Jews for the Knesset Channel shortly after the seminary massacre in March showed that 29 per cent wanted all Israeli Arabs relocated out of Israel into any new Arab state created between Israel and Jordan; 19 per cent said relocation should only apply to settlements in close proximity to any new state; while 28 per cent restricted relocation to those whose disloyalty to Israel could be proved. Twenty-four per cent were against any relocation taking place.

Any lingering hopes that any sizeable number of Arabs would ever be permitted to legally emigrate to Israel has ended with the last two traumatic events in Jerusalem. No doubt there will be circumstances where some limited emigration is permitted but it will be strictly applied and strenuously enforced.

Israel obviously has enormous problems in trying to prevent terrorist attacks on its citizens by its own Arab population, to appropriately respond to them and is grappling with what it can do to end them.

Any political party in this current climate of suspicion and fear espousing the lawful entry of more Arabs into Israel would be decimated at the polls. Israel's political parties will unite in resisting the Arab demand and with it kiss goodbye to the Roadmap as the route to achieving peace between Jews and Arabs.

Jerusalem on July 2, 2008 was judgment day for President Bush's Roadmap - but not in the Christian understanding of the dead being restored to life. Rather the exact opposite happened - the Roadmap was buried that day by the Arabs in the graveyard of lost opportunities ending any hopes of President Bush's vision ever achieving peace between Jews and Arabs in Jerusalem - the city of peace.