Israeli Arab who volunteered for IDF tells Netanyahu: “Overthrow Hamas and [Mahmoud Abbas’] Fatah. Establish & support a new leadership for the Palestinian people, a leadership that will seek peace & a better life for us all.”
By Israel Today Staff
An Israeli Muslim Arab has written to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stressing that if the Jewish state truly wants peace, it must remove from power the terror groups that current hold sway over the Palestinian population, and instead deal directly with average Arabs who just want to live quietly.
In a post on his Facebook page, Ali Shaban, who volunteered for combat service in the IDF and continues to do reserve duty to this day, urged Netanyahu to “act now, do not waver or fear. The Palestinians understand only force, and if you do not attack now, then you and me and all Israelis will pay a dear price.”
Like many Israelis, Shaban wondered, “Why are you [Netanyahu] waiting? Are you waiting for more deaths? Are you waiting until the missiles hit Tel Aviv? Are you waiting for approval from Obama?”
This Muslim’s recommendation? “Conquer Gaza. Conquer the West Bank. Overthrow Hamas and [Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas’] Fatah. Establish and support a new leadership for the Palestinian people, a leadership that will seek peace and a better life for us all.”
On Tuesday, Shaban was invited to appear on the popular Channel 10 morning show “Orly & Guy,” where he was asked about his unusual position.
In truth, Shaban corrected his interviewers, a great many Arabs think like him.
During his army service, Shaban said he has “met countless Palestinians at checkpoints and elsewhere in the disputed territories that told me they support peace and are fed up with the situation. But, they are afraid to speak because anyone who voices such an opinion is immediately labeled a traitor…and will be publicly executed.”
When told by Orly that his letter sounds as though it were written by an extremist Jew, Shaban responded:
“When I say that they only understand force, I am talking about the terror groups that are writing the rules of engagement. I do not know of a terror group that has an agenda of peace. They want to harm Jews, to destroy the State of Israel. Their eyes see only blood. …It is not possible to make peace with terror groups.”
View original Israel Today publication at: http://www.israeltoday.co.il/NewsItem/tabid/178/nid/24734/Default.aspx