Well, not anymore. Along comes some old Arab from a refugee camp (yes, they still call them that) claiming that Ehud Barak's house in the ritzy Kochav Yair settlement sits on land that he lost in 1948. It seems that this old Arab was on the wrong side of the fence that was built after the armistice between Israel and Jordan, and that his land was on the right side. He has spent the past 50-odd years staring at it from his dilapidated hovel in Beit Jimel while Barak and his cronies have been living in the lap of luxury just meters away.
So now, all of a sudden, out of the clear blue sky of Barak's shining term in office, comes this old Arab claiming his land back. Of course, the Prime Minister's Office responded by saying that his claims are nonsense and have no backing at all, despite the title the old guy waves over his head. And of course, Peace Now and their Meretz cronies are completely silent about this particular Arab claiming his homestead back.
But how dare some Jew build a small home in a village in the Jewish heartland of Judea and Samaria or claim a farm near Hevron. How dare Jews come to settle the Land of our Forefathers. Because, you see, these heroes of the Jewish rebirth might actually be squatting on Arab-owned land that no one has claimed lo these fifty years, and which a band of terrorists is intent on turning into one massive training ground for the next generation of Jew-killers.
For years, now, suggestions have been made that instead of the birthplace of Jewish history, we should be offering the Arabs Ramat Aviv and Herzliya as a suitable replacement. After all, that is where the money is, so why wouldn't the Arabs agree to a land swap. Philistia instead of Palestine. The idea of territorial exchanges was even agreed to by Arafat at Camp David last month, so why not exchange the whole lot?
Ah, but you see, that is where the left has its power base. That is where Leah Rabin, Shulamit Aloni, and yes, even Ehud Barak actually live. And they wouldn't dream of abandoning their own homes to these murderers. Instead, they insist on abandoning the homes of others while they sit at home and drink their tea and eat their hummous, waving at the new wave of refugees they are intent on creating.
No one will give this old Arab the time of day because his home happens to be in the wrong settlement. And no one will give the new Jewish refugees any better attention when they are forced from their homes either.
Sadly, I am not surprised that Ehud Barak can be so unfeeling. Or so hypocritical.
Copyright 2000. Yehuda Poch is a writer living in Israel. Reproduction in electronic or print format by permission only.
