Israelis oppose assault on Lebanon

One of the myths surrounding the Israeli assault on Lebanon is that Israelis are united in support. This idea characteristically ignores 20 per cent of the population. One in five Israelis is Arab and, according to an Aljazeera story, opposition to the war is understandably strong among this group. Many of the Arabs live in northern areas subject to attack by Hezbollah rockets; nonetheless, they oppose the killing of hundreds of Lebanese and the destruction of that country's infrastructure. "Our lives and our hearts are in Beirut and Gaza - not in Haifa," says Ameer Makhoul, director of Ittijah, a coalition of Arab organizations, "We have been taking extra care because of the bombs but we have very different feelings to that of Jewish Israelis."

That Arab Israelis should protest the invasion is hardly surprising given their ethnic connection to the Lebanese, to say nothing of Israel's refusal to accept them as full citizens. Indeed, many Jewish Israelis, including the Israel Beytenu Party which holds eleven seats in the Knesset, believe they should be deported. Not that they need rejection by their countrymen to justify criticism of their country's appalling behaviour.