By Stan Goodenough
Aug 13, 2007
Israeli Muslim Arabs - and not so-called Palestinians - were responsible for carrying out a terrorist attack in Jerusalem's Old City last Friday in which a security guard and 10 bystanders were wounded.
This is according to reports in the Israeli press Monday, which said the "Galilee Liberation Group" had claimed credit for the act.
Galilean Ahmed Mahmoud Khatib was shot dead after he grabbed a security guard's pistol and wounded him.
A colleague of the guard chased after and fired at Khatib in what Israel's police described as an "exemplary" response to the terrorism.
The so-called armed wings of the "Palestinian" terrorist groups Fatah, Hamas and Palestine Islamic Jihad all leaped to claim responsibility for the attack Friday, but in a statement sent to the Maan news agency the Galilee Liberation Group said it sent Khatib to avenge against Israelis the death of another terrorist from his town of Kafr Manda.
Outside observers are often confused about the difference between Israeli Arabs and Palestinian Arabs.
In fact, they are all from the same people and many families have members who are Israeli Arabs and members who are "Palestinians."
The former opted for Israeli citizenship and enjoy equal rights and a standard of living higher than that of ordinary citizens in any Arab state.
Roads through the Galilee pass numerous Arab towns boasting many luxurious mansions and villas.
Israeli Arabs have full voting rights and members of that community are elected to the Knesset - Israel's parliament.
Nonetheless, members of this community, numbering a little over a million of Israel's 7 million citizens, frequently express dissatisfaction with their lot, and along with their elected officials call for the destruction of Israel and the creation of Palestine.
Earlier this month, Israeli Arab Knesset Member Ahmed Tibi wrote in an editorial in the Al-Quds Arabic-language newspaper that “Palestine belongs to its Arab residents, not to the Jewish occupiers.”
Following Friday's Old City attack, Tibi rounded on the police for praising the security guard who killed the terrorist, saying they were "encouraging the harming of innocents."