“You cannot continue to keep people in a situation where they are under your occupation and expect them to come to the conclusion that everything is fine.”
-Ron Huldai
For years now, Tel Aviv has lived in a bubble. Its economy grew as did its international stature. The world, with it s BDS drive, incessant focus on “occupation,” and drive towards an unrealistic peace accords pretended Tel Aviv was a different country. This year the city has now seen 3 attacks, last night’s being the most brutal.
For the attackers Tel Aviv is the occupation. Judea and Samaria maybe internationally ostracized, but the “settlers” are not viewed as estranged from the daily grind in the territories. There is an unfriendly respect between the Arabs and the Jews of Judea and Samaria that is dealt with differently.
Huldai and his cohorts, as well as the Tel Aviv culture, exemplifies for the Arab Palestinians everything that is wrong with secular Zionism. It’s true the communities in Judea and Samaria maybe over the green line, but that is all. Hamas and all who support them do not view a difference between Tel Aviv and Kiryat Arba. In fact an attack such as this would be nearly impossible in Kiryat Arba, where most people are armed and aware. Tel Aviv is picked because it is complacent and its elected officials weak.
Tel Aviv is on the front lines precisely because Ron Huldai wants to pretend it has nothing to do with the fabled occupation. In fact, it his Tel Aviv that yearns to reflect a dying European culture and strives to maintain a bubble of disconnection. It is the European culture that is seen as an occupation.
After three terrorist attacks in one year, the citizens of Tel Aviv have woken up and recognized we are all in this together. Ron Huldai and his supporters have yet to realize that they too are on the front lines of a war. The faster they stop accusing the “occupation” in Judea and Samaria for their problems, the better they will be in dealing with the enemy that is out to destroy them.