12

Ariel

“Dear Listeners, we continue our special coverage. It is ten past eleven a.m. and we have Shlomo Ben Gaon, expert on Arab affairs, with us here in the studio. We will try to answer your questions and comments, and will be taking calls for the next two hours. Hagit, from Jerusalem, is on the line. Hagit, Shalom Ovrakha, go ahead.”

“Shalom everybody! All these media outlets are saying it’s too early to say for sure what has happened. Aval eluhim yashmour. I can’t understand how it’s almost midday and our government has yet to issue a statement clarifying what is going on. The media has been repeating the same line since the early morning. ‘We don’t know what is happening.’ How can we not know what is happening? Where are the surveillance cameras? Is what you announced about security detainees having disappeared true? If so, then we will face an army of terrorists who will come out of nowhere. An army of thousands who are trained to kill and wreak havoc. Can the IDF control them? They are ticking bombs, ready to blow themselves up. What will happen if thousands of Arabs blow themselves up in our midst? Are we ready for this scenario?”

“Oh oh, Hagit, tiragai ktsat. Relax! We don’t want to terrify our listeners. You should be more careful with these wild prognostications that stem for an understandable, but rather exaggerated fear. Ben Gaon, could you comment on what Hagit said?”

“There is, undoubtedly, a general state of fear, but we have to remember that we are still in control. That the IDF or the government have not declared an official response until now, doesn’t necessarily mean they don’t have information about this matter. The confusion in the media doesn’t necessarily reflect any confusion or threat on the security level. What is taking place is a storm, a powerful one, or one that appears to be powerful. But it should not make us lose our self-confidence, or our confidence in our army. We, and our allies, are the strongest in the world, and no one can touch us. This doesn’t mean that the terrorists will not try to do something to weaken our morale. There is no doubt that we are facing a number of issues that are still unclear. There is also a feeling of disappointment in regards to Israeli Arabs. We have trusted them to live together with us in peace and try to coexist without them trying to destroy us. At any rate, we must preserve our unity. We are still waiting for reactions from Arab states which haven’t issued any official statements against us so far. Some of the so-called Arab Spring states are waging a propaganda campaign against us and inciting people, but we are used to that. What is important is to be vigilant and careful.”

“Thank you Hagit. We’ll take another caller. Daniel, from Netanya. How are you Daniel?”

“I’m doing great. I’m so happy.”

“Oh, I’m happy that someone is happy, and doesn’t seem to be worried. Tell us why you are so happy?”

“The news we’ve been hearing since this morning is great. I would like to salute our brave soldiers who carried out a clean operation to rid us of the fifth column and terrorists who were around us everywhere. We have finally cleaned up the country and achieved what we weren’t able to do during the war of independence. But what I still don’t understand is all this fear and noise about the Arabs disappearing, or being deported by the IDF? As far as I’m concerned, this was a problem that we finally managed to solve. Does it matter how? The friends of Arabs, or let us say, the friends of the Palestinians, because our state has no qualms with Arabs in neighboring countries, except for Hizballah and Iran. Anyway, the friends of terrorists who are now screaming and wondering where their friends are. To these leftists I say, if you love Arabs so much, just go with them wherever they have gone. Let them establish a state where al-Qaida is, or anywhere. Look, even Arabs don’t want these terrorists. Everyone wants to keep them here and to send those ticking bombs from refugee camps here. I don’t like these two-faced leftists. Why worry and waste time talking about where and how the Arabs disappeared? What’s important is that they’re gone. It doesn’t matter how. Let them go to hell, or to Arab countries. I think our brave army is responsible for this genius operation, which will go down in history . . .”

“Toda Raba Daniel. Ben Gaon?”

“Daniel’s approach is important. He doesn’t want to stir and spread fear in the country, and is trying to maintain confidence. But we shouldn’t exaggerate, of course. We must be very careful not to say that the IDF is responsible for what happened to the Arabs. We must remember that, as of yet, we don’t know for sure what is taking place. More importantly, Israel is a state of laws and is still the only democracy in the region. The Muslim Brotherhood, who were brought about by the Arab Spring, have produced Salafis and sharia states, not secular democracies like ours. We are a country of laws. We represent western values and civilization in the midst of these backward states. The doors will, for sure, be open now for bilateral relations and peace agreements. Daniel is correct in that even the Arabs are tired of Palestinians. So, yalla basta. Whether the Arabs went by choice or they were planning a massive suicide mission, it is crucial for things to be clear and ethical and to proceed according to the law. If the disappearance continues, there is no doubt that many problems will be solved. But we have to be steadfast, wait, and be vigilant.”

“Apologies, Ben Gaon, I have to interrupt you. Tamer Weiss, our correspondent in Tel Aviv is on the line from Dizengoff Street. Tamer, how are things?”

“Dorit, we are in the middle of Tel Aviv. Streets are less crowded than usual at this hour of the day. Pedestrian movement and traffic were normal earlier in the morning, but have slowed down now. I spoke to some shop owners, particularly those who sell food in and outside Dizengoff Mall. These are usually packed with customers around noon. Many restaurant owners confirmed that traffic was slower compared to previous days, but it wasn’t affected too much since those who come here work in the area. But the stores depend on shoppers, many of whom preferred to stay home, follow the news, and be careful, especially that the news about the disappearance has been confirmed. But even if restaurant owners are correct, car traffic in Dizengoff is still semi-normal for this time of day. At any rate, Tel Aviv is always teeming with life and no one can stop it. Back to you, Dorit.”

“Tamer, did you canvass voices on the street? Did the police announce any new measures that citizens must follow?”

“Dorit, we spoke to many pedestrians as well as store owners. The great majority of them don’t seem to be too worried. There is vigilance, but I think the strong presence of police and security throughout the country is reassuring. The police have increased their presence in the city center, especially here on Dizengoff and in the surrounding area. They have called on citizens to be careful and continue with their lives as usual, but be vigilant. According to one police official we spoke to, due to the anxiety some are feeling, calls informing on items thought to be bombs or explosives are five times the normal rate. The police take each call seriously and follow up. However, they haven’t found anything dangerous until now. Back to you in the studio, Dorit.”

“Thank you, Tamer. This was Tamer Weiss who gave us an idea about the atmosphere on Dizengoff Street in Tel Aviv. There will be a summary of the news very soon and we will continue afterward with some analysis from our guest in the studio in the next hour. We will continue to take your calls and listen to your opinions, and will hear from our correspondents in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa, the north and south, as well as Kiryat Arba, and other points. It is midday. We’ll be back after the news.”

Ariel turned down the volume on the radio to a background whisper, and turned up the TV. He surfed through channels and settled on the special coverage on Channel 2. He browsed some international and Israeli newspaper sites on his laptop. He turned up the volume some more to be able to hear it in the kitchen where he went next to make some coffee. The news mentioned that all areas where Palestinians resided had been declared closed military zones. Several journalists said in interviews that they had tried to enter these areas, including Jaffa, but the army prevented them from doing so.

Press offices refused to give any special entry permits to those areas during the coming forty-eight hours. Going there would be of no use anyway, he thought as he took a sip of the coffee, which scorched his tongue. He called the IDF press office and the Tel Aviv municipality to check if it was necessary to get a special permit to go to Jaffa, or any other Arab area. He got the same answer. No permits are being given and he should call the following day.