19

Ariel

Tel Aviv—Ariel Levy

Waiting reigns in Tel Aviv as it faces the most dangerous challenge since independence. The city’s streets are full of waiting and anticipation. The question on everyone’s mind is: What is happening? And perhaps the other most important question is: Who knows what is happening?

The government spokesman, Yair Kanun, has held two press conferences so far. The first was at eleven this morning, followed by a second one two hours later. There was nothing new in either. He didn’t add to what the media had reported since the morning. It seems that the objective of the press conferences was psychological rather than to provide any information about what is taking place. As if Kanun wanted to reassure Israelis, and the rest of the world, that we are still fine and alive, and that the Israeli government and security forces are in control. The second press conference was attended by Yigal Goldman, the official spokesperson of the IDF. Both men stressed several points.

The first was an internal message of reassurance for Israelis. The second was a message to our allies abroad to say that all is under control. The third was to enemy states that are watching. The overarching message was that “our people are fine.”

It reminds me of the song that was broadcast on state TV in 1991, after Saddam Hussein fired Scud missiles on Tel Aviv and its environs. After the news, they played Ofra Haza’s “Alive.”

The song had reached second place in the Eurovision contest in Germany in 1983.

But beyond songs, tactics, and soon-to-be-forgotten press statements, what do we actually know so far? There is no trace of Palestinians in the country. This sentence has been repeated like a broken record since this morning. Is this conceivable? Can we believe that the Palestinians disappeared? Without a drop of blood? What about Palestinians in the diaspora and in the camps? The news indicates that they are still there, but does this mean they will start crawling toward us?

Is the government and the IDF responsible for their disappearance? If the army is involved, can we imagine that such a bold step would have been taken without the knowledge of the American administration? I don’t think this speculation holds any water. I don’t think the Palestinians have been annihilated. These are accusations leveled by some organizations, Arab governments, and Palestinian factions abroad. The goal seems to be to calm their constituencies. Moreover, pointing fingers at Israelis and holding them responsible for whatever ill befalls Palestinians is something to which Israelis are accustomed. This doesn’t mean that the government or security forces were not aware of what was being planned. But it is highly unlikely that they were involved in planning it. We are at the outset of our search and one might find a trace. Accusations and questions fly and there are yet to be any clear answers.

Perhaps the Palestinians have disappeared, and that’s all there is to it. A listener called a radio station this morning to express his anger at the attention this event is getting. He called on everyone to go out to the street to celebrate “that this problem disappeared on its own. It is a divine miracle.” Only a few crazed extremists responded to his call. The rest of the Israelis are in a state of anticipation.

At any rate, the great majority of Israelis are not that interested in the daily lives of Palestinians. Israelis want peace of mind, but they also want security, and that is their chief concern. This is quite understandable if we consider the racism, persecution, and killing this people have suffered, and the wars this relatively young nation has had to fight. All this doesn’t mean that the majority will be satisfied if the IDF, or state institutions, committed an unethical act against the Palestinians.

Another theory holds the other side, i.e., Palestinians, or perhaps Arabs, responsible for the disappearance. It assumes that the Palestinians have started a general strike. But the problem in this theory is that the strike was not announced beforehand, as is customary. Moreover, there are usually protests and statements declaring the strike’s demands. None of this happened. More importantly, in taking part in a strike, even if not going to work or going outside to public places, one still has to be somewhere. And Palestinians are neither at home, nor anywhere else. The police and IDF have raided houses in many neighborhoods and have not found a single Palestinian in the country as of now.

The search continues in full swing in the Galilee forests, Jerusalem, and Judea and Samaria. In addition to the reconnaissance missions of the air force, police and army units are conducting a comprehensive sweep of every inch in Israel. So the various scenarios about the disappearance of the Palestinians have yet to offer a fruitful, or even logical, answer.

A source in the army (who spoke on condition of anonymity) said, “It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the forty-eight hours following the first mass disappearance of Arabs will determine the direction the state will take and its steps in the future.”

So, let us wait out the remaining thirty hours to see what they may bring. Waiting is hellish, but it is the only option.

Ariel read his article twice. He revised some sentences and changed the word order here and there. Then he logged into his e-mail and wrote a short message to Matthew:

Dear Matthew,

Here is the article. I’ll send another one as soon as I have any new information. I will try to interview some representatives from the army and government. I’m still waiting for confirmation from their press offices. Will let you know later. Let me know if you have any comments on the piece.

More soon

Ariel

He turned up the volume on his radio so as not to miss any breaking news. He made sure that his ringer and breaking news notifications on his cell were both loud enough. He felt the urge to read Alaa’s notebook.