y kids were raised in an intensely political atmosphere—one that tilted distinctly to the right. Even so, I was surprised one day when my six-year-old daughter asked, “Do you think you’ve ever seen a Democrat?”

Whatever her little ears had picked up, she’d obviously concluded that a “Democrat” must be such a unique creature that just seeing one would be memorable.

I assured her that wasn’t the case. Democrats could be found all over the place—in fact, unless I missed my guess, even her best friend’s parents were of that persuasion.

“Huh?” she said, in total disbelief. “Real Democrats?”

Apparently, I had painted “Democrats” into the corner as “the Other”—something entirely different from ourselves.

Now I am wondering if I have turned Arabs into “the Other” for my readers back home.

Real Arabs
The truth is, of course, in Israel, Arabs are not “the Other” any more than Democrats were, in California. Some more than 20 percent of Israel’s population is Arab. They enjoy full voting rights, equal access to health care and other social services. They are legally entitled to live wherever they choose. Arabs elect their own representatives to the legislature, currently holding eight of 120 seats in the Knesset. One of the members of the Supreme Court is an Arab, and Arabic is one of three legal languages in Israel, along with Hebrew and English.

To go even further, Israel is one of the few places in the Middle East where Arab women can vote. Interesting situation, isn’t it?

The sole distinction between Israeli Jews and Arabs is that while Jews are required to serve in the Army, Arabs are not, for obvious reasons. It’s debatable whether skipping Army service hurts Arabs or helps them. It’s true that Army veterans get certain educational and work preferences, just as they do in the U.S. But it also means that Arabs are free to pursue their own interests without spending years tied up in Army service, or performing the annual mandatory 30 days of reserve duty for decades after completing their full time service.

So have I ever met an Arab? Of course. All the time. Because I live in Israel’s South, where there’s a heavy concentration of Bedouin, most of the Arabs I know well are members of that quasi-nomadic tribe who’ve lived and grazed their sheep in this area for generations. Except for Jews who live in smaller, more isolated communities, almost all Jews interact with Arabs every day. Israeli Jews work beside them, hire them, buy and sell from them and usually don’t think twice about it. Personally, I’ve never had an unpleasant encounter with an Arab.

The Terrorists
So how does that square with the well-known and daily-repeated desire of “the Arabs” to kill us all and drive Israel into the sea? That’s the problem.

While most Israeli Arabs are loyal, productive citizens of Israel, obviously some are not. The Islamic Arab world hates to hear it, but a majority of Israeli Arabs admit they’d rather live under Israeli control than under their own leaders, at least at this time. With Israel in power, they can work, educate their kids, own their own homes and enjoy the same security as Jews. Under their own leaders – take your choice among terror groups – life tends to mimic the Hobbsian qualities of being poor, nasty, brutish and short.

Right now, it’s the fact that Jews and Arabs mix so well that’s causing problems. If you’ve noticed, the number of “suicide” – homicide – bombings in Israel has dropped. Fewer buses are being blown up, wedding celebrations aren’t being bombed, and once again, people tend to be relaxed about gathering in groups. Don’t misunderstand—it’s not that the terrorists aren’t trying. They’re trying to slip martyrs into Israel all the time. What’s changed is that Israel has gotten so much better at recognizing them, and arresting them before they enter the country. U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice loathes our border “checkpoints,” but the truth is they’re saving lives.

Obviously, the checkpoints frustrate the terrorists. Not being able to gain access to Israel to kill Jews is a problem. They’ve had to find other ways to achieve the objective.

Enter the local homegrown terrorist: An Arab who already has Israeli ID papers, who doesn’t need to go through any checkpoints. Those are the ones now being drafted for martyrdom.

The Others
Remember the March 6 massacre at Jerusalem’s highly respected Yeshiva HaRav? There, the terrorist gunman was 26-year-old Alaa Abu Dhein, a driver for the Yeshiva. He was an Arab they knew, one they trusted. So he was able to walk into the building, unpack his weapons and fire off 600 rounds, murdering eight young men and wounding ten others before he himself was shot.

On July 3, Hossam Dwayyat, an Israeli Arab construction worker, used his Israeli ID to commit terrorism by bulldozer. Shouting, “Allahu akbar,” he hit the gas, ramming, running over or tipping a string of cars and a bus, killing three people and injuring 45.

Now, here’s something worth noting. Remember, Israeli Arabs have all the rights and privileges of Israeli citizenship. So even when an Arab turns terrorist, his family – usually filmed celebrating his deadly achievements – receive exactly the same state “survivor” benefits as do the families of those he murdered.

To me, that’s outrageous. And of course those benefits don’t count the $25,000 stipend the government of Saudi Arabia gives the families of “successful” terrorists, or any of the other contributions made by other terror organizations. It does make it easier to understand why the families are celebrating with such glee.

In Israel, Arabs are not “the Other”—although some are terrorists. The trick is to tell the difference.