Understanding Israel’s broken politics, and why there’s hope for Arab-Israeli peace

Idit Bar is an Israeli expert on Arab society and culture,

In an article in The Times of Israel, Ms. Bar shares how her interest in the Arab world and Islam runs in her blood. On one side of the family, her grandparents were Iranian crypto-Jews forcibly converted to Islam, who returned to Judaism only after emigrating to Israel.

Putting her background to good use, the article notes, Ms. Bar has been a lecturer on Arab society for over a decade, training Israeli businessmen on how to approach Arab partners in an appropriate, culturally sensitive way.

The main source of friction between the two communities, in her view, lies in the perception of religion.

“Israelis often underestimate the religious sentiment in Muslim societies, even among non-observant people,” she said, noting that mocking faith is an absolute taboo for Arabs.

“Mainstream Israeli society is Western-oriented, rationalistic, and not religious, so for us, it’s hard to understand.”

Let’s now do a first tweak of those comments:

The main source of friction between the two communities, in her view, lies in the perception of religion.

“The 45% of secular Israeli Jews often underestimate the religious sentiment among the 55% traditional, dati and Haredi Jews,” noting that mocking faith is an absolute taboo for religious Jews.

“Secular Israeli society is Western-oriented, rationalistic, and not religious, so for us, it’s hard to understand.”

And now let’s do a second tweak of those comments in a slightly different direction:

The main source of commonality between the two communities lies in the perception of religion.

“Israelis share the religious sentiment of Muslim societies” she said, noting that mocking faith is an absolute taboo for both Jews and Arabs.

“Mainstream Israeli society is religion-oriented, G-d-fearing, and observant, so for us, it’s easy to understand.”

Memo to Ms Bar: for the sake of Jewish unity and regional peace, please put your background to further good use, training secular Israeli Jews on how to approach religious Israelis, Jew and Arab alike, and all religious folk, in an appropriate culturally sensitive way.