The final settlement of the Palestinian issue and the position of the Israeli Arab leadership

Even at a time when the final outcome of the current political process in the middle east is far from being clear, Arab Israeli representatives are far ahead compared with the Government of Israel. They have already begun a series of actions, which if successful would dramatically influence the outcome of the process. Yet, the government of Israel failed in declaring and implementing a coherent policy regarding the Arabs of Israel. On the Arab side, they face a double challenge: how to identify themselves as Palestinians, contributing their share to their fellow Palestinians by using the political tools available to them, and yet, not acknowledge the supremacy of the PLO?. Moreover, since no Israeli Arab is interested in moving into a Palestinian state, they are keen on preserving their unique identity in a way that would not cause any loss of their rights in Israel, and yet would make them trustworthy partners in deciding the future of the Palestinian people.