5TH COLUMN

Israeli Arab Mks praise Hezbollah (JTA)
On a visit to Beirut, three Arab members of Israel’s Parliament praised Hezbollah’s “resistance” to Israel. The three legislators told Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora on Friday that Hezbollah had “lifted the spirit of the Arab people,” the Jerusalem Post reported — despite the fact that Hezbollah missiles killed a disproportionately high number of Israeli Arabs during this summer’s war. On a prior stop in Syria, Balad Party legislators Azmi Bishara, Jamal Zahalka and Wasal Taha claimed that Israel was likely to attack Syria.

Some Israeli legislators say the trio’s visit is treasonous, while commentators note that it contributes to perceptions of Israeli Arabs as a fifth column. Attorney General Menachem Mazuz had opened an investigation.

No longer on the fringe
It's little surprise that many Israelis have come to view Arab citizens as a "fifth column," Evelyn Gordon writes. (Jerusalem Post)