A minority opinion

Julis, a western Galilee community of some 5,000 non-Jewish inhabitants, most of them Druze, came under Katyusha rocket fire during the course of the recent war in Lebanon. Tamer Amar, a native son of Julis who served during the war as a fighter in the Golani Brigade, was killed in battle. But like the other communities in the North, Julis too was ignored by the government ministries and has suffered the consequences. The only positive surprise of the war was provided by voluntary organizations, and the Jewish Agency first and foremost.

"They filled the vacuum that the government left," says local council leader attorney Nadim Amar.

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He believes, however, that what is considered an existential interest for Israel is also an interest of American Jewry. "Have we not learned in the last five years that our future is interdependent? We share both history and destiny," Ruskay says. Sikkuy co-director Shuli Dichter believes that in the wake of the recent war, the donations to the Arab sector have become part of the American mainstream. Arnon Mantver, director general of Joint Distribution Committee-Israel, sounds far more skeptical.

"There has definitely been quite a dramatic change, but it is still early to say that the issue has become part of the consensus," Mantver says. "I don't know if everyone is going to buy this."

Haaretz