What do you think about the idea of annexing Umm al-Fahm to the Palestinian Authority?

"Absolutely not. Ninety-three percent of the city's residents are against that, and I am one of them. This is our home, we are citizens like everyone else, and we have it good here."

What's so good here for you? What about all the complaints of persecution, oppression and discrimination?

"It's all true, as you know. Yet our situation here is still far better than it would be if we were in an Arab state. I admit it. I also say it in talks abroad. It's a fact. That doesn't mean that there is nothing to improve. There's plenty."

Well, Sharon has proposed to put Umm al-Fahm on the other side of the wall, which would at once reduce the militant Arab population of Israel and give the Palestinians more land. In effect, it calls the bluff of Israeli Arabs who use their freedom of speech and representation in the Israeli government to support the intifada.

[Umm al-Fahm] has become infamous in Israel as the headquarters of the northern wing of the Islamic Movement, which is considered sympathetic to Palestinian religious fundamentalists who inspire attacks on Israel. Two former mayors have been jailed on charges of ties to Hamas. . . . even though aid for Palestinian terrorist groups is a marginal phenomenon among Israeli Arabs � most in fact oppose the militarization of the uprising � Israeli security forces cannot ignore the fact the number of cells linked to terror groups has grown inside of Israel.

But the residents of Umm al-Fahm want to have it both ways. Islamist rhetoric is all very well and good, but actually living under the benign rule of Uncle Yassir Arafat rather than the evil racist apartheid war criminal Ariel Sharon? Forget it!

"You want to take us from one of the most advanced countries and put us in one of the most depressed?" says Walid Mahajni, owner of a pastry shop located on a service road with piles of uncollected garbage. But, he adds, his attachment to his Israeli passport isn't just financial. "The Israeli mentality has become part of us. When I traveled in Egypt and Jordan, I realized I couldn't live in an Arab country. We've gotten used to speaking our minds."

"We have a saying here," said Shoaa Saad, 22, "that the 'evil' of Israel is better than the 'heaven' of the West Bank. "Here you can say whatever you like and do whatever you want � so long as you don't touch the security of Israel. Over there, if you talk about [Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser] Arafat, they can arrest you and beat you up." . . . "The problem is we're treated here as B-class citizens, but we're seen [by West Bank Palestinians] as 'almost Jews,' " said Issam Abu Allo, 29, one of three young Israeli-trained lawyers who discussed their situation over a late-night dinner at a pizza parlor. "Mr. Sharon seems to want us to join an unknown state that doesn't have a parliament, or a democracy, or even decent universities," said Mr. Allo, who studied law and social anthropology at predominantly Jewish colleges in Haifa and Netanya.

Of course, this attempt to cede to the future Palestinian State land populated by prosperous educated Arabs dedicated to the Palestinian cause was quickly condemned by PA leaders as well.

Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia said the scheme was "undebatable and unacceptable," and senior Israeli-Arab legislator Ahmed Tibi called it a "racist project" aimed at protecting Israel's Jewish majority.

Well, uh, yeah, that's the idea of a 2-state solution. The Jews get self-determination and self-rule and so do the Palestinians. But you want Jews to be ruled by Palestinians and Palestinians to be ruled by Palestinians. Except, some Palestinians want to be ruled by Jews rather than by you. Sort of - the cognitive dissonance of proclaiming Palestinian independence and loyalty to Israel at the same time produces some contradictory statements:

"We are totally against this plan. We won't agree to be exchanged for settlements. We were born here and our roots are here. I didn't move here," said Um El Fahm Deputy Mayor Zaki Agbarya, referring to the Jewish immigrants to Israel. "I want to stay here and maintain my Palestinian identity."

Well, Sharon is offering you an opportunity to do exactly that: stay right where you are and maintain your Palestinian identity, just by redrawing this temporary fence border. Isn't that what you wanted? A Palestinian state right in your ancestral homeland? No? So if your agitation for the destruction of this liberal Israel you prefer to live in is successful, aren't you going to end up under a repressive thuggish Arafatian mafia anyway?

PS Most recent post on the fence and you can link back to previous posts from there.

UPDATE: According to Head Heeb, Sharon isn't going to give Umm al-Fahm to the PA after all.