Photo: Arab citizens of Israel, who make up 21% of Israel's people and who serve in Israel's military
Police in New York City are on high alert as war wages in Israel and Palestine. Jewish schools are beefing up security. Our public school issued a notice that “no specific threats” have been made against it. All the news channels repeat stories of Hamas brutality against Israeli citizens.
One of the largest Jewish populations in the world lives in Lenape Hoking, AKA the New York City-New Jersey-Connecticut area.
The Jewish population in New York used to be higher than the Jewish population of Israel. Jewish New Yorkers maintain a huge influence on the culture, politics and economy of New York City and the surrounding region.
I even know Lenape people who are Jewish.
Lesser known, by many, is that a large number of Muslim people also live in Lenape Hoking. Ten years ago, New York City was home to half a million Muslims. The numbers are certainly higher now. New Jersey has at least one Muslim judge.
Many years ago I entered a gas station/convenience store, and the White customers grew immediately silent when I entered. They had been complaining about the Islamic Center being planned near the World Trade Center. Their reaction to me was dead silence, perhaps I appeared “Middle-Eastern” and possibly Muslim.
Nowadays, that same gas station is owned by a young Palestinian guy. He sells only pork-free breakfast sandwiches, which he says are quite popular. His wife still lives on the West Bank.
The New York Post (October 12, 2023) reported that a Wall Street Bigwig wants the names of all Harvard University students who signed petitions blaming Israel for the Hamas-instigated war against Israel. He promises to “not hire them” when they graduate in a few years.
The Israeli retaliation against Gaza is about to begin, with a predicted high death toll against Palestinian civilians, but the conflict is already heating up here on American soil, in Lenape Hoking.
