Israelis should not be surprised by the reported success of Ehud Olmert's first tour of Europe as Israel's prime minister. Although European leaders did not publicly endorse, they did not oppose, Mr. Olmert's "Realignment Plan." Why should they?

Israel's surrendering Judea and Samaria to the Arabs is quite consistent with Europe's long-established policy of appeasement. In fact, numerous studies reveal that, since the 1970s, Europe's political, media, and academic elites have allowed and even encouraged Arabs and Islam to encroach extensively on European civilization, now post-Christian.

The Arabization of Europe'Bat Ye'or calls it "Eurabia" -- seems to be inevitable. In 2004, Bernard Lewis, perhaps the most distinguished Western expert on Islam, predicted that Europe would be Islamic by the end of the century. Perhaps he was being unduly cautious.

Given the low birthrate of native Europeans versus Muslims on the one hand, and Europe's permissive immigration policy and failure to enforce anti-bigamy laws on the other, some 20% of Europe's young adults will be Muslim within a few years. Some Muslim leaders predict that a majority of Europe's population will be worshipping Allah by 2030. Muslim enclaves exist throughout Europe, and they insist upon being governed by Islamic law. The Arabization of Israel started some thirty years ago with the government's policy of Arab "autonomy" in Judea, Samaria, and Gaza. It progressed with the policy of "territory for peace." Arabization made a quantum jump with the policy of "unilateral disengagement," now hyped as "realignment." Israel is now being rapidly Arabized. No wonder Ehud Olmert felt comfortable during his tour of Eurabia.

Actually, the Arabization of Israel cannot but follow from the anti-Jewish agenda of Israel's Supreme Court. Its Chief Justice, Aharon Barak, ruled that Judea and Samaria (as well as Gaza) constitute "occupied territory." The Barak court went so far as to rule that any land purchased within Israel's pre-1967 borders by the Jewish National Fund for the purpose of Jewish settlement must be sold to Arabs on an equal footing. Yes, the one and only Jewish homeland is being Arabized.

Mr. Olmert's realignment plan, sanctified by the Supreme Court, logically entails the Arabization of eastern Jerusalem, to say nothing of the already Arabized Temple Mount. But what needs to be emphasized is that while Jewish land is being Arabized, Jewish mentality is being dhimmified.

Just as the mentality of Prince Charles, Britain's future monarch, has very much succumbed to Islam, something like this has happened to the mind of Ehud Olmert.

Did he not affirm the "dream of the Palestinians" to statehood when he addressed a joint session of the American Congress? (He might just as well have said "I too am a Palestinian!")

Did not Mr. Olmert call on Hamas to recognize Israel's right to exist and, by so doing, dignify murderers and degrade Jews? (Recall former Prime Minister Ehud Barak, who once said: "If I were an Arab I too would be a terrorist!")

Has not Mr. Olmert failed to put an end to the Arab bombing of Jewish towns -- as if Israel has no right to exist or defend itself, as Arabs maintain?

It is hardly an exaggeration to say that Mr. Olmert has become a virtual dhimmi -- a soulless prime minister who is dhimmifying Israel. His policy of realignment is not only a matter of physically relocating 100,000 Jews in Judea and Samaria. His policy, if not stopped, cannot but result in complete renunciation of Jewish national honor. This is dhimmitude.

Dhimmitude is a state of mind. The dhimmi in Arab-Islamic culture is a servile and shrunken creature. He has no rights; he makes no demands; indeed, he must exercise self-restraint. This describes the modus operandi of Israel's ruling elites vis-à-vis the enemy. The diminutive mentality of these elites prevents them from taking the initiative against the enemy. The thought of conquering the enemy is beyond their intellectual or moral horizon.

Israeli political scientists foster this diminutive mentality. They think in terms of "conflict management," not in terms of military victory. This timid mode of thought can only lead to Israel's retreat before the boldness of Israel's implacable enemy.

Territorial contraction is only the obvious consequence of Mr. Olmert's realignment policy. Less obvious is the moral contraction or degradation resulting from that policy. This is dhimmitude.

Professor Paul Eidelberg is President of the Foundation For Constitutional Democracy. He can be reached by mail at 244 Madison Avenue, Suite 427, New York, NY 10016, Tel: 212-372-3752, and by email at eidelberg@foundation1.org

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