I have come across three categories of Arab-Americans in my travels: those who believe in freedom, and those who don’t. Those who think Arabs can run their own countries, and those who don’t. And those who hate Israel, and those who don’t. I didn’t know much about any of this as a Lebanese kid growing up in New Jersey. But I found out how deep the divisions between Arab-Americans ran when I wrote my first pro-Israel column for my college paper. I defended Israel on some point I’ve long forgotten, but what I didn’t forget was the backlash I received from fellow Arabs. First came the letters, then the insults. It was as if I’d broken a secret code that Arabs never speak ill of other Arabs in public. Or kindly about Israel.