More Articles on Israeli Arabs


		More Articles on Israeli Arabs
			see topic: Israeli Arabs	(and non-Jewish Israelis)
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Israeli Arabs Proud When State Helps Other Nations According to the survey, 75 percent of the public feel proud when hearing that Israel has helped needy people somewhere on the globe, and as many as 65% believe that providing humanitarian aid to developing countries strengthens Israel's international image. Responses from the Arab sector surprised the surveyors - 70% of Arab respondents said they feel proud when hearing that Israel has assisted populations in need. -March 26 2008 wheather the israeli arabs like it or not, they are a part of israel. the smart arabs have realized that arabs in israel live better than arabs in some arab countries. Study: Israeli Jews Becoming Increasingly Racist Towards Arabs Israel's Jewish community increasingly supports the delegitimization, discrimination and even deportation of Arabs, found a report on racism in Israel, set to be released Wednesday. -March 24 2008 before we begin condemning the jews, let us ask WHY israeli jews are feeling more hate towards their arab minority. maybe the words and actions of arab israeli leaders have a part in it. Arab Student Defends Moment of Silence For Gaza An Arab-Israeli student who stirred controversy when she asked her classmates to honor Gazans killed by the IDF says such expressions are part of democracy. I was merely expressing my feelings; we live in a democratic country, and I should not be afraid to say what I feel," Susan Zuabi told Ynet on Tuesday. -March 5 2008 Arab Israelis Say: "Stop The ZioNazi" Approximately a thousand Arab Israelis marched in the Arab town of Umm el-Fahm on Monday evening chanting slogans such as "With spirit and blood we will liberate you, o Palestine," "Israel is the mother of terror," "Israel is a terror state" and even "Stop the Zionazi" in protest of the IDF's Operation Hot Winter in the Gaza Strip over the weekend. -March 5 2008 it is one thing to protest the actions of your government, but when your calling your own country a "terror" state, you have truly crossed the line. i post this as yet another example of Arab Israeli treachery. this is why israeli jews hate arabs, and not any other reason. Bishara: Establishment Of Israel 'Armed Robbery' Former Balad party chairman Azmi Bishara launched a scathing attack on Israel on Sunday night, saying it was the only apartheid regime left in the world. "There is one other place in the world where apartheid is still [alive], which is in Palestine," Bishara said in a video address to the "Israeli Apartheid Week" conference in Toronto. "It is actually the biggest armed robbery in the history of the 20th century." -February 22 2008 and lets remember Bishara is a former knesset member. a member of the israeli government. so he represents israel's arabs. and when he makes such trechorous comments about his home country, can you imagine why israeli jews will begin to despise their arab minority? can they be blamed? Sapir College Prepares To Lay Off Lecturer Who Refused To Teach Reservist Sapir College has begun the process of terminating the employment of cinematography lecturer Nizar Hassan, who was involved in a dispute with First Lieutenant (res.) Eyal Cohen after Cohen came to his class wearing his uniform last November. Hassan directed Cohen, an intelligence officer and a cinematography student in his class, to leave the classroom because he showed up to class wearing the military garb. -February 11 2008 Mr. Hassan's actions are jus another example of why Israeli jews despise their arab minority Sapir College Lecturer To Apologize To Reservist Nizar Hassan, a lecturer at Sapir College who refused to teach a reservist who showed up to his class in an IDF uniform, was asked by the college's administration to apologize to the student in order to avoid the termination of employment at the institution, according to a summary of the council hearing on the case on Thursday. "He sees them as a revelation of violence. Hassan reacted to the student's appearance in uniform through fear," Livni added saying the lecturer believed Cohen was carrying a weapon. However, council members ruled that they do not accept Livni's and thus Hassan's version of events. "Even though Hassan tried to portray his actions as stemming from pure humanistic motives and values, the council believes this act went beyond (an expression of) his deep reservation to the typical symbol," the council said in the ruling. The council also determined that Hassan's behavior and remarks to Cohen "were totally unacceptable and deserving of the most severe condemnation. The council decided that Hassan owes the student an apology for hurting him and disparaging him even if he didn't intend to." It was decided to attach an unequivocal and stark warning that the college would fire the lecturer if he continues to behave in such a manner. -February 1 2008 The Last Of The Israeli Arabs I am an Israeli Arab. those words were said to me about ten years ago by my very dearest and closest friend. My response was. If thats the case then I am a Jewish Palestinian. My statement seemed to make as much sense (or not) as his did. but things have changed. Today one does not hear the term "Israeli Arab" as often as one did ten years ago. today there is a stronger identification with the Palestinian people and with Palestine itself. One might ask why that is there are many reasons. Firstly is the second class status that the Israeli Arab has endured while maintaining Israeli citizenship. -January 26 2008 this artcile is worth taking a look at to see how woefully ignorant the writer is. He justifys the excuse of trechorous Israeli Arabs to consider themselves Palestinians, rather than Israeli citizens. he seems to believe that Azmi Bishara is the victim, when its quite the oppsite. Any true middle east scholar would know that the REASON for anti-arab sentiment in Israel is the arabs collective disloyalty to their own country. If race relations in Israel are ever to improve, the change must come from the arab side firs! Arab Lecturer Forbids Student From Wearing Star Of David According to the unnamed student identified only as A', she arrived at one of Hassan's classes with a backpack embroidered with the Israeli flag and was promptly asked by the lecturer to turn the bag so that the flag would not be facing him. "I told him I would not do that – and then he approached me, grabbed the bag and forcefully turned it around," writes A' in her letter, which was also sent to College President Prof. Ze'ev Tzahor. According to the unnamed student identified only as A', she arrived at one of Hassan's classes with a backpack embroidered with the Israeli flag and was promptly asked by the lecturer to turn the bag so that the flag would not be facing him. "I told him I would not do that – and then he approached me, grabbed the bag and forcefully turned it around," writes A' in her letter, which was also sent to College President Prof. Ze'ev Tzahor. "When Hassan went back to the front of the class, I returned the bag to its original position, he then came back and turned it again. I picked the bag up a last time and spun it around. -January 11 2008 you can be sure that TheMiddleEastNow will be doing a follow-up on mr. hassan Israeli Arab Leaders Slam Boycott Of Visiting Jewish Donors Israeli Arab leaders have condemned a partially successful Arab boycott of Jewish philanthropists who are visiting the country to learn more about the problems facing Israeli Arabs. The task force, comprised of members of about 70 Jewish organizations from North America and Europe, was set up two years ago to advance social projects and strengthen local Israeli Arab leadership. It hopes to increase Jewish philanthropists' awareness of majority-minority relations in Israel and help them understand the problems faced by Israeli Arabs, who constitute 20 percent of the Israeli population, said task force director Jessica Balaban. But the group has been spurned by some of the Israeli Arabs to whom it is trying to reach out. -January 10 2008 talk about shooting yourself in the foot Ministers Concerned Over Racism Escalating anti-Arab prejudice among Israeli Jews is a problem for the state of Israel and its Jewish citizens, Science, Culture, and Sports Minister Ghaleb Majadle said Sunday. Following the report's release, the issue of racism against Israeli Arabs was a hot topic Sunday morning. Majadle, Israel's first Arab Israeli minister, expressed great concern at the study. Construction and Housing Minister Ze'ev Boim criticized the report. "The tendency is totally pro-Arab and pro-Palestinian. The claim is that since they are the minority, everything is the fault of the majority, the Jewish majority. Civil rights need to be equal for everyone. We must ask: what is happening on the other side, what is the minority's behavior toward the majority? Can Jews go and live in Arab buildings or Arab neighborhoods for example? The report does not relate to the sentiments of Arab Israelis about Jewish Israelis," he told reporters while on his way to Sunday morning's cabinet meeting. -December 10 2007 its kind of amusing that Arab israelis demand to be identified as palestinians, yet they complain that they are treated as second class citizens in Israel. i do not condone the jews' racism towards arabs, but if the arabs want to be treated equally in israeli society, they must first acknowledge that they are israeli. Arabs Are To Blame The Association for Civil Rights’ poll, which showed a high incidence of racism within Israeli society, accurately reflects the attitude of the majority of the public to Israel’s Arabs. However, the reason for it does not stem from a racist attitude on the part of the Jews, but rather, it stems from security-based hostility and political disagreements. When Arabs convey the message that they do not accept us here as a majority in a Jewish state and in control of the Land of Israel, this is the result. -December 10 2007 this article says exactly what i said a few posts down. Racism In Israel On The Rise The Association for Civil Rights in Israel's (ACRI) report on civil rights in Israel paints a bleak picture: Increasing racism, restriction of personal freedoms and discrimination even within the Knesset walls – and that's just scratching the surface. Published Saturday, the report reveled that Israeli youths are bombarded with stereotypic, racist imagery, and their opinions have developed accordingly: Over two-thirds Israeli teen believe Arabs to be less intelligent, uncultured and violent. Over a third of Israeli teens fear Arabs all together. -December 9 2007 while i am opposed to racism against any group of people, i want to make an important point. why dont arab israelis take a look at WHY such negative feelings exist among israeli jews. why do israeli jews "hate" arabs? could it be because a large portion of them are unpatriotic to their country? could it be because many of them demand to be identified as palestinians? could it be that arab israelis in the knesset have shown a shocking disloyalty to their country? One arab knesset member calling on the world to boycott israel and ANOTHER knesset member giving sensitive information to hezbollah during a time of war? dont you think that a group that does all the above is going to be resented? while israel does have its shortcomings in accomodating its arab minortiy, arab israelis need to take a look at themselves and realize how much of an image problem their actions are creating. i personally feel bad for that portion of israeli arabs who are loyal to the state and are proud citizens of isreal. 2 Arab Israelis Held On Terror Charges The suspects admitted they had attempted to stab an IDF soldier at Kafr Kasim junction and use his rifle to attack other soldiers. Their plan had failed since no soldiers were at the junction at the time of the planned attack. They also admitted they had plotted to stab a guard stationed at the entrance of the nearby Israeli town of Sdei Hemed and attack civilians inside using the guard's rifle. This plan had also failed because no guard was stationed at the entrance of Sdei Hemed. In addition, they confessed to preparing improvised explosive devices in order to use in terror attacks. -December 8 2007 when a minority plans a terrorist attack against his own country, it really doesn't do his people or his cause any favor. Israel's Bedouin Warn: Explosion Nearing As Israel prepares for the Annapolis summit with the Palestinians, an internal conflict appears to be rapidly approaching boiling point. Some have already named the looming threat a "Bedouin intifada." Some 160,000 Bedouin live in Israel's southern region in the Negev desert. Almost half of them live in large villages and small, scattered communities that are unrecognized by Israel and are therefore considered illegal. As a result, dozens of houses are demolished each year by the Interior Ministry, while anger among the Bedouin community mounts. -December 3 2007 Israel's Most 'Moderate' Arab If further proof were needed of how low our government has sunk, Culture Minister Ghaleb Majadele provided it last Tuesday. After first telling the Knesset that Israeli law obviously did not apply on the Temple Mount, because "it is forbidden for us even to think of such a thing," he declared, upon being informed of his error, that nevertheless, "between my religion and the considerations of a minister, the consideration of my religion and my nationality takes precedence." The minute Majadele declared himself unwilling to countenance Israeli law on the mount, he forfeited his right to be a minister. And since he did not resign, any self-respecting cabinet should have fired him immediately. Our cabinet, however, did not even consider doing so. And it thereby tacitly approved Majadele's refusal to uphold the law. IT IS HARD to imagine a greater travesty than an entire government openly demonstrating its contempt for the law in this fashion. Even more disturbing, however, is what Majadele's statements imply about Israeli Arabs' willingness to integrate into a Jewish state. For an Israeli Arab to declare that his "religion and nationality" - i.e. his Muslim and Palestinian identities - take precedence over the law is, sadly, nothing new. Several Arab Knesset members do so routinely. Majadele, however, represents the moderate fringe of the Israeli Arab community. While the overwhelming majority of Israeli Arabs vote for sectoral Arab parties, he belongs to Labor, a self-proclaimed Zionist party. Moreover, as Israel's first non-Druse Arab minister, he has become the poster boy for Arab integration - the proof that even the highest offices are open to Arabs willing to accept the Jewish state rather than deny its right to exist. Jewish Israelis, most of whom find Lieberman's proposal appalling, have for years dodged the dilemma by denying that any conflict of loyalties exists. Given that the vast majority of Israeli Arabs consistently vote for MKs who openly support Palestinian terror, denounce any and all Israeli efforts at self-defense, reject Israel's Jewish identity, defend and even promote violent confrontations between their constituents and the police, and assert that Israeli Arabs have only rights, not obligations (and should therefore, for instance, eschew even civilian national service in their own communities), this denial has increasingly looked delusional. But now that even the community's poster boy for moderation has publicly declared his Muslim-Palestinian identity superior to the obligations of Israeli citizenship, is further proof of the trend really needed? If Arab Israelis do not want Lieberman's plan to become reality, they must start seriously rethinking their attitudes toward citizenship. A minister who openly declares that his Palestinian-Muslim identity supersedes Israeli law has no business in Israel's cabinet. And that this even needs saying is a measure of just how far the situation has deteriorated. -November 24 2007 FM Livni's Remark On Palestinian State Angers Arab MKs Arab MKs hit back Sunday after Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said that that the future Palestinian state would provide a solution to Palestinians worldwide - including Israeli Arabs - in their struggle for national expression. "It must be clear to everyone that the State of Israel is a national homeland for the Jewish people," Livni said, adding that the national demands of Israeli Arabs should end the moment a Palestinian state is established. Livni was responding to an announcement made Saturday by the Arab Higher Monitoring Committee regarding its decision to draft a document expressing its refusal to recognize Israel as a Jewish state. Livni also stressed that Israel is a democracy and elected members of Knesset must accept it as such. "The Arab MKs cannot have their cake and eat it too," she said In response to Livni's comments, Culture, Sports and Science Minister Ghaleb Majadele said, "The roots of the Israeli Arab citizens of Israel were planted before the state was established. They are residents of this country with rights; their residency and citizenship are not open for negotiation." -November 19 2007 its very rare that i find myself completely agreeing with any politician (american or israeli) but i praise Livni (probably the only sane member of olmert's administration) for saying what needs to be said: TO EVERY ARAB ISRAELI, IF YOU CONSIDER YOURSELF TO BE A PALESTINIAN GO MOVE TO PALESTINE!!! Knesset Bills Sparks Fury of Arab MKs Knesset members who travel to enemy states without permission would be prohibited from taking part in its deliberations, according to new legislation advanced by MKs Zevulun Orlev (NU-NRP) and Esterina Tartman (Israel Beiteinu) Wednesday. Two separate bills proposed by the MKs, but with almost identical wording, passed preliminary readings in the plenum. They will now be sent to committees and combined into a cohesive bill that is already being called the "Bishara Law," after former MK Azmi Bishara who fled Israel in April after police accused him of collaborating with Hizbullah during the Second Lebanon War. "Visiting enemy states stirs fear that sensitive security information could be relayed," said Orlev. "The Bishara episode and the incitement used by some of the Arab MKs, such as their trips to Syria and meetings with Hamas leaders, are not in the realm of free speech, but form clear encouragement of armed attacks and terrorist activities against Israel." Tartman said it was "time for Israel to open its eyes. Enough of Arab Knesset members spitting in our faces and us saying it's raining." "The Knesset is filled with racists," said MK Ahmed Tibi (United Arab List-Ta'al). "Unjust MKs want a Knesset without Arabs… If I am invited [to an enemy state], I'll go despite the law. I am sure that a person who violates a law that is unjust - or whose conscience is completely clear and is willing to pay the price and be imprisoned in order to raise public awareness regarding injustice - is truly showing his respect for the highest values." During the vote, Hadash chairman MK Muhammad Barakei told MKs to "choke along with the Knesset." "If we have to choose between loyalty to our people, or serving in the Knesset, then good luck to the Knesset," he said. "We'll leave the Knesset to you, and all the racists can choke." -November 2 2007 Mr. Barakei's powerful words sum up the problem with israeli arabs: betrayal of their state. i want everyone to read this article and tell me what is racist about it? are there any special laws only applying to certain people? if a jew met with an "enemy state", would he not suffer the same consequences as an arab? would a loyal arab have anything to worry about? i support this law 100% and i would support the expulsion of any israeli arab who considers himself a palestinian. Israeli Police Clash With Druze Villagers A normally placid village dominated by Israel's tiny Arabic-speaking Druze minority exploded in predawn violence Tuesday after 200 Israeli police and border guards entered to arrest young men suspected of vandalizing a controversial cellphone antenna on Jewish property. Israel's relations with its 118,000 Druze, whose secretive sect is an offshoot of Islam, have been largely free of such conflict. Unlike Israeli Arabs, who number 1.4 million and make up one-fifth of the country's population, Druze serve in the military. Some also have achieved high-level positions in Israeli politics and public service. But Tuesday's clash reinforced a feeling among some Druze that members of their distinct ethnic group are often treated by the Jewish state as outsiders or second-class citizens -- a complaint that Israeli Arabs have voiced about treatment of their own people. -October 31 2007 Druse Leaders Slam Anti-Israel Minority Druse leaders blasted on Sunday the "peripheral minority of the [Druse] community" who have recently visited Syria and who warned of an upcoming "Druse intifada." "These statements come to turn back the clock on the tremendous advances made in the integration of the Druse into public service, and to harm the Jewish-Druse covenant of life that we have been building for many years," wrote Nabia Nasser Adin, head of the Forum of Druse and Circassian Mayors, Yusef Nasser Adin, the chairman of the Druse Zionist Movement in Israel and Moshe Ben-Atar, the director of the Israel Zionist Council, which works with Israel's Druse communities on issues of Zionist identity and integration. -October 31 2007 its nice to see some patriotic arabs for once Arab-Israeli MK: Don't Israelify Us Knesset Member Jamal Zahalka (Balad) took part in a protest conference against a government initiative to draft Arab youths for national service, and expressed his opposition to the idea on Saturday. "Anyone who does national service will become a leper and Arab society will throw him up from its midst," the minister told Ynet. -October 31 2007 this is yet another act of betrayal on behalf of israel's arabs. the arabs in israel need to make up their mind if they are arab citizens of Israel or Palestinians. and if they choose to be palestinians they should move to palestine. A Shocking Disloyalty -- Israeli Arab Knesset Member: Palestine Belongs to Arabs This week, the Israeli Arab Member of Knesset (MK) Ahmed Tibi (United Arab List/Ram Ta’al) attacked the State of Israel in a fiery editorial published in the Arabic-language newspaper Al-Quds. Tibi wrote in the editorial that “Palestine belongs to its Arab residents, not to the Jewish occupiers.” This absolute rejection of Israel’s existence and Israel’s having any right to having statehood and any land in the Middle East within any borders mirrors his remarks seven months ago in Ramallah where he told a Palestinian audience that they should fight the “occupation” until they take over all of the land. Tibi’s open call to violence against the country in whose parliament he sits and rejection of Israel as a Jewish state is but one of numerous words and deeds by he and other Israeli Arab MKs that demonstrate their rejection of Israel and embrace of the Palestinian position. This was particularly evident during and after last year’s Lebanon war. -September 2 2007 the israeli arabs always intrigue me. while many of them are loyal to their country, and while there is no doubt that they suffer from racism by their fellow jews, i have always been amused by how they demand to be treated equally by the state, yet they constantly call for the destruction of their country. the Israeli arabs must decide if they are arab citizens of Israel, or Palestinians. THEY CANNOT BE BOTH! Ex-MK Bishara Will Head Bid to Try U.S.,Israeli 'War Criminals' Former Israeli Arab MK and Balad chairman, Azmi Bishara, accused by Israel of spying for Hezbollah during the Second Lebanon War told a Lebanese newspaper he will head an international push to try "the war criminals, Israel and America". Bishara made the statement while touring south Lebanon, where he was hosted by Hezbollah's media division. He said Israel and the United States would be condemned for the damage they caused to Lebanon during last year's war. -August 28 2007 it is a shame to see such betrayal from a former government official. to think he was once a member of the knesset really sends chills down my spine. and he wonders why arab citizens are distrusted in Israel? Bin Laden Farce May Skip Israel A new comedy film by Vancouver-based German director Uwe Boll, whose opening scene shows two 9/11 hijackers changing their minds about flying a plane into the Twin Towers after a quick cellphone discussion with Osama bin Laden reveals they may be getting "perhaps only 10" virgins once they reach paradise, and not 100 as they were originally promised, opens in October in theaters across America, Canada and Germany. And although Postal, based on the PC game by the same name in which a postal worker embarks on a savage killing spree, has also been bought by a distributor in the United Arab Emirates, Israeli film distributors are nervous about buying the film for distribution and release here. Boll's distributor, Michael Grudman, says Israeli distributors are concerned that the film's overtly cynical depiction of Islamic Jihadists may set off negative reactions in the region once it becomes known that Israeli cinemas are showing the movie. Local distributors may also be wary of possible negative reactions by Israel's Arab minority. -August 26 2007 political correctness? i guess this proves that Israel does give a damn about its arab minority. Abolish the JNF What would we say if an American institution, holding a seventh of all the land in the United States, adopted statutes that allowed it to sell or rent land only to White Anglo-Saxon Protestants? These are the facts: The Jewish National Fund (in Hebrew Keren Kayemet le-Israel - KKL) holds 13% of all the land in Israel. Its statutes explicitly prohibit the sale or rental of land to non-Jews. This means that every Jew in the world, living anywhere from Timbuktu to Kamchatka, can get land from the KKL, without even coming to Israel, while an Arab citizen of Israel, whose forefathers have lived here for hundreds - or even thousands - of years, cannot acquire a house or an apartment on its land. The best legal brains looked for a way out: How to keep the discrimination alive in spite of the court's decision? No Problem. The Attorney General simply proposes that for every dunam (1000 square meters, a Turkish measure still applied in Israel) that the KKL will have to distribute - God forbid - to Arabs, the government will compensate it with another dunam somewhere else. The alternative land will be in the "peripheral" areas, the Negev and the Galilee, where it is much more profitable. And for good measure, the government will guarantee that the annual revenues of the KKL will reach half a billion Shekels. Thus the cake will be divided but remain whole. -July 22 2007 Bill Would Stop Arabs Leasing JNF Land The Knesset on Wednesday overwhelmingly approved in preliminary reading a bill allowing the Israel Lands Authority to continue selling land belonging to the Jewish National Fund (JNF) to Jews only, despite a contradictory decision made earlier this year by Attorney-General Menahem Mazuz. In January, Mazuz announced that the ILA would end a decades-old policy by starting to sell JNF-owned land to Arabs as well as Jews. He added that for every dunam of JNF land sold to an Arab, the organization would be compensated by the state with a dunam of land of equal value in another part of the country. Mazuz's decision came in the wake of petitions against the longstanding policy of the ILA and JNF filed by groups and individuals spearheaded by the Israeli Arab human rights organization Adalah and the Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI). Mazuz submitted his opinion to the High Court of Justice in response to the petitions. The court has not yet ruled on them. -July 20 2007 Israeli Arabs: Israel Must Own Up to Nabka A group of Israeli Arab intellectuals are calling on Israel to recognize its responsibility for the Nakba ("The Catastrophe," the Palestinians' term for what happened to them after 1948) and to act to implement the Palestinian refugees' right of return and establishment of a Palestinian state. The demands in the Haifa Declaration are similar to those made in previous position papers and consist first and foremost of abolishing the Jewish state. -May 14 2007 right of return = destruction of Israel. look at how these arabs are shamelessly calling for the destruction of their own country. and they wonder why the jews hate them so much? The jewish resentment of Arabs is not all based on racism, but rather on the constant trechory of Arabs to their own country. Arab Knesset Member: Bishara Must Return to Israel to Face Charges "Bishara can't talk about it only in television broadcasts," the Arab MK told Haaretz. "We are members of Knesset. When we decided to run for the Knesset and were elected we accepted the rules of the game for better or for worse." Barakeh said that whoever violates a law, even a law he does not recognize, "must recognize the right of the law to hold him to account." Barakeh cited the law that had forbidden Israelis from having contacts with the Palestine Liberation Organization - a law that was repeatedly violated by MKs prior to the Oslo peace process. "We broke the law and we knew we'd pay a price," he said. -May 2 2007 Thousands Protest in Nazareth in Support of Former MK Bishara The majority of the protestors were reported seen carrying photos of Bishara and placards reading "My guilt is that I love my homeland." Many of the demonstrators were also heard chanting, "With blood and fire we will redeem you Azmi." The chairman of the Higher Arab Monitoring Committee, Shuweiki Hatib, told protesters that "the entire Arab public is united against this incitement. We are a strong people and are proud of all of our leaders." He also described the charges against Bishara as merely a symptom of the failures of the Israeli government saying "the Israeli establishment is crumbling, and the charges against Bishara prove this." -April 28 2007 if the Israeli Arabs are hoping to collectively gain from Bishara's actions, they must be prepared to be collectively punished for them as well. And the only failure of the Israeli government is allowing traitors like Bishara and Al Sanaa to serve in the Knesset. If these two individuals hate Israel so much they should not be a part of the government. Bishara Accused of Aiding Hezbollah "He's suspected of passing information on to Hizbullah during the Second Lebanon War and receiving money in exchange," a police source told. "The allegations are number one assisting an enemy during the war, handing over information to the enemy, being in contact with a foreign agent and number four a violation of money laundering laws." The former MP denied the accusations in a statement published by his National Democratic Assembly party, better known by its Hebrew acronym Balad. "Doctor Azmi Bishara and the NDA categorically deny the charges fabricated against Doctor Bishara. It is bare-faced libel inciting his blood to be spilt in Israel," the statement said. -April 27 2007 all i can say is Israelis aren't racist, they are worried. 'Stop Treating Arab Citizens Like Enemies' "My dream is that my children and grandchildren, as well as Israel's Arab citizens, will be able to feel they are part of the country, that they have equal rights … and that they are not treated like enemies," says leading Arab Israeli academic Dr Adel Manna. The declaration reads: "We, the Palestinian Arabs living in Israel, the natives of the land and the citizens of the state, part of the Palestinian people and the Arab nation … the 1948 war brought about the creation of the State of Israel on 78 percent of the territory of historical Palestine. We, who counted 160,000 in our homeland, found ourselves within the borders of the Jewish state, cut-off from the rest of our Palestinian people and the Arab world, were forced to accept the Israeli nationality and we became a minority in our historical homeland." -April 26 2007 stop acting like enemies and you wont be treated as enemies. its that simple. 'Bedouins Only Good in Uniform' On Israel's 59th Memorial Day for its fallen soldiers, some in the Bedouin community point a finger at the state and its leaders, saying the decreasing numbers of Bedouins serving in the military is a result of the country's failure to integrate Bedouins into Israeli society. "A good Bedouin soldier is one in uniform, not one that has finished his service and goes back to being just another Arab", Hassan Al-Hayeb, head of the Bet-Zarzir local council, told Ynet in a memorial service held Monday for fallen Bedouin soldiers. "This is our country and we must keep serving it", said Al-Hayeb. "We have always done so willingly, never asking for land in return. It is a shame the country has chosen not to integrate us in society. A young Bedouin soldier can command troops, but cannot be an executive in Israeli society". -April 23 2007 Firebrand Israeli Arab MP Set to Resign Israeli Arab MP Azmi Bishara, a staunch opponent of Israel's policies toward the Palestinians and neighboring Arab states, is expected to resign from parliament, a report said Monday. The report did not explain the reason for the surprise move by Bishara, who has drawn fire from Israeli authorities in the past over his positions and visits to Arab countries that Israel considers enemy states. -April 10 207 Bishara's loyalties are not to Israel. Therefore someone like him does not belong in the knesset Arab Knesset Member Warns Hamas Against 'Substantial Concessions' Arab Knesset Member Azmi Bishara (Balad) warned Hamas against making any substantial concessions to win the international community’s support. Bishara’s comments were made during an interview with Jordanian newspaper al-Ra’i prior to the publication of his intention to resign from the Knesset. -April 9 2007 yet another betrayal from one of Israel's Arab politician. Racism against any group of people is wrong, but how can anyone blame the Israelis for having negative views towards their Arab citizens? Al Sana and Bishara's comments are nothing less than a betrayal to their country. I cannot think of ANY other country in the world in which a politician has urged the world to boycott their country or has cheered for a sworn enemy of their country. Israelis aren't racist, they are worried. Arab Knesset Member Calls on World to Boycott Israel United Arab List MK Taleb a-Sanaa on Tuesday called on the international community to boycott Israel, after a large group of yeshiva students moved into a Hebron home formerly owned by a Palestinian who claimed not to have sold them the house. "The Israeli government is self-righteous and is not evacuating illegal settlers, thereby trampling international agreements and rights," A-Sanaa said. "The international community should positively consider boycotting Israel, which is endangering the stability of the region." -March 20 2007 A politician just called on the world to boycott HIS OWN COUNTRY! And we wonder why Israelis are so afraid of their Arab citizens? And this is not the first outburst out of el-Sana. While it is understandable that he would condemn the militant settlers in Hebron (as Jews should too) but to call for a boycott against his own country... See: Israelis Aren't Racist, They Are Worried. on the other hand, this shows Israel's committment to democracy. if a christian or jew in any Arab country calls for the world to boycott that country he would be killed, imprisoned, or at the very least fired. Al-Sana will probably be a knesset member for years to come Israel's Lieberman: Bring Loyal Arabs Closer "Every citizen loyal to his state should feel that the State of Israel is his home and that he is an integral part of society," Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Thursday evening during a visit to the Arab Christian village of Mailia in the Western Galilee. Lieberman's hosts, the Tanus family members, explained that the real reason they invited him, in spite of his radical views on Arabs, was in order to promote the issues of tourism and infrastructure in the village. The minister said that he did not distinguish between religions and people. "As far as I am concerned, there is no difference between Rabbi Hirsch of Neturei Karta and Sheik Ra'ed Salah. They are both Israel haters and their fate is equal." Lieberman added that Israel made a mistake by not brining closer its loyal non-Jewish residents. "We did not know how to bring them closer and translate our respect for these people to deeds. We should have done much more in order to bring them closer and make them feel that they have someone to trust. We are paying today for our past sins," he said. -March 16 2007 wow, i never thought i would hear lieberman say anything like that. maybe i misjudged the man. Druze, Circassian Groups: Israel Should Remain a Jewish State The chairman of the forum of the Druze and Circassian authority heads, Nabiah Nasser A-Din, on Thursday criticized the "multi-cultural" Israeli constitution proposed by the Israeli Arab organization Adalah, saying that he finds it unacceptable. "The state of Israel is Jewish state as well as a democratic state that espouses equality and elections. We invalidate and reject everything that the Adalah organization is requesting," he said. According to Adin, head of the Kasra Adia municipality, the fate of Druze and Circassians in Israel is intertwined with that of the state. "This is a blood pact, and a pact of the living. We are unwilling to support a substantial alteration to the nature of this state, to which we tied our destinies prior to its establishment," he said. "All the members of the forum stand behind me on this issue, but want to see full equality with the Jewish population of the state," he added. "I hope that the state of Israel will treat us differently, better than it does today." -March 1 2007 A Moroccan Muslim in Israel But Fayce is actually a Muslim Moroccan from a poor Casablanca district, who arrived in Israel in1997 on a student visa, to study at Tel Aviv University. Since arriving in Israel, Fayce has quickly adopted what he calls "the hutzpa here," which he has come to admire. He has fallen out with Israeli Arabs after defending Israel in political arguments, and come close to being a victim of a Palestinian suicide bomb attack on the Tel Aviv Dolphinarium club, which killed 21 Israelis, mostly teenagers. He met his girlfriend while she was serving as an IDF soldier, and fell in love for the first time in Israel. Fayce has also formed a close knit group of Israeli friends. "I feel completely Tel Avivian," he declares proudly. "Tel Aviv and Casablanca are two sides of one large Mediterranean culture, and I have both of them in me. I'm neither here nor there," he adds. On Tel Aviv University's campus, Fayce said, he encountered Israeli Arabs who found it difficult to understand what he was doing in Israel. "One of them asked me, 'why did you choose to study here? Why not go to Egypt?' I replied: Why should I go to Egypt, the education here is much better. He was very insulted, and called me a 'traitor.' I asked him who I was betraying, and he said, 'us,'" Fayce recounted. "I told him, 'let me say something that you don't know. You are the only the Arabs in the world who know what democracy is. There is no other place that can you criticize so openly like this. If you did it in Morocco, you'd find yourself in jail. If you don't like it here, why don't you go study in Egypt," he added. -Fabruary 22 2007 this is a must read! Israel Permits anti-Israelism in Knesset An Arab member of Israel’s Knesset, Azmi Bishara, last week evaded a Knesset Ethics Committee censure and survived an attempt to get him expelled. The fact that he is still a functioning member of this legislative body reveals Israel’s dangerous overcommitment to the principle of tolerance. Bishara heads Israel’s Arab nationalist Balad party, whose primary aim is the creation of a Palestinian state. He has praised Hezbollah and Syria for attacks on Israel, and condemned Israel’s response to those attacks. He has publicly appeared beside Hezbollah’s leader calling for a “united Arab nation” to join against Israel. Last year, he traveled to Syria to warn the president of a possible Israeli attack. On an upcoming visit to Lebanon, he plans to give an interview on the Hezbollah-owned-and-operated television station. -February 18 2007 A Proud Israeli Bedouin Questions American-Jewish Apathy Two years ago, a few proud Bedouin Israeli citizens like myself asked: what is our position and status in the State of Israel in the midst of its current situation? After all, Bedouins are part of Israel's success story. During current times, when Israel is being attacked and accused of being a racist state, an 'aggressor and an oppressor', we decided that the smallest and probably most effective thing we could do is to spread our story as part of Israeli society. I, Ishmael Khaldi, am Israeli. I served with the IDF, with the Israel police, and with the Israeli Defense Ministry. In the last year, I have lost two Bedouin friends on army duty (God bless their memory) defending the State of Israel. My friends and family feel that we have a common destiny with the Jewish people in Israel: our grandparents created this land with Jewish immigrants who arrived during the 1920s, '30s and '40s to build a democracy. Because of this connection to the State of Israel, I cannot stand on the sidelines during Israel's time of need. I feel that I must speak up and be heard. The United States has always been described as being the 'land of the free' and a home for free speech. How can New Hampshire's slogan read, "live free or die" if the student union is allowed to ban me from telling a cultural story? I can't believe that the hatred for Israel is so strong that student governments are able to defy their own dignity as free American citizens, in order that the truth about Israel should remain a secret. The deep-seated hatred manifested itself clearly throughout the country with the many loaded questions asked by anti-Israel students. For example, a Muslim student at Rutgers University completely ignored the fact that Israel is a free state and asked, "How could you support a Hebrew state if you're not Jewish?" Another questioner asked, "Don't you think that if Israel didn't exist, then the Palestinians wouldn't have any problems?" -February 17 2007 I can tell you from personal expirience how hard it is for a non-Jew to support Israel these days. Israelis Aren't Racist, They Are Worried When Defense Minister Amir Peretz designated MK Ghaleb Majadle for a ministerial post, in order to garner Arab support for his position in Labor, Israel Beiteinu faction chairwoman Estherina Tartman branded the appointment "shameful and pitiful," "a huge ax poised over the neck of Zionism," and damaging to "Israel's character as a Jewish state." Granted Tartman's outburst was contemptible. But that does not detract from the reality that increasingly hostile, even treasonable outbursts by Israeli Arabs against the state have created enormous resentment among Jewish Israelis. Some are beginning to regard their Arab neighbors as fifth columnists. In large measure it is the radical Israeli-Arab politicians who compete against each other to undermine the legitimacy of the Jewish state who must shoulder the blame for this. For example, it was treason, pure and simple, when MK Azmi Bishara and two other Balad MKs last year traveled illegally to Beirut and Damascus and proclaimed their solidarity with Hizbullah. "Hizbullah won, and for the first time since 1967, we tasted the taste of victory," Bishara stated, adding that demonstrating "solidarity with these heroes is the least we can do." Bishara also supported Syria's struggle to free "occupied Arab land" and praised Syrian support for "resistance." -February 15 2007 Arab Israeli Minister Condemns Eilat Suicide Bombing Israel's first Arab minister, Ghaleb Majadle (Labor), condemned on Monday the "loss of life" in the suicide bombing that took place earlier in Eilat, saying that "such attacks won't do anything for the peace process, and will only drag down talks." "We need to do everything possible to ensure that these things won't happen, to ensure a better future for us all," Majadle said. "We all want peace," he continued, adding that he believed that eventually the Palestinians would unite behind the need for negotiations. -January 29 2007 Interior Ministry Worker Snubs Arab Driver An Arab Israeli truck driver who was sent to deliver equipment to the Interior Ministry building in Jerusalem Sunday was turned away at the gates. According to one of the driver's coworkers, the Interior Ministry employee turned him away with the explanation: �I can�t let an Arab driver enter. Send a Jewish driver tomorrow.� �It is not a general instruction, but there have been occasional incidents. Personally, I�m not surprised by the current incident at all. This is especially common at the Interior Ministry,� he noted. On the other hand, an Interior Ministry security officer, Yossi Shahaf, stressed that the ministry has no policy barring Arab drivers from entering the building. "There is no such policy," he said, adding that he was not familiar with the current incident. -January 23 2007 Israeli Knesset Passes Law to Revoke Citizenshipof 'Unpatriotic' Israelis A new law passed Wednesday will allow the Israeli government to revoke the citizenship of citizens considered unpatriotic to the Jewish state of Israel. The law is expected to be applied especially to the 20% of Israeli citizens who are of Palestinian origin. The new law, passed despite a recommendation against it by the Israeli Attorney General, allows for the deportation and revocation of citizenship of Israelis for a wide range of offenses, including "visiting enemy nations" and "encouraging terror against Israel", with the latter being so open to interpretation that many Palestinians with Israeli citizenship fear that simply being Palestinian will be reason enough for Israeli officials to revoke their citizenship.The Israeli Attorney General called the law, "a drastic and extreme move that harms civil liberties." He also stated that the new law violates international law. -Jannuary 23 2007 yet another blow to Israel's democracy, courtesy of Avigor Lieberman Report: Israeli Arabs Twice as Poor as Jews The percentage of Israeli Arabs living in poverty is more than twice that of Jews, according to a new report set to be released Monday by the Van Leer Jerusalem Institute, a capital-based center aiming to advance the study of regional cultures. "There is a high rate of unemployment among Arab men, and especially among the women," explained Abubader, adding that this is one of the first studies of the Arab sector that includes Christians, Muslims, Druse, as well as Beduin populations in both legal and illegal villages. -January 17 2007 many people blame the poverty of Israeli Arabs on "racism", but completely ignore other factors that cause poverty, such as the Muslim culture discourages women from working, and birth rates among arab families are higher than in Jewish families. Peretz: Israel Beiteinu 'Racist Party' "The decision to appoint Ghaleb Majadle as minister is causing people to say things that are way out of proportion," Peretz said. "If there is a danger to the state of Israel, it is the danger [presented by] a racist party like Israel Beiteinu." "[Lieberman] has yet to prove that he is contributing something positive and good to the State of Israel," Peretz said. "His comments regarding Majadle are unwarranted." Peretz's remarks came in response to equally inflammatory comments made by Lieberman during the Israel Beiteinu faction meeting Monday. "I have no problem with Ghaleb. I have a big problem with the defense minister," Lieberman said during the Israel Beiteinu faction meeting Monday. "Every day this man continues in his job hurts the security of Israel. His handling of the appointment was shameful. He made a cynical use of the issue, using it for political advancement. -January 15 2007 i agree with peretz 100%. All Lieberman does is spew hate. he is a racist and is giving Israel a bad name. Israeli Right Angry at First Arab in Cabinet Amir Peretz, the Israeli defence minister and leader of the Labour party, today appointed Israel's first Arab cabinet minister - and was accused by rightwingers of dealing a "lethal blow to Zionism". Mr Majadele said it would be difficult sitting at the same cabinet table as Mr Lieberman but hoped to overcome any problems. "I believe this is a precedent that will be written in the history of Israeli society," he said. "Peretz is making a sacrifice of Zionism," she said. "I call on the prime minister not to approve this appointment ... in order to protect the state of Israel's interest as a Jewish and Zionist state." Her comment were criticised as racist by members of the Knesset from all parties. -January 12 2007 this sounds like a lot of Islamic leaders who condemn their own for urging peace with Israel. In some ways Jews aren't any better than Arabs when it comes to racism. First Arab Israeli Minister Named Defense Minister Amir Peretz appointed MK Raleb Majadele as the Labor party's seventh minister, Minister of Science, Technology, Culture, and Sports. Majadele is the first Arab to be appointed minister in the State of Israel since its inception. Peretz met with Majadele Wednesday and informed him of his decision. The defense minister said that his appointment was historic and would no doubt bring about an improvement in the relationships between the different sectors in Israel. -January 11 2007 Palestinian Arabs First Class Citizens in Israel Whereas Jews Are Second Class Citizens? Israel's Security Fence Every effort is being made to exclude Palestinian villages from the area within the fence and no territories are being annexed... Israel's Supreme Court took up the grievances of Palestinians and required the government to move the fence in the area near Jerusalem to make things easier for the Palestinians. Fence Rulings: Democracy in Action Israel's Supreme Court sided with the Palestinians in a precedent-setting decision Wednesday, ordering the government to reroute part of its West Bank ... -January 3 2007 Mosque Set Up at Ben-Gurion Airport The Israel Airports Authority (IAA) Thursday ordered the establishment of a Muslim prayer room at Ben-Gurion International Airport to serve the port's Muslim passengers. "The initiative to set up is another step in efforts undertaken by the IAA to improve relations with the Arab sector, and came about after requests to the IAA that a prayer room be established. The initiative is part of a number of projects initiated by the Israel Airport Authority to improve relations with the sector," IAA CEO Gabi Ophir said. -December 21 2006 Israel's airport and airlines are constantly accused of racism as they are the only ones in the world that openly practice racial profiling as a security procedure. But the fact is this practice has made flying easier for everyone, including the arabs. ben gurion airport is one of the safest airports in the world, despite the fact that Israel is one of the most hated countries in the world. the building of this mosque proves that the racial profiling policy is not because the airport "hates arabs" but rather because this has been proven to keep the airlines safe Israel's Lieberman: The "Unfaithful" Should Not Be Citizens Minister for Strategic Affairs Avigdor Lieberman addressed an audience at the Saban Center for Middle East Policy in Washington where he presented his political agenda: "Israel has the right to demand full allegiance from all its citizens. He who is not ready to recognize Israel as a Jewish and Zionist state, cannot be a citizen in the country. This applies to extremists of the Neturei Karta as well as to extremist factions of the Islamic Movement." -December 11 2006 This guy is a DOWNRIGHT RACIST! I agree that Israeli Arabs who dont support Israel's right to exist are unpatriotic Israelis, but to suggest those Arabs dont have the right to live among the Israeli people defies the principle of free speech and freedom of expression, values which make Israel the respectable state that it is. The truth is Israelis like Lieberman, who advocate the expulsion of unpatriotic Israelis are a bigger threat to Israel's legitmacy than the Arab anti-zionists, so under his logic, maybe Liberman should lose his citizenship instead Israel's Lieberman: Divide Israel's Jews and Arabs Like Cyprus The leader of the ultra-nationalist Yisrael Beitenu party said in Britain’s Sunday Telegraph newspaper the best way to bring about peace in the Middle East would be for Jews and Arabs to live completely apart – including Israeli Arabs, who make up nearly a fifth of Israel’s citizens. “Minorities are the biggest problem in the world,” said Lieberman, who joined the ruling coalition last week as minister for strategic affairs and deputy premier. “I think separation between two nations is the best solution. Cyprus is the best model. Before 1974, the Greeks and Turks lived together and there were frictions and bloodshed and terror. “After 1974, they constituted all Turks on one part of the island, all Greeks on the other part of the island, and there is stability and security.” Reminded that hundreds of thousands of people were forcibly driven from their homes on the Mediterranean island, Lieberman said: “Yes, but the final result was better.” The statements were slammed by members of the Labor party, the liberal stalwart that is the main coalition partner of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s centrist Kadima faction. “Lieberman’s statements are intolerable,” Yitzhak Herzog, Israel’s tourism minister, told public radio. “Anyone who knows the arrangements in Cyprus knows that they are inapplicable to Israel.” -November 6 2006 mr. lieberman is a racist and he should be considered an embarrassment by Israeli society. people like him give Israel's enemies powerful propoganda against them. Arab Leader Expresses Support for Katsav President Moshe Katsav received a voice of support on Wednesday, this time from Islamic Movement southern faction leader Sheik Abdullah Nimr Darwish. The latter was a guest at the Iftar feast (break of the Ramadan fast) held at the Presidential Residence and also said that "it is the duty of every Jewish, Arab and Christian citizen to support President Katsav." The feast was attended by Muslim leaders in Israel who also expressed their full support of Katsav. Sheik Darwish, who said he wished Katsav to emerge from the affair "pure are snow", During the even Sheik Darwish addressed Katsav: "Mr. President, we are in a democratic country today. The media – you are not a courthouse and you should report without making accusations. I have a request of you Mr. President: after seeing your smile today, I wish for you to widen it." -October 19 2006 do you think mr. Darwish would agree with those that claim that Israel is an apartheid state? Israeli Arabs to Mubarak: Learn From Israel Some 100 Israeli Arabs held a rally Wednesday outside the Egyptian embassy in Tel Aviv in protest of what they perceive as the country’s failed handling of the traffic accident in Sinai which left 12 Israelis dead. The demonstrators also protested the lenient sentence handed to the bus driver involved in the accident, who will serve only one year in prison. "Learn from Israel what human dignity means. Human dignity is a primary value in Israel," the protesters shouted. Participants in the rally held up signs saying, "12 killed, 12 months in jail - justice Egypt-style," and "State of Israel - doesn’t abandon injured and killed citizens." -September 26 2006 Poverty in Bedouin Villages One of the more worrisome statistics emerging from the poverty report published Wednesday by the National Insurance Institute of Israel indicates that 52 percent of Arabs in Israel live beneath the poverty line (as opposed to only 16 percent of Jews). In contrast to the Jewish public, whose poverty rate is stable, the Arab public has seen an increase of more than two percent in a year. In Bedouin villages in the south, the numbers turn into harsh reality, and behind every statistic is a family, most likely a family with many children. However, while these same families are being asked to get out of the cycle of poverty, the government does practically nothing to help them. So, they are forced to seek help from non-profits and volunteer organizations, and many of them are compelled toward religion. One of the ways out of the cycle of poverty is entry into the workforce and higher education. In the Bedouin villages, most of the women haven't finished high school, and a large portion of them don't work. One of the problems making it difficult to leave the cycle of poverty is the large number of children in Bedouin families. Despite the economic conditions, many people continue to bring children into the world. Deputy-director of welfare services in Rahat, Sayyid al-Aubra: "It is forbidden for Muslims to talk about limiting reproduction. Even though Islam forbids it, my opinion on the subject is different. In the past, the stronger your family was the stronger it was considered. I want quality for children, and not quantity." -September 2 2006 some people blame the income gap between jews and arabs in Israel on racism, but in reality two key contributors to Arab povberty are woman not being allowed to work and larger family sizes in arab communities. Poll: Most Israelis Believe Israeli Arabs Supported Nasrallah Fifty-five percent of Israelis believe that the majority of the Arabs in Israel supported Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah during the war in Lebanon , a survey conducted by the Dahaf Institute, coordinated by the institute's manager Dr. Mina Tzemach, revealed. Israel's Arabs themselves, on the other hand, think otherwise. When asked "Who did you want to win the second war in Lebanon?" 27 of them answered "Israel," only 18 percent said they were on Nasrallah's side, and 36 percent did not support either side. -August 24 2006 lets remember, some of the missiles launches by Hezbollah hit the homes of Israeli Arabs. Haifa's Arabs: We Wont Leave City Former Knesset Member and Haifa resident Issam Mahoul on Wednesday categorically rejected Hizbullah chief Hassan Nasrallah's call to Arab residents of Haifa to evacuate the city. "We have nothing to do outside of Haifa, and we have no reason to panic. The Palestinian people are especially unwilling to be refugees of any kind again," Haifa Mayor Yona Yahav also responded to Nasrallah's statements. "The Arabs residents of Haifa are rooted deep in the city's land, history and landscape. No Nasrallah will manage to uproot them from here, or distort the voices of this city," Yahav said. -August 10 2006 Nasrallah Warns Arab Israelis in Haifa to Leave Their Homes Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah on Wednesday warned all Israeli Arabs to leave the port city of Haifa so his guerrilla organization could step up attacks without fear of shedding the blood of fellow Muslims. "I have a special message to the Arabs of Haifa, to your martyrs and to your wounded. I call you to leave this city. I hope you do this. ... Please leave so we don't shed your blood, which is our blood." -August 9 2006 and i find it funny that some still like to claim that Israel is the racist one Survey: 62% of Israelis Want Arab Emigration An annual survey conducted by the Israel Democracy Institute revealed that more than half of the Israelis believe that Israeli should encourage its Arab residents to immigrate; 62% of the Israelis support a “government-backed Arab immigration from Israel”. ... Arab member of Knesset, Jamal Zahalka, commented on the results of the poll and said that “racism in Israel became a central issue supported by the majority of the public and enjoys representation at the Knesset. -May 9 2006 Arab Paper Says Arabs Will Increase Representation in Knesset Arabs are expected to vote at a higher rate than Jews, potentially increasing their representation to 10 seats and becoming a more likely coalition partner for Kadima. -March 28 2006 Poll: Israeli Jews Shun Arabs Figures presented by the Center for Combating Racism paint a grim picture when it comes to Jewish Israelis' attitudes to their fellow Arab citizens. A poll by the group showed most Israelis would not be willing to accept an Arab neighbor, half of the public would not be willing to receive an Arab visitor in their home, and 40 percent believe that the State should encourage Arabs to emigrate from the country. ... The poll presented Wednesday showed that 68 percent of respondents said they do not wish to live next to an Arab neighbor, compared with 26 percent who said they would agree. -March 22 2006 Israel Adopts Affirmative Action Policy In a move to upend historical discrimination, the Israeli cabinet has approved affirmative action rules for government jobs for Arabs and others. Although Muslims make up 16 percent of Israeli citizens and Arabs make up 20 percent, neither group make up the same percentage in government. -March 12 2006 Although i am against any form of affirmative action (especially the way its being done with blacks in america), this article shows that Israel is making attempts to establish equality between its Jewish and non-Jewish citizens. No Muslim country (other than Iran) makes any effort to bring minorities into government positions. IDF Says 'No' to Arab Piolet No Arab pilots for now: The IDF's Personnel Directorate has decided to reject the request of an18-year-old Arab Muslim from northern Israel who sought to join the army's prestigious pilot training course. .... However, the teen's father said the youth plans to appeal the decision to IDF Chief of Staff Dan Halutz, and if needed even take the matter to court, in order to open the pilot course for Arab Muslims as well. .... The youth was very disappointed when he opened the envelope sent to him from the recruiting office and discovered that he was being summoned to the paratroopers' course instead of the pilot course. "Now I plan to join the paratroopers, but do not intend to give up on my dream to be a pilot. I will try again and again, until the door opens. I was educated to be devoted to the State and asked to join the Air Force because I believe that it is a great privilege and not a duty to serve in the army of the State where I grew up," he said. -January 10 2006 This is a sad example of the discrimination against Arabs in Israel. However, unlike other countries in the region, look how the family has the right to appeal this to a court of law? I believe its only a matter of time before the lives of Israeli arabs will improve