Israel Media Round-Up: Israeli Arab Edition

Consider the following recent headlines about Israel's (loyal?) Arab citizens:

MK Sarsour calls Muslims to free J'lem

MK Ibrahim Sarsour (UAL-TA'AL), Speaking at the "Jerusalem First" conference in Ramallah, the lawmaker emphasized the importance of Jerusalem to Islam, and called on participants to "act together to become a torrent on the road to liberation."

"Just as the Muslims once liberated Jerusalem from the Crusaders, so must we today believe that we can liberate Jerusalem. It is not an impossible dream," he said.

Poll: Over 25% of Israeli Arabs say Holocaust never happened

In its most dramatic finding, the poll showed that 28 percent of Israeli Arabs did not believe the Holocaust happened, and that among high school and college graduates the figure was even higher - 33 percent...

While 89 percent said they view Israel's bombing of Lebanon as a war crime, only 44 percent said they see Hezbollah's attacks on Israel as such. Hezbollah pelted northern Israel with nearly 4,000 rockets.

Half of Israeli Arab respondents said Hezbollah's capture of Israel Defense Forces reserves soldiers Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev in a cross-border raid was justified.

Majadele refuses to sing national anthem

Israel's first Arab minister said in newspaper interview he would not sing anthem, because song was written 'only for Jews'...

In the interview, Majadele said, "Of course I would not sing the anthem in its current form. But before we talk about symbols, I want to talk about equal education for my children. It's more important that my son would be able to buy a house, live with dignity… the Arabs are not in a mood to sing right now."

MK a-Sanaa calls 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 articles speak for themselves - and no, the solution is not to promote Jewish / Arab co-existence programming!)

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On Helping Israel's Arabs: The Glass Half - Full Approach

Over the last year, it seems that the most popular cause being championed by the Jewish Establishment organizations, both in Israel and abroad, is the cause of equality for Israel's Arabs (and here.)

While I have no doubt as to the harmfulness of these actions to both the Jewish People and State, I do believe that many of the Jews donating money to this cause (knowingly or not), are convinced that through providing financial assistance to Israel's Arab community they are strengthening the Jewish State of Israel. Well, perhaps, with a little creativity, we can help them do just that.

The Jewish Establishment has already displayed its willingness to turn to Jewish communities throughout the world and raise millions upon millions of dollars for Israel's Arabs. However, instead of this money being used to strengthen Israel's Arab communities, the money can be used to help Israel's Arabs relocate, under favorable financial terms, to a place where they can feel more at home.

In this way, the money being raised by the Jewish Establishment will not only be helping Israel's Arabs live a better life, but at the same time will be strengthening Israel as a Jewish State.

Of course, not all of Israel's Arabs will be interested in such an initiative, but I suspect that there will be many that will jump at the opportunity. Those Arabs that are hell-bent on remaining as a bone in the throat of the Jewish State need not look for handouts from the Jewish People - and for which other solutions will need to be developed.

As I see it, this is a win-win situation for everyone involved.

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Israel's "Palestinian Arabs": What, me worry?

It appears that not only do 70% of Israel's Jewish population view the Arabs of Israel as a threat to the continued existence of Israel as a Jewish State, but even Israel's General Security Service (GSS) - AKA the Shabak - have come to a similarly frightening conclusion.

GSS: Israeli-Arabs are Existential Danger to Israel

An internal General Security Service document says that Israel's Arab population is a "genuine long-range danger to the Jewish character and very existence of the State of Israel."

A recent meeting in the Prime Minister's office presented Prime Minister Ehud Olmert with worrisome data in various spheres, including increasing Israeli-Arab solidarity and identification with terrorist elements, Hizbullah and the Hamas government in the Palestinian Authority.

And yet, the country's leadership continue to turn a blind eye - including some otherwise well-educated and well-intentioned people, like former Defense Minister, Moshe Arens:

Equality of obligations

...The fact that the authors of these proposals insist on referring to Israel's Arab citizens as "Arab Palestinians" serves as a reminder that they see themselves as Palestinians who, by force of circumstance - in their parlance, as a result of the "disaster" of 1948 - are now citizens of Israel in "their own land..."

Are we destined to live with a large minority in our midst that feels dissatisfied with its lot and identifies with Israel's enemies rather than with Israel itself, whose citizenship they share with the country's Jewish citizens?

There is little reason to expect that even if and when an agreement to establish a Palestinian state in Judea and Samaria and Gaza is signed, such an agreement would spell the end of the difficulties that characterize the relations between Israel and its Arab citizens. On the contrary, it may very well exacerbate them.

Arens asks the question that poses perhaps the greatest threat to the Jewish State of Israel today, namely, what to do with the large (and growing) percentage of non-Jewish citizens of Israel who are openly against Israel existing as a Jewish State.

Or, in other words, which takes precedence, Israel - the Jewish State, or Israel - the democratic state? And, do the Arabs of Israel have the right to full equality, including the right to become a majority and democratically vote to turn Israel into Palestine?

Let's see what Arens' solution to this vexing quandary is...

During my second tenure as defense minister I encouraged the formation of an infantry battalion made up largely of Bedouin youngsters who had volunteered for a three-year service in the IDF..., which I had hoped would lead in time to obligatory military service for all Arab youth...

In fact, it is difficult to foresee the integration of Israel's Arab citizens into society without them sharing equally in the obligations of citizenship. Without it, divisions will remain, and possibly widen, between those Israelis who are prepared to defend Israel and those who are not.

Is the reason for the lack of allegiance to the State of Israel on the part of Israel's Arab citizens a result of their not being invited to enlist in the IDF (where they would have the opportunity to fight against their Muslim brothers)?

Or, could it be that so long as Israel continues to exist as a Jewish State - thus eliminating the possibility of any true equality - these (Israeli) "Arab Palestinians" will, at best, remain coldly neutral, and at worst, act in an openly hostile manner against the interests of the Jewish State?

Have a little respect for the Arabs of Israel - they don't hate us because we haven't given them an M-16 or paratrooper wings, but because they believe that we have stolen their Homeland from them, and until this "disaster" is rectified we will have no peace!

Arens' question of what to do with Israel's Arabs still stands, any other suggestions?

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Rejecting the Will of the People in the "Only Democracy in the Middle East"

Believe it or not, there are still a large number of Jews living in Israel who have not lost their sanity - unfortunately for the Jewish people and State, very few of them are presently sitting in positions of power that would allow them to shape the policies and character of the Jewish State of Israel.

New poll shows 68.4% of Israeli Jews fear Israeli Arab uprising

68.4 percent of Israeli Jews fear a civil uprising on behalf of Israeli Arabs and 63.3 percent say they won't enter Arab towns in Israel, according to the results of the 2006 index of Jewish-Arab relations released on Monday... Furthermore, 64.4 percent of Jews polled said they feel that Israeli Arabs pose a security risk to the state through their high birth rate, and 83.1 percent said Israeli Arabs are a security risk due to their support of the Palestinians.

These results are consistent with the results from the Index of Jewish-Arab Relations of previous years - with only one difference, namely, with each passing year, more and more Jewish in Israel realize the grave threat that the Israeli Arabs pose to the continued existence of Israel as a Jewish State.

One need not be a Talmudic scholar or brain surgeon to understand these results.

In truth, it is much more difficult to comprehend how anyone could believe that Israeli Arabs would feel at home in a Jewish State that has a Law of Return that only applies to Jews, a State Flag that is adorned by the Star of David, a Menorah as the State symbol, and in which the words "A Jewish soul yearns" are sung in the national anthem, and most importantly, who view this land to be rightfully theirs, and that we are, as such, unwanted occupiers.

No Arab, Israeli or otherwise, with even a shred of national pride and dignity is going to forsake the claim to his Homeland for HDTV and a car (even if, to my dismay, such an offer appeals to a great many Jews).

The Israeli Arabs themselves have made no secret of their true feelings regarding Israel continuing to exist as a Jewish State, and yet...

Ignoring the true will of the People of Israel, the government of Israel continues to plan future expulsions of Jews from their homes in the Land of Israel, and sits impotent in the face of the ongoing Arab war of destruction against the Jewish State.

On the bright side, when the time finally arrives, when the Jewish State will be blessed with true Jewish leadership, those leaders will find a nation prepared to support them in taking whatever steps are needed to ensure that the State of Israel flourishes as a Jewish State, as it was intended to be, and which the Nation of Israel clearly wants.

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Teach 'Em Who's Boss...

Of late, two Israeli, non-profit organizations, Mossawa: The Advocacy Center for Arab Citizens in Israel, along with Adalah: The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel openly, and unabashedly called for the destruction of Israel as a Jewish State.

To make matters worse, it seems that these organizations receive plenty of Jewish support (read: $$$).

Mossawa was actively involved in the recently released "The Future Vision of Palestinian Arabs in Israel", and Adalah just released a proposal, entitled "The Democratic Constitution."

For a brief overview of what exactly these two organizations are calling for, click here.

It should therefore come as no surprise to discover that not only is the leadership of Israel unwilling to emphatically make clear, in word and deed, that Israel is in fact a Jewish State, but Israel Ministry of Education is aiding and abetting those who wish to destroy the Jewish State.

Arab students will no longer be tested on Zionism, Arab heritage

As for the Zionism section, the official said: "The concepts that were selected aren't suited for the needs of Arab students. Not only did the Arab students not learn about their own heritage, but the section on Zionism generated a great deal of criticism. It was therefore decided to reinforce the shared basis - that is, the section on democracy - and cut down on what separates the sectors."

Instead of demanding that all school children (Jewish, Muslim, Christian...) in Israel learn about the State of Israel being a Jewish State, and the right of the Jewish People to the Land of Israel - we instead choose to place the emphasis on teaching democracy, and thereby encourage every non-Jewish student to believe that it's only a matter of time before Israel ceases to exist as a Jewish State, and instead becomes a truly democratic state of its citizens (as Mossowa and Adalah call for).

Israeli Arabs to get greater school funding, settlements less

"The new budget formula will change the political-education map from A to Z," a senior ministry officials said, "and transfer money to the most disadvantaged communities, most of which are Arab."

Israel's Supreme Court has ruled that it is racist for the Jewish State of Israel to allocate greater resources towards the educational needs of Jews in Israel. Instead, the Supreme Court and Ministry of Education advocate for the exact opposite - whereby funding will be removed for Jewish communities and given to the very same "Palestinian Israelis" who call for the destruction of Israel as a Jewish State.

Go figure.

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