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by Kenneth J. Theisen
Saturday, Jun. 03, 2006 at 9:33 AM
A recent poll confirms what many Arab Palestinians already knew - many Israeli Jews hold racist views toward Arabs. Israeli parties with anti-Arab platforms made electoral gains in the recent elections. What does this mean for the Arabs of Palestine?
The results of a recent poll conducted in Israel are very disturbing to anyone who abhors racism and discrimination. The survey found that anti-Arab sentiment was widespread among Israeli Jewish citizens. The poll was conducted by Geocartographia for the Centre for the Struggle Against Racism.
The findings of the poll include the following: 1. More than two-thirds of Israeli Jews would refuse to live in the same building as an Arab. 2. Nearly half would not allow an Arab in their home. 3. 41% want entertainment facilities to be segregated. 4. 40% think Israel should "support the emigration of Arab citizens." 5. 63% consider Israeli Arab citizens a "security and demographic threat to the state." 6. 34% agreed with the statement that "Arab culture is inferior to Israeli culture." 7. 18% stated that they felt hatred when they heard someone speaking Arabic.
These findings would be outrageous enough on their own, but unfortunately the recent elections in Israel indicate that votes were gained by those parties which had anti-Arab platforms which appealed to the racist sentiments above.
For instance, the Yisrael Beiteinu party, which made major advances in the election, advocates redrawing the border of Israel to place a half-million Arab-Israelis outside of Israel. Party chairman Avigdor Lieberman stated, "We have become the largest party in the national camp and I’m certain that next time we will be Israel’s ruling party. This is only the beginning." The beginning of what is the question.
Other far-right parties also gained votes with their anti-Arab platforms in the elections. Rather than redrawing the borders though, many of the far-right advocate “transfer” of Arabs from both Israel and the “occupied territories.” Transfer is merely code for ethnic cleansing. Under international law such action is clearly unlawful. But then Israel, with U.S. backing, has consistently violated international law. Whenever the U.N. attempts to do something about this, the U.S. exercises its veto power to squelch action and protect its ally and partner in crime.
Even the so-called "centrist" Kadima party, which won the largest number of votes, made a decision not to include an Arab in a viable position on its election list because it feared that it would cost the party several seats, according to a report by the Haaretz newspaper.
Israeli newspapers regularly discuss the racist term “demographic time bomb.” This refers to the high birthrate among Arab citizens of Israel as compared to the birthrate among Jewish citizens. Those that use the term raise the “fear” that Arab citizens will one day outnumber the Jewish citizens unless something is done. They then advocate emigration (ethnic cleansing in another form) of Arab Israeli citizens or other policies such as limiting re-unification of Arab citizens with family members. Thousands of Arab citizens are currently forcefully separated from their family members by restrictive and racist immigration policies.
Supporters of Israel often claim that it is “the only democracy in the Middle East.” But discriminatory practices reminiscent of the Jim Crow laws keep a large part of the population of Israel subjugated. Of course in the “occupied territories” the Israeli government does not even pretend to be democratic in its rule. There the Israeli government openly rules with military force. Using U.S.-supplied weapons and military hardware it regularly terrorizes the Palestinian population.
The survey and recent election do not hold out the hope for change in Israeli policy, nor do past surveys. A 2002 survey reported that 80 percent of those Israelis polled opposed the participation of Arab Israelis in any “critical decisions affecting the state.” So much for democracy.
But Israeli policy toward Palestinian Arabs has been consistent since the founding of Israel in 1948. After all, Israel is a settler state founded on the principles of Zionism which only recognize the existence of a "Jewish state". Zionists believe that they have the right to occupy “historic Israel”, meaning the lands that were allegedly once part of a Jewish kingdom 20 centuries ago. Of course among the Zionists they have been unable to agree on the geographic boundaries encompassed by “historic Israel.” For some, the West Bank and parts of Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, and even Iraq fall within the boundaries.
But in twentieth century this land was occupied by Palestinian Arabs and also a Jewish minority. In the 1948 war, the Zionists used terrorism and massacre to expel much of the existing Palestinian population. Before the war there were approximately 850,000 Arabs within what became Israel. After the war about 130,000 remained. These Palestinian Arabs eventually became Israeli citizens, albeit second class ones. Today, they and their descendants number over a million and are about one-fifth of the Israeli population.
The displaced Arabs were replaced by the immigration of Jews from all over the world. Under the Zionist Law of Return, any Jew has the right to immigrate to Israel and is automatically granted citizenship, along with spouses, children and grandchildren. At the same time, some Israeli Arabs have been denied the right of return after taking vacations out of the country or visiting relatives in the occupied territories.
Even the U.S. government has had to admit that the Arab segment of the population is oppressed. In the 2004 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices published by the U.S. State Department it is stated, “The [Israeli] Government did little to reduce institutional, legal, and societal discrimination against the country’s Arab citizens…”
This is in direct contravention of Article 26 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) adopted by the U.N. General Assembly in December 1966 which states, “All Persons are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to the equal protection of the law. In this respect the law shall prohibit any discrimination on any grounds such as race, colour, sex, language, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.”
Although Israel ratified the ICCPR it has consistently failed to implement it. Within Israel, Arabs are treated as second class citizens. In the occupied territories they have no rights at all and are imprisoned by the thousands if not actually killed in regular Israeli military operations.
Anti-Semitism led to the deaths of millions in the twentieth century. In Germany and Nazi occupied Europe, Jews were at first treated as second class citizens. Eventually they were treated as non-humans and subjected to extermination which led to the deaths of six million. Those that deplore the holocaust must speak out against all forms of discrimination and racism if we are to prevent other atrocities. It is not acceptable to stay silent about Israel and its discriminatory policies because we fear being branded as anti-Semitic.
Today Israel illegally occupies Palestinian land and is in the process of building an apartheid wall reminiscent of the walls that surrounded Jewish ghettos in Europe. It deprives many of the occupants of this land of basic human and political rights. The U.S. spends billions each year in support of Israel and its policies. The American people must take the responsibility for ending this support. We can not pretend we did not know what is being done. We can not be like the “good Germans” who pled ignorance of what the Hitler regime did in the name of the German people. We must do all that we can to oppose all actions of Israel and the U.S. government which oppress the Palestinian Arabs under Israeli rule.
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LATEST COMMENTS ABOUT THIS ARTICLE
Listed below are the 10 latest comments of 84 posted about this article.
These comments are anonymously submitted by the website visitors.
TITLE |
AUTHOR |
DATE |
poll |
Meyer London |
Saturday, Jun. 03, 2006 at 10:47 AM |
Don't worry, you're not misunderstood |
Scapegoated Jew |
Saturday, Jun. 03, 2006 at 11:06 AM |
a |
a |
Saturday, Jun. 03, 2006 at 11:20 AM |
what? |
Sheepdog |
Saturday, Jun. 03, 2006 at 12:09 PM |
more uppity |
Meyer :London |
Saturday, Jun. 03, 2006 at 12:11 PM |
forgive me |
Sheepdog |
Saturday, Jun. 03, 2006 at 12:18 PM |
Scapegoated Jew |
How about "White Europeans"? |
Saturday, Jun. 03, 2006 at 12:24 PM |
white Europeans |
Meyer London |
Saturday, Jun. 03, 2006 at 12:36 PM |
What's wrong with that label |
Scapegoated Jew |
Saturday, Jun. 03, 2006 at 12:55 PM |
no claims that zionists have right to rob Arabs of land |
Meyer London |
Saturday, Jun. 03, 2006 at 2:10 PM |
Your strawman is futile and not amusing |
Scapegoated Jew |
Saturday, Jun. 03, 2006 at 2:39 PM |
Tormenting Nessie |
Megafauna and Tia |
Saturday, Jun. 03, 2006 at 8:03 PM |
The ISM is a cult and not to be tolerated |
stop the ISM! |
Saturday, Jun. 03, 2006 at 8:18 PM |
No information available |
Becky Johnson |
Sunday, Jun. 04, 2006 at 7:12 AM |
accuracy of poll |
Meyer London |
Sunday, Jun. 04, 2006 at 9:52 AM |
Are Israeli Jews MORE racist than Palestinian Arabs? |
Becky Johnson |
Sunday, Jun. 04, 2006 at 11:50 AM |
Yes |
Scapegoated Jew |
Sunday, Jun. 04, 2006 at 12:07 PM |
Project Mockingbecky |
Sheepdog |
Sunday, Jun. 04, 2006 at 12:12 PM |
wrong |
Meyer London |
Sunday, Jun. 04, 2006 at 12:16 PM |
Think you're scaring me/us? |
Scapegoated Jew |
Sunday, Jun. 04, 2006 at 12:45 PM |
if you're scared of blowback |
Judasgoat's imp |
Sunday, Jun. 04, 2006 at 2:15 PM |
So you have a MUCH lower standard for Palestinians? |
Becky Johnson |
Sunday, Jun. 04, 2006 at 4:16 PM |
Project Mockingbecky |
Sheepdog |
Sunday, Jun. 04, 2006 at 4:48 PM |
Project Mockingbecky-my mistake |
Sheepdog |
Sunday, Jun. 04, 2006 at 4:50 PM |
Go to hell, Palinazi |
Scapegoated Jew |
Sunday, Jun. 04, 2006 at 5:09 PM |
Pointing out |
Scapegoated Jew |
Monday, Jun. 05, 2006 at 3:04 AM |
oh, you mean this? |
Judasgoat's imp |
Monday, Jun. 05, 2006 at 4:15 AM |
He's just tried to pull a distractive spam ruse |
Scapegoated Jew |
Monday, Jun. 05, 2006 at 4:28 AM |
are you blind? |
Judasgoat's imp |
Monday, Jun. 05, 2006 at 4:37 AM |
Attacks on the Jews of Israel are launched several times daily |
Becky Johnson |
Monday, Jun. 05, 2006 at 4:50 AM |
Project Mockingbecky |
Sheepdog |
Monday, Jun. 05, 2006 at 5:02 AM |
What a fuckwit |
Scapegoated Jew |
Monday, Jun. 05, 2006 at 6:21 AM |
goodness |
Judasgoat's imp |
Monday, Jun. 05, 2006 at 8:18 AM |
I've just noticed |
Scapegoated Jew |
Monday, Jun. 05, 2006 at 8:59 AM |
oh my redux |
Judasgoat's imp |
Monday, Jun. 05, 2006 at 9:11 AM |
The Khazar canard? |
Scapegoated Jew |
Monday, Jun. 05, 2006 at 10:24 AM |
why was this reply hidden? |
Judasgoat's imp |
Monday, Jun. 05, 2006 at 6:15 PM |
Nah |
Tia |
Monday, Jun. 05, 2006 at 8:32 PM |
well, Tia? |
Sheepdog |
Tuesday, Jun. 06, 2006 at 12:54 AM |
3:54? |
Tia |
Tuesday, Jun. 06, 2006 at 5:19 AM |
but that's not the point I was making |
Judasgoat's imp |
Tuesday, Jun. 06, 2006 at 5:29 AM |
oh, and 2 points |
Sheepdog |
Tuesday, Jun. 06, 2006 at 5:36 AM |
To sheepdog |
Tia |
Tuesday, Jun. 06, 2006 at 6:20 AM |
Not a 'Jew' [?] |
Being absurd, Tia |
Tuesday, Jun. 06, 2006 at 6:27 AM |
clarification |
Tia |
Tuesday, Jun. 06, 2006 at 7:03 AM |
Pointy head you've got -- no need for making points |
Scapegoated Jew |
Tuesday, Jun. 06, 2006 at 8:08 AM |
so... |
Judasgoat's imp |
Tuesday, Jun. 06, 2006 at 8:26 AM |
Ha... 'toady' came today + the spam began today |
Scapegoated Jew |
Tuesday, Jun. 06, 2006 at 9:19 AM |
Schtarker Yid |
conclusions are wrong |
Tuesday, Jun. 06, 2006 at 9:34 AM |
SchtarkerYid |
re-posting past an idiot |
Tuesday, Jun. 06, 2006 at 10:48 AM |
SchtarkerYid |
conclusions are wrong |
Tuesday, Jun. 06, 2006 at 11:52 AM |
Schtarker Yid |
conclusions are wrong |
Tuesday, Jun. 06, 2006 at 11:57 AM |
Hard to warm up to Jihadists |
Becky Johnson |
Tuesday, Jun. 06, 2006 at 12:01 PM |
SchtarkerYid |
Which Indybay editor? |
Tuesday, Jun. 06, 2006 at 12:08 PM |
...AAAhhhh C'mon! |
it was just getting good! |
Tuesday, Jun. 06, 2006 at 1:27 PM |
SchtarkerYid |
Jews expressing opinions |
Tuesday, Jun. 06, 2006 at 1:30 PM |
The Zionist Jew is first to claim racism |
Zionism = Racism |
Thursday, Jun. 08, 2006 at 7:29 PM |
give me a break |
charismatic megafauna |
Thursday, Jun. 08, 2006 at 7:36 PM |
90 %? |
Tia |
Thursday, Jun. 08, 2006 at 7:41 PM |
Transfer |
Becky Johnson |
Friday, Jun. 09, 2006 at 4:10 AM |
"Here is a picture of what 90% of all Jews are like. " |
gehrig |
Friday, Jun. 09, 2006 at 4:33 AM |
disengagement |
charismatic megafauna |
Friday, Jun. 09, 2006 at 9:58 AM |
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