Apartheid nonsense
"Israel Apartheid week" has become somewhat of a regular event on University campuses world-wide. But, it is based on such a ridiculous premise that one hopes very few, apart from the convinced enemies of Israel, will take it seriously.
First of all, as to the charge of "apartheid," Israel is a democracy in which Arabs (supposedly in place of the blacks in S. Africa) are completely free to travel wherever they like in the country, to form political parties as long as they are not advocating violence, to vote in elections, and to have representatives in the Parliament (Knesset). In the last election with 20% of the population they elected 10 MKs. An attempt by Israel Beitanu to prevent one party (Balad) from standing in the election was overturned by the Israel Election Commission. Also, both Israeli and Palestinian Arabs have the right to go to the courts and take cases as high as the Supreme Court and in many cases have won, for example in having the route of the Security Fence moved (although not stopped).
In relation to the supposed "apartheid," one must distinguish sharply between Israeli Arabs who are Israeli citizens and Palestinian Arabs who are not Israeli citizens. Israeli Arabs have all the rights of every other Israeli, including a passport, welfare, voting, etc. By contrast, the Palestinian Arabs are not citizens of Israel, they are citizens of the Palestine Authority, and of course, do not have Israeli rights. Therefore, when Israel puts up a security fence to stop Arabs from entering Israel and carrying out suicide bombing attacks, it is against Palestinian Arabs and not Israeli Arabs. So the fence has nothing to do with "apartheid" since there are Arabs on both sides of it.
In Israel the Arabs have all rights, including higher education, and there are many attending Universities in Israel, as well as Arab teachers. In the Pharmacy School of Hebrew University ca. 50% of the students are Arabs (it is a good profession for them) and it is common to hear Arabic being spoken around the School. Also, Arabs move around in Israel without any problem, they shop and work in Netanya. One of the pharmacists in our Maccabi Health Fund is an Arab. A group of workmen upgrading the sewers in the center of Netanya were all Arabs, and the men refacing our building (where my studio is) were all Arabs, including their manager.
Also, the Arabs in Israel are divided into three main groups, the Muslims (about 70%) the Christians (ca. 15%) and the Druse (ca. 15%). By and large the Christian Arabs and the Druse are quite to very supportive of Israel. Druse, who are considered a heretical sect by the Muslims and have been greatly persecuted by them, are generally very patriotic to Israel (although they are patriotic to each country they reside in, including Syria). Druse have been in high Government positions, such as the current Minister of Science and Sport Ghaleb Majadle, and are high officers in the IDF and represent Israel abroad. Yet, they are Arabs by any definition, they speak Arabic and consider themselves to be Arabs. This makes nonsense of any kind of "apartheid." Israel is a democratic State based on laws and there is no "separation" whatsoever under the law into racial or ethnic groups.
First of all, as to the charge of "apartheid," Israel is a democracy in which Arabs (supposedly in place of the blacks in S. Africa) are completely free to travel wherever they like in the country, to form political parties as long as they are not advocating violence, to vote in elections, and to have representatives in the Parliament (Knesset). In the last election with 20% of the population they elected 10 MKs. An attempt by Israel Beitanu to prevent one party (Balad) from standing in the election was overturned by the Israel Election Commission. Also, both Israeli and Palestinian Arabs have the right to go to the courts and take cases as high as the Supreme Court and in many cases have won, for example in having the route of the Security Fence moved (although not stopped).
In relation to the supposed "apartheid," one must distinguish sharply between Israeli Arabs who are Israeli citizens and Palestinian Arabs who are not Israeli citizens. Israeli Arabs have all the rights of every other Israeli, including a passport, welfare, voting, etc. By contrast, the Palestinian Arabs are not citizens of Israel, they are citizens of the Palestine Authority, and of course, do not have Israeli rights. Therefore, when Israel puts up a security fence to stop Arabs from entering Israel and carrying out suicide bombing attacks, it is against Palestinian Arabs and not Israeli Arabs. So the fence has nothing to do with "apartheid" since there are Arabs on both sides of it.
In Israel the Arabs have all rights, including higher education, and there are many attending Universities in Israel, as well as Arab teachers. In the Pharmacy School of Hebrew University ca. 50% of the students are Arabs (it is a good profession for them) and it is common to hear Arabic being spoken around the School. Also, Arabs move around in Israel without any problem, they shop and work in Netanya. One of the pharmacists in our Maccabi Health Fund is an Arab. A group of workmen upgrading the sewers in the center of Netanya were all Arabs, and the men refacing our building (where my studio is) were all Arabs, including their manager.
Also, the Arabs in Israel are divided into three main groups, the Muslims (about 70%) the Christians (ca. 15%) and the Druse (ca. 15%). By and large the Christian Arabs and the Druse are quite to very supportive of Israel. Druse, who are considered a heretical sect by the Muslims and have been greatly persecuted by them, are generally very patriotic to Israel (although they are patriotic to each country they reside in, including Syria). Druse have been in high Government positions, such as the current Minister of Science and Sport Ghaleb Majadle, and are high officers in the IDF and represent Israel abroad. Yet, they are Arabs by any definition, they speak Arabic and consider themselves to be Arabs. This makes nonsense of any kind of "apartheid." Israel is a democratic State based on laws and there is no "separation" whatsoever under the law into racial or ethnic groups.
posted by Jack Cohen at 6:43 PM
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