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Writers Articles And Opinions |
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16 April 2010 By Stephen
Lendman
Mossawa means equality, the
Mossawa Advocacy Center promoting it for Israel's Arab
citizens - about 1.5 million, comprising 20% of the
population. Established in 1997, it "strives to
improve the social, economic and political status of
(Israeli Arabs), while preserving their national and
cultural rights as Palestinians." It also promotes
gender equality "in all spheres of society."
Its September 29, 2009 press
release headlined the "High Follow-up Committee for
Arab citizens (an organization representing Israeli
Arabs) call for a general" October 1 one-day work
stoppage to protest deteriorating conditions they
face, and Israel's failure "to bring justice to the
families of the 13 Arab victims that were killed by
security forces during the events of October 2000,"
the start of the second Intifada.
The Committee asked all Arab
institutions, organizations and businesses to honor it
in opposition to Triangle and Negev area home
demolitions; Galilee and Triangle area settlement
building; discrimination in allocating resources;
police violence, intimidation, racial, and political
incitement; and the right of Arab citizens "to exist
and live in dignity in their historic homeland."
Mossawa Center
Calls the Current Knesset the Most Racist in History
A March 21 Jack Khoury/Dana
Weiler-Polark Haaretz article headlined the above
accusation, saying Mossawa's report shows "that in
2008 there were (12) bills (not 11 Haaretz reported)
defined as racist," followed by 12 more in 2009,
specifically against Israeli Arabs. Report authors
Lizi Sagi and Nidal Othman said:
"There has never been a Knesset
as active in proposing discriminating and racist
legislation against the country's Arab citizens."
They accused right-wing MKs of
being "unhindered via proposed legislation," many in
violation of Supreme Court rulings, including
cosmetically altering illegal bills to get them
passed. Others trying to harm Arab citizens, segregate
them from Jews, and "even call for the expulsion of
the (entire) Arab population."
Further discriminatory measures
target services, benefits, and imposing a year's
imprisonment for anyone publishing or saying something
that would "bring contempt upon or discomfort to the
country."
Transportation Minister Yisrael
Katz wants road signs traditionally in Hebrew, Arabic
and English changed solely to Hebrew to erase their
historic identity. But doing so violates the Supreme
Court's recognition of Arabic as an official Israeli
language.
Other measures target those who
can buy land and the so-called Nakba law, watered down
from its original version to exclude imprisonment, but
including a provision to withhold public funding for
any state-supported body holding Nakba commemorations.
Arab school curricula exclude its mention, and
outright banning it denies Israeli Arabs their
collective identity, memory, and right to freely
express opinions, especially about something this
important.
The Incitement Law threatens
prison for anyone denying Israel's existence as a
Jewish, democratic state, and the proposed Loyalty to
Israel Law rescinds citizenship for anyone unwilling
to pledge it. Still another measure bans
demonstrations near public officials and service
provider homes as well as others responsible for
public welfare. It's one step short of prohibiting all
demonstrations critical of government policies.
The Prevention of Inflation Law
includes provisions denying protections and care for
asylum seekers, and long prison terms for convicted
"infiltrators" and human rights activists helping
them. Other measures affect free expression, housing,
political involvement, and Bedouin rights in so-called
unrecognized villages, the home for tens of thousands
living under appalling conditions, compounded by
involuntary dispossessions to Judaize the Negev and
Galilee.
Mossawa
Center's 2009 Racism Report
It began saying "almost every
day" another Israeli Arab is victimized by racist
actions. Mossawa documented 271 cases in various
categories, confirmed by media and police reports.
"Most documentation refers to events," not
individuals, but their total number far exceeds the
events mentioned.
Mossawa was alarmed that Occupied
Territory (OPT) abuses have incrementally crossed the
Green Line. Since the second Intifada's onset (after
Ariel Sharon's provocative September 28 Al-Aqsa Mosque
visit), few Israeli - Arab citizen confrontations
occurred until Acre, Galilee's October 2008 violence.
Incidents now "create separation between communities
that used to" coexist peacefully. As a result, Israeli
Arab citizens face disruptive social, economic and
cultural futures.
Besides Acre, organized groups
attacked Arab civilians in Jerusalem, Tiberias,
Nazareth Illit, Carmiel and other cities - suggesting
more to come unless measures are taken to curb it.
Specific
Mossawa Findings
From 2000 through 2008, 42 Arab
Israelis were killed. Only once was a police officer
indicted and convicted, sentenced only to six months
in prison for murder. Another accused officer still
serves, "receiving support" from his commander.
Since trials of two officers
began in 2006, judges have delayed ruling, six months
after proceedings ended. As a result, 13 families of
initial Intifada killings await justice despite clear
Or Commission recommendations (established to
investigate them) not implemented by the Attorney
General.
Two Jews who killed Arabs were
admitted to mental hospitals and declared unfit to
stand trial. Four years after Natan Zadah killed four
Arabs, investigations continue. After his death, 15
Shefaram residents were arrested on suspicion of their
involvement. Four East Jerusalem Palestinians were
killed after being repeatedly shot "even after they
were clearly paralyzed." No investigation was
conducted.
Police attacked and injured 17
Israeli Arabs, a 300% increase since 2008. During the
Gaza war, police intensified violence and arrested 700
Arab citizens. Yet a small number of them were
indicted.
Jewish civilians were involved in
most racist incidents (about 70), up tenfold from the
previous year. Most targeted Arabs and involved
attacks and property destruction. The October 2008
Acre incidents resulted in over 80 people evacuated
from their homes, most after being "repeatedly
injured." Despite making arrests, police "failed to
prevent massive confrontations" and didn't arrest
youths involved in Acre and Carmiel attacks.
Knesset members, other public
figures, and rabbis were involved in 29 racist
incidents, especially during the Gaza war, and in the
run-up to elections through mass media reports. The
Central Elections Committee (CEC) took no action.
The New Israel Fund and Football
Union reported 39 racist incidents during contests,
not against Arabs but dark skinned targets - compared
to 32 recorded 2008 cases. Another 15 incidents of
"racial profiling and discrimination in services" were
reported, showing a drop because courts now fine
business discrimination on the basis of race.
The Supreme Court, however,
hasn't addressed airport profiling.
Ten cases of religious
discrimination were reported, included cemetery
destruction and holy book burnings.
The 2008 Knesset introduced 12
discriminatory bills, and the Supreme Court failed to
disqualify the 2003 temporary Citizenship and Entry
into Israel Law, renewed every six months. It makes
West Bank and Gaza Palestinians ineligible for
residency permits if they marry an Israeli citizen, a
measure harmful to thousands of families yearly.
Israeli Arab leaders have been
systematically delegitimized. "Israeli political
leaders, the government, the police and government
legal advisors use the demographic threat to force
their political positions on Arab minority leaders,"
including prohibiting their visits to regional states
that don't diplomatically recognize Israel. Also
forcing them to accept Israel as a Jewish state to
qualify as MKs, or in other words, renounce their own
heritage.
Arab leaders violating these
terms are investigated to persecute and delegitimize
them. During the Gaza war, police and security
services made numerous arrests as a warning to local
Arab leaders. In addition, for the third time since
the early 1990s, the Central Elections Committee (CEC)
disqualified two Arab political parties from
participating in national elections. Though the
Supreme Court overruled the decision, the Arab
community got a chilling message, suggesting harsher
measures to come.
Jews as well experienced racism,
specifically Russian and Ethiopian immigrants as well
as gays.
Summary of
Mossawa's 2008 and 2009 Racist Incidents
-- police violence since October
2000 killing Arab Israelis: in 2008, 41; in 2009, 42;
-- other police violence against
Arab Israelis: in 2008, 6; in 2009, 17;
-- Jewish civilian attacks
against Arab Israelis: in 2008, 7; in 2009, 70;
-- racial incitement: in 2008,
27; in 2009, 29;
-- religious discrimination: in
2008, 8; in 2009, 10;
-- discrimination in public
services: in 2008, 26; in 2009, 15;
-- football related racism: in
2008, 32; in 2009, 39 through March;
-- delegitimizations of Israeli
Arab political leaders: in 2008, 15; in 2009, 23;
-- racist Knesset bills: in 2008,
12; in 2009, 12; and
-- discrimination against Russian
and Ethiopian immigrants as well as gays: in 2008, 6;
in 2009, 14.
Totals: in 2008, 180; in 2009,
271.
Mossawa was alarmed that Israeli
Arabs are increasingly being persecuted like Occupied
Palestinians - perhaps one step short of facing
targeted killings, much greater dispossession rates,
mass incarcerations, and torture. They're already
denied rights afforded solely to Jews.
Civilized societies accept all
citizens as equals, or are supposed to. Israel rejects
that standard, including for disfavored Jews, shunned
for more privileged ones the way America treats
minorities, the poor, disadvantaged, undocumented
Latino immigrants called illegal, and Muslims
persecuted as terrorists.
Stephen Lendman lives in
Chicago and can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.
Also visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com and
listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished
guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the
Progressive Radio Network Thursdays at 10AM US Central
time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs
are archived for easy listening.
http://prognewshour.progressiveradionetwork.org/
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