Fair Representation
Within Israel there is more than enough dissent on whatever government policy happens to be at any given time that the country hardly has time to rest between staving off attacks from abroad and those from within. Just as international ultra-left-wing groups find fault with Israel, claiming the country to be racist, apartheid, oppressively oblivious to the plight of the Palestinians, so too do groups within the country fault their government.
There are so many Israeli coalitions faulting the government for its lack of sensitivity to the needs of Palestinians, little wonder the government might feel beleaguered. But then, this is Israel, and the Jews who make it their home are a fractious, often irrational, irritable, curmudgeonly group. The ultra-orthodox make their demands for exceptional recognition, the secular try to ignore them and get on with their lives and in between they get on one another's nerves.
Of course, there are innumerable factions within the two larger ideological/religious separations and all those disparate groups feel equally entitled, all adding to social disequilibrium and resentment of one another. But it is the commitment of Jewish Israeli groups whose dedication to protecting the civil and human-rights entitlements of the country's Arab-Israeli citizens that provides a picture distinct from any situation existing elsewhere in the Middle East.
The Coalition Against Racism, whose interest is primarily in promoting equality between the two isolations within the country; Jews and Arabs, claim that legislation which has been introduced in the Knesset is purposeful to de-legitimizing the country's Arab citizens by decreasing their civil rights. They identified a number of bills which they defined as racist in nature, presented to the Knesset.
Their report, released on the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, deplores laws enacted which they claim discriminate against Arab citizens. And claim they are on the increase. "There has never been a Knesset as active in proposing discriminating and racist legislation against the country's Arab citizens", according to the report's authors.
At the very time of the release of this report the Cabinet approved the largest economic development plan for the Arab sector in the nation's history. With this economic development plan the Government of Israel will address serious housing shortages in Arab communities.
Funding for the scheme also includes plans to address Arab sector unemployment. And includes as well funding for public day care facilities in Arab towns where only 18% of women are employed outside the home. There will also be funding allocated to the improvement of public transportation. Doesn't quite sound like neglect.
But the report implicates Members of the Knesset with right-wing agendas proposing laws to bypass Israeli Supreme Court laws. Some MKs openly seek the expulsion of the country's Arab population. Little wonder, in a country where the sizeable minority with its own elected MKs is belligerently averse to even recognizing allegiance to Israel, and from among whose members radicals espouse violence and occasionally run murderously amok.
One quaintly-observed bit of claimed discrimination is that citizens who serve in the army or do national service are offered benefits, but Arab-Israelis, who do not serve in those capacities receive no benefits. Amazing. And quite unlike Israeli Kurds who do serve in the army.
True, there is one seemingly draconian bill that would have the effect of imprisoning anyone who publishes or utters something that would effectively "bring contempt upon or discomfort to the country." That would effectively violate the concept of free speech, discomfiting as free speech is at times, even within the Knesset when Arab MKs denounce the country that has given them the right to represent their constituents' interests.
Another seeks to change all street names in Israel to "Hebrew names". A bill as well that identifies who can purchase land. And this no-brainer: that state funding for events marking Israel's celebratory independence as a day of mourning, a Nakba bill be cut off. Considered to be discriminatory; incredible. The state expected to pay for a day of mourning for Arab-Israelis while all other Israelis celebrate the state's independence.
Another report points out that there are a mere sixteen, out of thousands of government employees in the Negev representing Bedouin, Arab or Circassian communities, in conflict with a government decision that by 2012 at least 10% of national employees represent minority populations.
Given the country's split personality, competing interests, and Arab intransigence, balancing that item seems the least of its problems.
There are so many Israeli coalitions faulting the government for its lack of sensitivity to the needs of Palestinians, little wonder the government might feel beleaguered. But then, this is Israel, and the Jews who make it their home are a fractious, often irrational, irritable, curmudgeonly group. The ultra-orthodox make their demands for exceptional recognition, the secular try to ignore them and get on with their lives and in between they get on one another's nerves.
Of course, there are innumerable factions within the two larger ideological/religious separations and all those disparate groups feel equally entitled, all adding to social disequilibrium and resentment of one another. But it is the commitment of Jewish Israeli groups whose dedication to protecting the civil and human-rights entitlements of the country's Arab-Israeli citizens that provides a picture distinct from any situation existing elsewhere in the Middle East.
The Coalition Against Racism, whose interest is primarily in promoting equality between the two isolations within the country; Jews and Arabs, claim that legislation which has been introduced in the Knesset is purposeful to de-legitimizing the country's Arab citizens by decreasing their civil rights. They identified a number of bills which they defined as racist in nature, presented to the Knesset.
Their report, released on the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, deplores laws enacted which they claim discriminate against Arab citizens. And claim they are on the increase. "There has never been a Knesset as active in proposing discriminating and racist legislation against the country's Arab citizens", according to the report's authors.
At the very time of the release of this report the Cabinet approved the largest economic development plan for the Arab sector in the nation's history. With this economic development plan the Government of Israel will address serious housing shortages in Arab communities.
Funding for the scheme also includes plans to address Arab sector unemployment. And includes as well funding for public day care facilities in Arab towns where only 18% of women are employed outside the home. There will also be funding allocated to the improvement of public transportation. Doesn't quite sound like neglect.
But the report implicates Members of the Knesset with right-wing agendas proposing laws to bypass Israeli Supreme Court laws. Some MKs openly seek the expulsion of the country's Arab population. Little wonder, in a country where the sizeable minority with its own elected MKs is belligerently averse to even recognizing allegiance to Israel, and from among whose members radicals espouse violence and occasionally run murderously amok.
One quaintly-observed bit of claimed discrimination is that citizens who serve in the army or do national service are offered benefits, but Arab-Israelis, who do not serve in those capacities receive no benefits. Amazing. And quite unlike Israeli Kurds who do serve in the army.
True, there is one seemingly draconian bill that would have the effect of imprisoning anyone who publishes or utters something that would effectively "bring contempt upon or discomfort to the country." That would effectively violate the concept of free speech, discomfiting as free speech is at times, even within the Knesset when Arab MKs denounce the country that has given them the right to represent their constituents' interests.
Another seeks to change all street names in Israel to "Hebrew names". A bill as well that identifies who can purchase land. And this no-brainer: that state funding for events marking Israel's celebratory independence as a day of mourning, a Nakba bill be cut off. Considered to be discriminatory; incredible. The state expected to pay for a day of mourning for Arab-Israelis while all other Israelis celebrate the state's independence.
Another report points out that there are a mere sixteen, out of thousands of government employees in the Negev representing Bedouin, Arab or Circassian communities, in conflict with a government decision that by 2012 at least 10% of national employees represent minority populations.
Given the country's split personality, competing interests, and Arab intransigence, balancing that item seems the least of its problems.
Labels: Human Relations, Realities, religion
posted by Pieface @ 7:48 PM
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