Democracy and Equality
The complexes of Jewish legislators are beyond me.
The Israeli government decided to establish an administrative unit “to encourage those sectors that do not serve in the Israeli army to volunteer for civilian service.” The government chose its words carefully in the laundered announcement it made. It did not refer, heaven forbid, to “national service,” as thousands of religious Jewish girls have served in Israel for many years. Nor, heaven forbid, to “Arabs,” so as not to offend them. But the laundering did not help the Israeli ministers much.
Israeli Arab leaders hurriedly met and angrily rejected the idea that young Arabs could volunteer for civilian service. And the government had not spoken, heaven forbid, of obligatory service. But even volunteer service, within the framework of the State of Israel, was seen by the Arabs as “a distortion of national identity and a justification for discriminating against the Arab public.”
Even service in Arab schools, cultural institutions, and medical facilities serving only Arabs, in their own villages, was seen by the Arabs as assisting the State of Israel: “The rights of the Arab public are not dependent on the provision of military services that support the occupation,” declared the Arab leaders of various political affiliations, from the nationalist Communists to the representatives of the Islamic Movement. Even though these parties are as far apart as Meretz is from Agudat Israel, when it comes to deep hatred for the State of Israel and their desire to erase its Jewish character, they are a united front.
There are Bedouin Arabs who serve in the Israeli army. I have never understood why what is possible for a Bedouin from the Galilee is impossible for a non-Bedouin Arab from Tira or Sakhnin.
I have been told, “It is inconceivable to demand of an Arab that he bear weapons against his brother across the border.” Is a Bedouin not his brother? And do not Sunnis and Shiites slaughter each other in the streets of Baghdad? And was there not a civil war in Gaza? And in Lebanon? Since when is it forbidden for an Arab to kill another Arab? The psychological complexes of Jewish legislators that led them to exempt Arabs from national service are beyond my comprehension.
The Israeli government met to decide how to increase equality in Israel and how to grant the Arabs the legitimacy of being a sector willing to contribute to the country and not only to take from it. They assumed that the Arabs who can’t serve in the Israeli army are obviously searching for other ways to contribute to the State of Israel as a whole, or at least to their own sector. But the Higher Arab Monitoring Committee publicly mocked this attempt. They proclaimed that the Arabs will not volunteer for any service in the State of Israel.
It is well known that tax revenues in the Arab sector are much lower than they should be, based on their relative percentage of the population. Some of them don’t pay taxes because they are poor, but others evade taxes in order to avoid contributing to the State of Israel. Some of them do not pay property tax because they don’t have the money, and others because they have earned exemptions from property tax via family members serving on their town council.
The Jewish sector subsidizes most of the services provided to the Arab sector. Thus, why should they volunteer when the state is paying? And, if it doesn’t pay, then they can attack us for “discriminating against their sector.”
You can see that with further reflection this issue is vital and leads on to the urgent need for Feiglin and Netanyahu to create a United Front to bring down this Olmert regime through revolutionary mass action.
But they are not doing that as we speak.
That was my main criticism of what Eidelberg wrote above. He remains a sectarian, in a situation where all the forces on the national side must be mobilised to force from power the now very disliked capitulators of the Kadima Labour reformist tendency in Israeli politics.
If this is not done then no other further revolutionary actions concerning traitors to Israel, such as Arab “traitors”, or Jewish traitors like Pappe, can ever take place.
So the urgent next step is to form a United Front to mobilise the Israeli masses to bring down Olmert.
There should be no delay, no waiting on court action etc, because it is the actual action of the masses that counts.
The problem with Netanyahu is that he is a prevaricator, not a revolutionary, in a situation that calls for action.
Salomon
I think that Leon Trotsky writing in the 30s saw the jewish state as necessary as a respite against antisemitism, including what he referred to as the Reactionary Mohammedans.
In this regard Trotsky contemplated the forcible movement of Arabs so that Jews could be able to live and to develop alone, unmolested from antisemites.
Does this surprise you that this was the position of Trotsky?
I feel that this is relevant. We are entering into revolutionary struggles where the Jews of Israel will have to fight once more for life.
I mean really this issue will not be decided by schemas or paper campaigns but in actual struggle for survival.
An Arab Israeli who will not defend his country, Israel, is not therefore an Israeli.
This would apply to Arab and Jews alike.
By the way I propose placing Pappe on the very front line, against Hizbullah or Hamas, with a hundred muskets trained on his rear to ensure he is valiant.
Might work!!!
There is much truth in what both Bill and Yamit say. I think an acceptable way to solve the problem would be to pass effective citizenship laws in Israel.
Democracy does not confer full rights to every single individual living in a given country. Full rights, including political rights, are only bestowed on CITIZENS. That is why Switzerland is so fussy about its citizenship requirements.
I am sure that a significant portion of sensible and productive Arabs would become true citizens. The others will turn into residents and lose their citizenship. Residents would still enjoy civil and religious rights (as long as they are not plotting to destroy the state as the Islamic Movement of Sheikh Salah is intent in doing) but none of the political rights and whetever prerogatives are linked to citizenship.
It would also be beneficial to apply the same tests of true citizenship to a number of Israeli Jews whose sole objective is the dislocation of the state. I can think of the Neturei Karta, academics like Ilan Pappe, journalists like Danny Rubinstein, etc.
Perhaps now is the time that we must take sides – and I am with yamit. Israeli Arabs are getting less loyal to Israel every day. The idea of having an equal and loyal Arab population has not worked. Nor has the concept of weakness so that the Arabs will see how nice Israelis are. It is time for a change.
Sorry to sound so sinister Bill: Here is How it works: You set up an NGO with the sole purpose of Paying Israeli arabs to leave. As this is not an official Israeli govt. organ they can claim no direct responsibility. Visas to Canada and Australia provided (they will take anybody). Funding through secret Israeli Govt. sources, World Jewry, and Friends. Those with property (proveable will be compensated commensurate to above the market value.
We change the social welfare laws eliminating for various reasons those handouts that go to support arab population, like child allowances. We rewrite the laws allowing criteria whereby Jews in need can still receive their social aid. We pass laws limiting the supreme court here to intervene. we quietly cut budgets where Arab municipalities are concerned. Since all arab communities are known for mass corruption, neopotisim and out and out criminal theivery, our ministry of interior has the right to disband elected officials and replace them with agents of Israeli ministry of Interior. We collect all taxes aggressivly. We place property in jugements ( Lien) for non payment of taxes retroactivly. almost 100% of arab property owners fall in this catagorey. (WE will Break them). We will back up these administrative legal operations with half our Army excluding the leftists still serving as they will want to opt out on ideological terms. We make national service, or mil. service the basic criteria for working in any civil service job and contractors will be barred from obtaining licences and permits to build without meeting national standards, which includes loyalty clauses. All public or state lands adjacent to arab towns, village and cities will be zoned for jewish new communities and farm land. All illegal building in Arab sector will be demolished using the Army to enforce the court orders for demolitions. Any acts of violent civil disobedience will mean deportation without recourse to compensation and visas.
Arabs may remain if they accept that this is a Jewish state and by definition they will be second class citizens. That they pull their weight as citizens with limited rights, that they do not pose any security threat. That they behave as proud and useful citizens of a Jewish State. Criminal elements may lose all rights and after jail terms be deported. Any overt support for enemy countries to the State of Israel will be a costly affair for them
All of the above where ever possible will be done quietly, no press allowed to the extent possible. Last year we heard from all that the Hizbolla were a state within a state, here in Israel we also have a state within a state. Loyal to our enemies, lousy citizens, Resentful, hateful,most filled with the most malice toward the Jews possible. This cannot long endure without exploding in our collective faces. The suggestions I have made with some exceptions were already tried with success by the now defunct Mapai Party. They knew how to play the game.
I am not afraid of Musim wrath since when has any ever risked anything for poor Palis? The whole Arab world hates them more than they hate us. The west and America, well its about time we advise our good friends that we are sovereign here on our little plot of land but if they move to impose sanctions we will take it out on those poor palis even harder and not allow any in to help them either. We will hold the palis or what is left of them here hostage to the good behavior toward us by our good friends. You say America would withdraw support and Aid. I will bet the support and aid get increased several fold. If not so what. In this world money and power talk and you know what walks? It is not the martians who are arming my enemies , training them and then telling us not to defend ourselves, then these same martians are trying to cut my country in half with those goonies who if given half a chace would kill me before you could utter the words Human rights and Democracy. My big problem is not with the arabs I respect them, they don’t like jews, zionists or westerners in general. We took their lands and they want them back. This is simple, I am here because these guys are the inheritors of those who stole this land from my ancestors which they do not recognize and I dont’ want to give them fluff but I want all that was taken from my people by these Ishmalites. My big problem lies with the Jews the Liberal,western human rights type, the bleeding hearts for everything and every on not Jewish. Those who call Democracy their supreme diety,those that will fight for my enemies rights but ignore Jews in pain and trouble. The Ignorant Jew who knows nothing about Judaism but claims vast knowledgeof Islam anf what they believe, think and desire. It is the Jews who scare the jebbies out of me not so much the Iranians or the Palis, or Syrians. The Jews are the problem not the Arabs.
Yamit, think of what you are saying.
To rescind Arab citizenship in Israel and force Arabs to leave would cause more than just a huge moral outcry against Israel, no matter how Israel were to justify such a move. Israel would truly become a pariah state and inflame the Muslim Middle East setting off an all out war. America would doubtless withdraw all aid and support for Israel.
One idea bandied about some time ago was to make a law that required every person who sought citizenship in Israel and all those already citizens of Israel to pledge singular allegience to the State of Israel with the idea that should any such citizen thereafter by word or deed, breached that oath of allegience, would be subject to having their citizenship revoked and forced to find another home.
There was an outcry against that even in America where oaths of allegience are mandated.
Though I could jump in and suggest solutions, they really would be guesses because I do not know enough about Israeli laws and politics to speak with confidence on the matter.
One of the problems obviously is that not all the Arab Israelis are part of the feared 5th column and not all are drains on Israeli society. To legislate to specifically deal with problem Arab Israeli citizens would be viewed as discriminatory and may cause harm to Arab Israelis who are no threat to Israel and actually contribute in positive ways to Israel.
There are a number of Israeli writers as I recall who have canvassed this domestic issue of what can Israel do to protect itself from 5th column Arab Israeli citizens and also address the economic and criminal issues associated with Israel’s Arab citizenry.
Perhaps Ted or others are familiar with these writers and some of their articles could be posted as a lead article for us to read and comment on.
Bill: the solution is so obvious it screams to high heaven: No Arabs no terror! No Arabs no public handouts. NoArabs at least one of our fifth columns are dealt with! No Arabs 60% less crime in Israel. No Arabs more Prison Space for Jews! No Arabs better economy less welfare and child allowances to be paid out or same money divided amongst needy Jews to raise the level with some dignity. No Arabs more tourism, More immigration of Jews. No Arabs no immediate threat of internal civil war among Jews over Arabs.
First we move them out of Israel then the West Bank and maybe even Gaza!! Impossible? wrong ! it is possible and it will happen one way or another.
actually it is more Humane to move them out otherwise we will have to kill may of them down the road.
You asked for a solution and I have just given one!
Too bad Eldad only defined the problem Israel has with its Israeli Arab population without proposing solutions.