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The court Arabs By Gideon Levy Tags: Shaul Mofaz, Israeli Arabs  When a distinguished foreign delegation would come to Israel, Shimon Peres would ask us, his aides, to make sure also to invite sheikhs Jabr Moade and Hamad Abu-Rabiah. Peres wanted his guests "to see some kaffiyehs in the audience." That was a long time ago. Many words and much blood, too, has flowed since them. Abu-Rabiah was murdered by Moade's sons over a Knesset seat and Israel's Arabs established their own nationalist parties. Nevertheless, 13,000 Israeli Arabs joined Kadima - entire clans - who yesterday chose the country's next prime minister. Like the court Jews of the Diaspora, they are our court Arabs. They give a bad name to opportunism and a worse name to their own people. A good Arab is not an Arab who joins Kadima, Likud or even Labor. Most of Kadima's Arab voters have already been in all of them; such is the relationship between national minorities and the government. A good Arab cannot support those parties that are directly responsible for discrimination, occupation and the killing of their people. However, it turns out that distress leads to disgrace: election corruption instead of struggle, collaboration instead of national pride. One can believe in coexistence without being ingratiating; one can promote the issues of the community without acting in a corrupt manner, and one can even work toward equal rights without ridiculous photo ops with Shaul Mofaz and Avi Dichter. It is true that support for Mofaz led to the opening of a vehicle registration bureau in Daliat al-Carmel, and perhaps the contractor from the "triangle" of Arab towns in central Israel who joined Kadima to promote the construction of a shopping mall in his city will get what he wants. But vote contractors and clan heads buying and selling votes and national dignity for a mess of pottage is a shameful sight. Advertisement It is not easy to be an Israeli Arab. With a state that is not loyal to them and an army that kills their people, with the aspiration to integrate and get the most out of the country that was forced on them, they are between a rock and a hard place. A visit by a cabinet minister on the eve of elections, always just on the eve of elections, in their living room, will not change this. On the contrary. Their sellout will only perpetuate the humiliating attitude to them: They turn it into the attitude they deserve. After all, no one suspects that even one Arab would join Kadima because of its ideology. But even if personal and sectorial interests are involved, it may be recalled that the huge contribution for the soccer stadium in Sakhnin was raised by MK Ahmed Tibi (United Arab List-Ta'al) and not by Science, Culture and Sports Minister Raleb Majadele (Labor). Perhaps Mofaz will bring a shopping mall and Dichter a parking lot, but the stench will rise from afar and rights will continue to be trampled. We thought that the time for these good Arabs was behind us; that a new generation had arisen imbued with political and nationalist consciousness, who would no longer bow their heads before the authorities like their parents had done, shocked from the trauma of the Nakba. It turns out that the joy was premature: There is still a large number of Arabs who have not recovered. It is difficult to judge the older generation, but the "generation of the state" must free themselves of these corrupt patterns. To do so, it would be enough for these "pet Arabs" to hear the cynical manner they are spoken about by their patrons, the Jewish party hacks who bought their votes on the cheap, at the clearance sale of national dignity. Bookmark to del.icio.us   'Pilobolus in Israel' Now Israel's most beautiful sites can be visited in New York City. West Bank violence Palestinian woman dies after being shoved to the ground by IDF troops.   1.   Gideon Levy, court Jew? 09:19  |  Yaakov K. 18/09/08   2.   TIME HAS COME TO MAKE IT RIGHT 09:51  |  indrajaya 18/09/08   3.   and what and who are you selling out 09:56  |  eli 18/09/08   4.   # 1 Yaakov 09:58  |  Vinegar Hill 18/09/08   5.   And Jews who side with Palestinians are fifth columnists 09:58  |  Arie 18/09/08   6.   Gideon, buying votes (with promises and cash) happens everywhere 09:59  |  Swiss (Dino) 18/09/08   7.   Dear Gideon 10:03  |  Colin Wright 18/09/08   8.   1: No, maybe a jester? 10:14  |  David Teich 18/09/08   9.   Gideon Levy is my hero and is Jesus like sage 10:16  |  Yaakov Sullivan 18/09/08   10.   Should we now say, 6th column 10:18  |  TonyL 18/09/08   11.   Horrible article 10:18  |  Janet 18/09/08   12.   The other Yaakov, Gideon is saved Jew like myself 10:22  |  Yaakov Sullivan 18/09/08   13.   Jews who back our enemy our sellouts 10:24  |  x-ray 18/09/08   14.   All honour to Levy, honest bridge building is not compromse 10:55  |  Ivar 18/09/08   15.   Well said 11:04  |  Steve the Pals. 18/09/08   16.   to # 5 Arie - those Jews are heroes 11:30  |  Steve the Pals. 18/09/08   17.   What`s next? Arab only parties? 11:35  |  Elianah 18/09/08   18.   After his remarks to Rice 11:47  |  Jackie 18/09/08   19.   ISRAELIS who write like Gideon are sellouts.who make up motives 11:58  |  PETER SM 18/09/08   20.   Colin Wright is right 12:12  |  Uri 18/09/08   21.   I agree with Yaakov Sullivan 12:14  |  Edith 18/09/08   22.   Weird article insulting Arabs for lack of nationalism 12:27  |  Anna 18/09/08   23.   The clans` leaders have a responsibility towards their clan 12:39  |  Anna 18/09/08   24.   Arie why do you generalize? You are just like Gideon Levy 12:40  |  Anna 18/09/08   25.   It`s Official: Gideon Levy is A Racist 13:15  |  Ovadiah ben Avraham 18/09/08   26.   60th Anniversary of the murder of Count Folke Bernadotte. 13:26  |  Maureen Ann 18/09/08   27.   Gideon Levy is actually addressing a serious Israeli problem..... 13:34  |  Swiss (Dino) 18/09/08   28.   What a racist article!!! 13:57  |  Shlomo from Tel-Aviv 18/09/08   29.   What is the point? Gideon you mean a good Arab is a Jew murderer! 13:57  |  arthur 18/09/08   30.   Gideon just doesn`t get it 13:58  |  Robert 18/09/08   31.   Colin Wright 14:17  |  Sarah 18/09/08   32.   Bravo Levy 14:29  |  Jasem 18/09/08   33.   So any Arab that believes in democracy and freedom 14:33  |  Joe Frazier 18/09/08   34.   So Y Sullivan being married to a Pal makes you objective? 14:43  |  Joe Frazier 18/09/08   35.   Levy Bounces Off Another Wall 14:45  |  Jane 18/09/08   36.   Dino nothing bizarre about Pals wanting good jobs 15:35  |  Joe Frazier 18/09/08   37.   C.WRIGHT You know nothing about the" essence" of Israel 15:42  |  PETER SM 18/09/08   38.   Justice he cries!Have to agree with Robert 16:09  |  Jonathan 18/09/08   39.   Levy`s tunnel vision 16:13  |  Jess Thomson 18/09/08   40.   Gideon Levy`s agenda: against integration of Arab sector 16:13  |  Gerald 18/09/08   41.   # 36 Joe, do you really think it`s not "bizarre"..... 16:33  |  Swiss (Dino) 18/09/08   42.   Great Article 16:41  |  Levy admirer 18/09/08   43.   Gerald, Gideon is anti-Arab 16:42  |  x-ray 18/09/08   44.   "Court Arabs" listen to Gideon,do as says,he knows better 16:44  |  PETER SM 18/09/08   45.   maybe the Arabs just want peace 16:59  |  Herbert Kaine 18/09/08   46.   The court Arabs 17:36  |  edward cohen 18/09/08   47.   Steve the Pal # 16- are there any Palestinian "heroes"? 17:41  |  ChanahS 18/09/08   48.   Swiss (know nothing) Dino 41 17:55  |  ChanahS 18/09/08   49.   Levy`s anticoexistence attitude 18:14  |  Proud Secular Jew 18/09/08   50.   Gideon ``Good Arab`` 18:48  |  Gil 18/09/08   51.   # 48 Chanah (knows everything ??), you are mixing things up.... 19:21  |  Swiss (Dino) 18/09/08   52.   jewish soccer players in bnei sakhnin 19:22  |  odles 18/09/08   53.   Intentionally written for a "black" substitution? 19:44  |  Pablo B 18/09/08   54.   Dino, weep for me 19:44  |  x-ray 18/09/08   55.   Swiss (Dino) #51 19:55  |  David Israel 18/09/08   56.   Pab.o#53 19:56  |  Ben Dover 18/09/08   57.   As an Israeli-Arab, I disagree with Levy 19:57  |  Rami 18/09/08   58.   This kind of narrow minded thinking 20:00  |  R`fael Moshe 18/09/08   59.   Like the old Southern Democrats 20:02  |  Mark Lincoln 18/09/08   60.   # 54 x-ray 20:02  |  Swiss (Dino) 18/09/08   61.   #6 swiss d BORROWS someone else`s KNIFE to commit MURDER 20:16  |  CK Tan 18/09/08   62.   #57 Rami you are`discriminating your own Arab botrhers 20:18  |  Yaakov Sullivan 18/09/08   63.   # 55 David Israel 20:20  |  Swiss (Dino) 18/09/08   64.   41 Dino if it makes you feel better I`m sure the forced laborers 20:27  |  Joe Frazier 18/09/08   65.   Sullivan - Bishara left Israel 20:28  |  ChanahS 18/09/08   66.   Sullivan - Bishara left Israel 20:29  |  ChanahS 18/09/08   67.   Swiss (Dino) Unlike the Alps NY is very clear these days 20:32  |  David Israel 18/09/08   68.   AND......... 20:32  |  Brant 18/09/08   69.   re to israeli arab 20:41  |  sev 18/09/08   70.   Dino the Jewish right wingers you speak about 20:47  |  Joe Frazier 18/09/08   71.   # 65 David, I really hate to embarrass you..... 20:57  |  Swiss (Dino) 18/09/08   72.   # 61 CK Tan, no need for statistics or polls...... 21:02  |  Swiss (Dino) 18/09/08   73.   Swiss (Dino) You should be embarrassed 21:12  |  David Israel 18/09/08   74.   Sev Arabs and Jews have no more desire to share a country 21:13  |  Joe Frazier 18/09/08   75.   Swiss (Dino) #51 No one is forcing anyone 21:29  |  Gil 18/09/08   76.   #74 arabs and jews already live together 21:34  |  sev 18/09/08   77.   Sev there is nothing wrong with an Arab minority 22:07  |  Joe Frazier 18/09/08   78.   Foolish and disrespectful 22:40  |  Aaron Levitt 18/09/08   79.   #63 swiss d PLAYS his usual FAST LOOSE polls.(retry) 22:45  |  CK Tan 18/09/08   80.   Pre Israeli Jews were the world`s proverbial whipping boy 22:54  |  Joe Frazier 18/09/08   81.   I insist of making Gideon Levy a Palestinian Massiah 22:59  |  Yaakov Sullivan 18/09/08   82.   But Arafat-supporting Tibi gets Levy`s okay 23:34  |  McQueen 18/09/08   83.   Gideon 00:00  |  Jasper 19/09/08   84.   # 70 Joe Frazier and also David Israel, Chanah and Gil 00:00  |  Swiss (Dino) 19/09/08   85.   # 75 Gil 00:15  |  Swiss (Dino) 19/09/08   86.   Dino as Chanah mentioned 00:26  |  Joe Frazier 19/09/08   87.   Another "great" article from Abu Gideon 00:57  |  howiej 19/09/08   88.   Yaakov`s truths 01:08  |  howiej 19/09/08   89.   Self respect and servitude 01:50  |  Ben Alofs 19/09/08   90.   Gideon Stuff 02:23  |  Jasper 19/09/08   91.   BEN ALOFS: It is not so cut and dried. 02:42  |  Brant 19/09/08   92.   This article is racist against Arabs and shoulf be taken down 02:59  |  JS 19/09/08   93.   B.ALOFS Self respect is voting for whom you wish,servitude 03:35  |  PETER SM 19/09/08   94.   Maureen Anne?s hero Count Folke Bernadotte (26) 05:44  |  Steve 19/09/08   95.   Takes a sap to know one, Gideon 05:47  |  Steve 19/09/08   96.   Mr. LEVY MUST BE VERY "PROUD" , HE REALLY WENT OVERBOARD 06:05  |  Jorge 19/09/08   97.   The alternative to cooperation is separation 06:51  |  B (The other one) 19/09/08   98.   to # 47 Chanah S - no Palestinian heroes 07:04  |  Steve the Pals. 19/09/08   99.   Gideon Levy is right, but he is too harsh 07:10  |  roberto 19/09/08   100.   #5 Arie. Israeli apologists are 5th columists to democracy 07:54  |  Nick Ferriman 19/09/08   101.   Of course Kadima, Labor and Likud Arabs 08:44  |  Che Vive 19/09/08   102.   Dino I told my boss what you said 10:09  |  x-ray 19/09/08   103.   The Palestinians should take a leaf out of the Jews` book 10:18  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 19/09/08   104.   # 79 CK Tan and also David Israel (2nd try) 10:53  |  Swiss (Dino) 19/09/08   105.   #89 Ben Alofs 11:07  |  Sarah 19/09/08   106.   Swiss (Dino) #85 And Catch 22 11:31  |  Gil 19/09/08   107.   Swiss (Dino) #85 And Catch 22 11:32  |  Gil 19/09/08   108.   #103 Margie in Tel Aviv 11:37  |  Nick Ferriman 19/09/08   109.   104: Dino, clueless as usual 12:50  |  David Teich 19/09/08   110.   # 102 x-ray 13:04  |  Swiss (Dino) 19/09/08   111.   # 106 Gil 13:13  |  Swiss (Dino) 19/09/08   112.   Swiss (Dino) #111 I really don`t know where you got that Idea 16:26  |  Gil 19/09/08   113.   Therefore you are the biggest sellout of them all to Israel 16:42  |  same logic 19/09/08   114.   Gideon Lev 17:46  |  Palestinian friend 19/09/08   115.   Israelis Have a Problem Nobody Else Have... 01:24  |  Monitor 20/09/08   116.   # 109 David Teich, I have sent you a response.... 15:47  |  Swiss (Dino) 20/09/08   117.   I don`t understand 16:28  |  DanielinCanada 20/09/08   118.   116: Mea culpa but, not surprise, you`re still wrong 13:37  |  David Teich 22/09/08

Read & React Yossi Sarid: Ehud Olmert is a victim of his own greed Responses: 23 Livni offers Barak 'full partnership' in coalition Responses: 30 IDF intel chief: Iran 'galloping toward nuclear bomb' Responses: 70 Iranians in N.Y. rally: 'Ahmadinejad, why do you execute children?' Responses: 96 Exam nixed after Haredi school bars proctor for 'immodest attire' Responses: 8 More Headlines 13:23 Mother, grandfather indicted for murder of 4-year-old Rose Pizem 14:50 Foreign tourists kidnapped in Aswan; Egypt says negotiations underway 10:43 Woman throws acid in face of IDF soldier outside Nablus 12:47 Obama pays tribute to Olmert, looks forward to working with successor 13:15 IAEA meeting in Vienna opens, with focus on Iran, Syria 10:26 HBO series 'In Treatment,' based on Israeli show, scores 2 Emmys 11:27 Ancient lost capital of the Jewish Khazar kingdom found 09:26 Livni offers Barak 'full partnership' in coalition 13:40 Mastermind of Rehavam Ze'evi murder sentenced to life 11:54 McCartney concert sparks city-wide club shut down in Tel Aviv 08:20 Iran 'galloping toward a nuclear bomb,' military intelligence chief says 10:02 Soldier dies from infection caused by tongue piercing 08:19 ANALYSIS / Ehud Olmert is a victim of his own greed 08:27 Hamas slams PA threat to use force to regain control of Gaza Previous Editions Select Day 21 sep 19 sep 18 sep 17 sep 16 sep 15 sep 14 sep 12 sep 11 sep 10 sep 09 sep 08 sep

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