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MK Ariel Atias attending the wedding of the granddaughter of Shas spiritual leader Rabbi Ovadia Yosef in Jerusalem last month.
(Jini)
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Last update - 21:30 02/07/2009
Housing Minister: Spread of Arab population must be stopped
By Guy Lieberman, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Shas, Israel news, Arab 

Housing Minister Ariel Atias on Thursday warned against the spread of Arab population into various parts of Israel, saying that preventing this phenomenon was no less than a national responsibility.

"I see [it] as a national duty to prevent the spread of a population that, to say the least, does not love the state of Israel," Atias told a conference of the Israel Bar Association, which focused on a reforming Israel's Land Administration.

The Shas minister referred to Harish, a housing project built for the Haredi community in northern Israel, saying that the Arab population from the nearby Wadi Ara was spreading into the Harish area.
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Atias went on to address the issue of the Galilee, saying that "if we go on like we have until now, we will lose the Galilee. Populations that should not mix are spreading there. I don't think that it is appropriate [for them] to live together."

"Look at what happened in Acre," Atias continued, referring to violent protests that broke out on the Eve of Yom Kippur last year over Jewish-Arab tensions in the mixed town.

"The mayor of Acre visited me yesterday for three hours and asked me how his town could be saved," Atias said. "He told me 'bring a bunch of Haredis and we'll save the city, even if I lose my political standing.' He told me that Arabs are living in Jewish buildings and running them out."

Atias argued that lands should be marketed to each sector separately, in order to create segregation, not just between Jews and Arabs but also between other sectors, such as ultra-Orthodox and secular Jews. "There is a severe housing crisis among the young ultra-Orthodox couples, and in the general population. I, as an ultra-Orthodox Jew, don't think that religious Jews should have to live in the same neighborhood as secular couples, so as to avoid unnecessary friction. And since some 5,000 to 6,000 religious couples get married every year, a problem arises because they require a certain kind of community life that goes along with their lifestyle."

The housing minister went on to say that the problem stemmed from faulty handling of land within the Land Administration and the Housing Ministry, among other reasons. "Today there is a serious housing crisis facing all the young couples in Israel, in part because of the limited appropriation of land in recent years in the Lands Administration and the Housing Ministry, and also due to faulty decision making which resulted from the high turnover of ministers over the last decade ? 8 ministers have held the office of Housing minister in the last decade and the Land Administration wasn?t under the ministry's authority for part of the time."

According to Atias, the solution he is spearheading is to flood the market with available land for housing construction. Atias explained that a team of planners has already begun working on the project. "I plan to market large amounts of land to the Arab population in the Galilee in order to solve their problems, as well as land for secular and religious Jews," he said.
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  1.   I thought that all Shas MKs were in jail 18:22  |  Perplexed 02/07/09
  2.   Is he prepared to take this to the next level 18:25  |  Tax payer 02/07/09
  3.   Stop 18:33  |  Arieka 02/07/09
  4.   Oh, these aren`t rascists... 18:33  |  Tom B 02/07/09
  5.   Now religious apartheid! 18:43  |  BDS 02/07/09
  6.   The People Need Homes, the State Is Sitting on Land 18:47  |  Dave 02/07/09
  7.   Racisim 18:51  |  Garry Bregman 02/07/09
  8.   What does he want? 18:56  |  Magnus K 02/07/09
  9.   Jim Crow Policies in Israel 18:59  |  John Q. Public 02/07/09
  10.   So the Housing Minister is openly embracing apartheid? 19:00  |  Michael 02/07/09
  11.   Segregation & Apartheid? 19:01  |  Eve Malone 02/07/09
  12.   SEPARATE CHABAD SECTS TOO 19:05  |  Itamar HaLevi 02/07/09
  13.   Housing Minister 19:06  |  Raquel Ramati 02/07/09
  14.   Jim Crow 19:08  |  Morals 02/07/09
  15.   Buld an other security wall ! 19:11  |  Sabra 02/07/09
  16.   I Ain`t Gonna Play Sun City 19:17  |  Caleb Matar 02/07/09
  17.   "in order to create segregation" 19:18  |  Axel 02/07/09
  18.   RE: How Enlightening 19:28  |  tbart 02/07/09
  19.   this rationale is the standard in Israel 19:29  |  Ernst 02/07/09
  20.   we simply need some more security fences 19:30  |  Charles 02/07/09
  21.   but I bet he wants to keep 300000 J`lem Arabs in Israel 19:32  |  Shelley 02/07/09
  22.   The ultimate irony 19:39  |  Axel 02/07/09
  23.   another benefit : gerrymander arab votes 19:39  |  x 02/07/09
  24.   Minister of Apartheit 19:41  |  David 02/07/09
  25.   Segregating Haredi--a modest proposal 19:42  |  Fossil 02/07/09
  26.   No "natural growth" for Arabs? 19:44  |  RG 02/07/09
  27.   I will not eat with you 19:45  |  Michael 02/07/09
  28.   Shas giving comfort to our enemies 19:46  |  avramele 02/07/09
  29.   Absurd that this guy can hold elective office 19:47  |  David 02/07/09
  30.   Self Segregation vs. Gov`t Mandated Segregation 19:54  |  Henry 02/07/09
  31.   Israel was initiated as a nation of hypocrites. 20:01  |  Mark Meyers 02/07/09
  32.   Very tough and unique situation... But... 20:01  |  David 02/07/09
  33.   Spread of Arab Population 20:02  |  Bruria 02/07/09
  34.   Did he really just say that? 20:02  |  Apa 02/07/09
  35.   Absolutely RIGHT 20:03  |  and I agree 02/07/09
  36.   pure racist comments 20:04  |  American 02/07/09
  37.   Simply unbeliveable 20:06  |  David 02/07/09
  38.   Yossi Crow 20:11  |  Uetliberg 02/07/09
  39.   Time for Jimmy Carter to update his book 20:12  |  Labhras 02/07/09
  40.   Welcome to the modern state of Israel 20:12  |  Ibrahim 02/07/09
  41.   NOT Racist 20:12  |  yuval 02/07/09
  42.   Self-Segregated Neighborhoods are the norm here in the US 20:12  |  Ben 02/07/09
  43.   Nothing New 20:22  |  JS 02/07/09
  44.   Michael take care of your No go zones first 20:30  |  Roger 02/07/09
  45.   racism 20:35  |  Ethan 02/07/09
  46.   Attias does not represent people of Israel. 20:40  |  Sarah 02/07/09
  47.   John Q. Public 20:40  |  Freddy 02/07/09
  48.   Hurray for Democracy! 20:53  |  Cromagnon 02/07/09
  49.   ultra-wrong 20:53  |  bronxite10 02/07/09
  50.   Replusive. 21:01  |  nsyed2 02/07/09
  51.   Not for publication in America 21:20  |  Colin Wright 02/07/09
  52.   government sanctioned racism 21:30  |  Jonathan G 02/07/09
  53.   #4 John Q. Public 21:33  |  Jim 02/07/09
  54.   Housing Minister: 21:48  |  Jim 02/07/09
  55.   Maybe we`ve found him 21:49  |  Colin Wright 02/07/09
  56.   Housing Minister: 21:57  |  Jim 02/07/09
  57.   Minister Atias: Come Visit the "Other Galilee" 21:59  |  Ami Nahshon 02/07/09
  58.   so what? 22:07  |  Avraham 02/07/09
  59.   Segregated Land For All 22:16  |  Ian Jos 02/07/09
  60.   #8 Morals 22:44  |  Jim 02/07/09
  61.   Overblown Hysteria 22:46  |  Alain 02/07/09
  62.   Hope this makes it in the NY Times 22:49  |  Dave Duncan 02/07/09
  63.   Atias sounds familiar 22:51  |  Steve G 02/07/09
  64.   #12 Henry 22:59  |  Jim 02/07/09
  65.   Ami Nahshon 23:37  |  Philippe 02/07/09
  66.   Alain 23:40  |  Philippe 02/07/09
  67.   Israel`s gifted ministers 23:43  |  Zollikon 02/07/09
  68.   Minister of Racism and Apartheid 23:47  |  one man one vote 02/07/09
  69.   for those not Israeli- understand what shas is 23:49  |  Israeli 02/07/09
  70.   housing-minister 23:55  |  rm 02/07/09
  71.   Housing to high for us Jews 23:56  |  Levi 02/07/09
  72.   men+women, secular+observant, Jew+Arab, all shouldn`t mix 23:56  |  newageblues 02/07/09
  73.   The true voice of the Haredim 00:26  |  r cummings 03/07/09
  74.   The order of human value 00:26  |  Mark Lincoln 03/07/09
  75.   There you have it from a minister MOUTH. 00:28  |  Aharon 03/07/09
  76.   we are all the same race...humans 00:29  |  jim the mechanic 03/07/09
  77.   Israelis, tell me this? seriously. 00:30  |  Steve 03/07/09
  78.   Separation Of Church And State Now! 00:38  |  Yosemite 03/07/09
  79.   Alain: The malignant power of the rabbis 00:38  |  Seawife 03/07/09
  80.   Looking /hearing from some politicians 00:38  |  Bernadette Fournier 03/07/09
  81.   Live and let live 00:44  |  r cummings 03/07/09
  82.   what the.. 01:18  |  x 03/07/09
  83.   No Its not racism 01:24  |  BL 03/07/09
  84.   The guy with he the funny hat 01:24  |  Mike 03/07/09
  85.   We Must Preserve the Purity of the Jewish Race 01:27  |  Yishai Cohen 03/07/09
  86.   The guy looks like a gangster, he`s no minister he`s nuts 01:34  |  justis 03/07/09
  87.   # 35 you don`t state where you live, shameful maybe 01:42  |  justis 03/07/09
  88.   Housing Minister 01:44  |  Rigoletto 03/07/09
  89.   talk about equal rights 02:24  |  C2 03/07/09
  90.   Segregation 02:28  |  sonicgumel 03/07/09
  91.   unbelievable 02:41  |  Paul Freedman 03/07/09
  92.   This man should be tried for incitement 02:49  |  Shlomo from Tel-Aviv 03/07/09
  93.   Housing Minister Ariel Atias 03:46  |  IS CORRECT 03/07/09
  94.   And racist nuts like this are POLITCIANS! 03:48  |  Jim the mechanic 03/07/09
  95.   HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF 03:49  |  Ed 03/07/09
  96.   Gangster 03:54  |  Iain 03/07/09
  97.   HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF 03:56  |  Ed 03/07/09
  98.   Ok lets all separate ! 04:05  |  ky 03/07/09
  99.   He`s Just Following The Arab Example 04:07  |  Frankie Littlehammer 03/07/09
  100.   Imagine if a European minister warned against spread of Jews 04:19  |  peacelover 03/07/09
  101.   what a face and voice of religous love 04:24  |  Jim the mechanic 03/07/09
  102.   No naturalgrowth for Arabs 04:26  |  David 03/07/09
  103.   real GOD ? real brothers? 05:03  |  what are we? 03/07/09
  104.   What a pig 05:08  |  Dan 03/07/09
  105.   Given the strong approval of the Israeli people 05:51  |  Mark Lincoln 03/07/09
  106.   housing minister... 05:51  |  shimshon kinory 03/07/09
  107.   Racist???? 05:52  |  Tom Clark 03/07/09
  108.   How bluntly can he make his views known? 06:02  |  Mark Lincoln 03/07/09
  109.   Morris Valentine: Spread of Atias` stupidity must be stopped 06:08  |  Morris Valentine 03/07/09
  110.   Is he trying to make Israel look bad? 06:09  |  Michaels 03/07/09
  111.   Not a good look, is it? 06:31  |  Johnboy 03/07/09
  112.   Israeli Racism 09:18  |  Daniel 03/07/09
  113.   APARTHEID 10:20  |  Kal M. 03/07/09
  114.   Spread of Arab population must be stopped 10:27  |  Henk 03/07/09
  115.   This is just great. It`s honest !! 10:31  |  Suad 03/07/09
  116.   this is an official representative of the state of israel 10:40  |  eric 03/07/09
  117.   Blacks in South Africa, Arabs in Israel. Nice hat by the way. 11:04  |  Marteen 03/07/09
  118.   Partially support 11:16  |  Secular Jewq 03/07/09
  119.   shas ministers and their views danger to a viable israel 11:39  |  shalom 03/07/09
  120.   "recognise Israel as a Jewish State" 12:33  |  Murray 03/07/09
  121.   Glass houses, folks 12:36  |  Courtney 03/07/09
  122.   Arabs are Living in Jewish Buildings? 12:45  |  B`galil 03/07/09
  123.   the real danger 13:03  |  Taxpayer 03/07/09
  124.   Haredi Housig Minister advocates segregation 14:06  |  Rabbi Lawrence E. Fi 03/07/09
  125.   Think about it 14:41  |  citizen 03/07/09
  126.   John Q Public 15:23  |  Bobby Sands 03/07/09
  127.   Why can Arabs build 15:34  |  fred 03/07/09
  128.   confrontation is looming 15:48  |  ky 03/07/09
  129.   Jewish Future 16:11  |  Ron 03/07/09
  130.   RE:Self-Segregated Neighnorhoods are the norm... 17:00  |  Mujhaid 03/07/09
  131.   Now, this is disgusting 17:06  |  Henri Jurfest 03/07/09
  132.   Jewish Future 17:46  |  Stuart Sweeney 03/07/09
  133.   Housing Minister is bughouse 17:51  |  Mr Mustard 03/07/09
  134.   Hypocrisy 19:06  |  Neil 03/07/09
  135.   Land for different peoples. 19:15  |  Daniel 03/07/09
  136.   JEwish Future 19:18  |  Daniel 03/07/09
  137.   Seperate and racially motivated desires 19:34  |  bobo 03/07/09
  138.   Can we dress him up like a muslim and send him to Gaza 19:52  |  matan 03/07/09
  139.   to Perplexed #1 21:08  |  Northern 03/07/09
  140.   Normally, I would disagree, of course - 21:47  |  Susan 03/07/09
  141.   Israel is a DEMOCRASY, then listen to the nations Father. 23:26  |  SHLOMIT 03/07/09
  142.   4 Staes Solution. How about that? 23:31  |  Janet 03/07/09
  143.   Why not make Israeli Arabs wear a yellow Star of David? 00:09  |  American 04/07/09
  144.   The Housing Minister??? If only Americans knew. 01:36  |  Hanna 04/07/09
  145.   How can there be peace? 03:25  |  Charlene 04/07/09
  146.   say it like it is! 08:16  |  unkLe_p 04/07/09
  147.   there is only one word for atias in Hebrew 14:46  |  Yaniv 06/07/09
  148.   ban Shas as a political party 15:08  |  Yaniv 06/07/09
  149.   Make them wear a star of david on their clothes and... 02:07  |  Isaac Rivera 07/07/09
  150.   Down with Racisim 22:12  |  Human right 08/07/09
  151.   Democracy at its Best 02:16  |  Sam 14/07/09
  152.   So you advocate a Final Solution, then? 13:37  |  Jeff Dickey 10/08/09
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