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Last update - 12:35 16/03/2007
The Arabs are part of the society, too
By As'ad Ghanem

Adalah recently initiated and published its proposal for a "Democratic Constitution," after years of discussion of certain fundamental questions both here and abroad, and particularly among Israel's Arab minority.

The Adalah initiative can be seen against the backdrop of two moves undertaken in recent years by civil and political institutions associated with Israel's two main population groups: Jews and Arabs. These moves reflect a dissatisfaction with the existing constitutional situation and a desire to change it.

On the Jewish side, as a continuation of the process by which the country's various Basic Laws are legislated, the Israel Democracy Institute oversaw an extensive discussion about the need for a constitution. Its campaign was accompanied by a call for "a constitution by agreement." Parallel to that, the Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee, headed until last year by Likud MK Michael Eitan, began discussions aimed at legislating a national constitution - also "with broad agreement."
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However, the deliberations and the proposals clearly ignored the basic needs of groups that are subordinated in Israeli society. In effect, these were attempts to anchor the existing situation of the regime, the status of the citizen and of citizenship, the Jewish-democratic state and Jewish superiority in all areas of life, in a constitution that would serve those groups and citizens who benefit from the existing situation.

These proposals by Jewish groups ignored the needs of the country's Arab public, and the claim that they were represented in the preliminary discussions turned out to have been incorrect. Apparently the initiating institutions consulted with elements deemed convenient to them among Israel's Arab citizenry, while it avoided bringing into the discussion the sole body authorized to collectively represents the Arab community: the Higher Arab Monitoring Committee in Israel. Neither were Arab Knesset members invited to participate in these discussions, as would have been appropriate.

At the same time, the monitoring committee, together with the National Committee for the Heads of the Arab Local Authorities in Israel, initiated and recently published a document entitled "The Future Vision of the Palestinian Arabs in Israel." The vision embodied in this document includes a clear outline of the changes desired by the country's Arabs with respect to the political, social, cultural and economic questions facing Israeli society as a whole, and the country's Arab citizens in particular. This vision seeks not only a change in the minority's situation, but also aspires to free the Jewish majority of the feelings of temporariness and of being in exile in the region, and to transform it into an integral part of the neighborhood, at the same time it firms up Israel's existence on the principles of individual and collective equality, and on democratic values that are fundamental and not only procedural.

The close connection between Adalah and the Higher Arab Monitoring Committee - a partnership that has included representatives of the Arab leadership who deal with a broad spectrum of issues that come up in Israel's courts - makes the Adalah proposal to a large extent one that faithfully represents the Arab public in Israel. By means of this proposal, the Arab community is determining the outlines of the constitution that is acceptable to it, and preventing attempts to legislate a discriminatory one by making these attempts illegitimate both in the eyes of the Arab community and in terms of international law.

The time has come for the Jewish majority as well to make its voice heard on the issue, in a clear and unambiguous way, and to place equality and democracy above all.

The writer is the head of the government and political philosophy department at the University of Haifa, and a member of the team that prepared the "The Future Vision of the Palestinian Arabs in Israel" document.
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  1.   If "Israeli" Arabs Want To Be Part Of Our Society... 11:07  |  Yishai Kohen 16/03/07
  2.   arabs are not part of israeli society 11:07  |  gadalyah 16/03/07
  3.   for that matter tosefta is not part of israli society 11:22  |  yishuv 16/03/07
  4.   3 - Not all arabs are like kseta. 11:51  |  mb 16/03/07
  5.   The Arabs in Israel will be full part of Israeli society once ... 11:56  |  Nadav 16/03/07
  6.   A fifth column by any other name... 12:04  |  Omri 16/03/07
  7.   Yishuv, regarding Tosefta #3 12:16  |  FOX 16/03/07
  8.   it`s obviously easy to become a Professor at the Haifa Uni 12:29  |  Absolute Sweden 16/03/07
  9.   Fancy words but what you really mean is.... 12:31  |  Joseph 16/03/07
  10.   Total avoidance of majority`s rights in a democracy 12:50  |  Shalom Freedman 16/03/07
  11.   Israel`s Voice Has Been Heard-Part I 13:38  |  Yaakov Sullivan 16/03/07
  12.   FOX - question 13:47  |  Tom C 16/03/07
  13.   Issrael`s Voice Has Been Heard-Part II 13:47  |  Yaakov Sullivan 16/03/07
  14.   Minority rights and responsibilities 13:47  |  Joe 16/03/07
  15.   Three population groups, very important distinctions. 13:51  |  d.dor 16/03/07
  16.   Making the Arab minority a majority 13:51  |  Gil 16/03/07
  17.   More anti-Arab nonsense 14:05  |  Jack 16/03/07
  18.   asad ghanem 14:08  |  yishuv 16/03/07
  19.   Then can Jews be part of Palestine? 14:09  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 16/03/07
  20.   asad ghanem 14:11  |  yishuv 16/03/07
  21.   asad ghanem 14:13  |  yishuv 16/03/07
  22.   arabs part of society 14:15  |  God Created ALL 16/03/07
  23.   asad ghanem would also be comfortable 14:18  |  yishuv 16/03/07
  24.   Yaakov Sullivan 14:28  |  TT 16/03/07
  25.   Yaakov Sullivans voice has been heard 14:33  |  Jonathan W 16/03/07
  26.   Clarity.. 14:33  |  Benhamozeg 16/03/07
  27.   why would the palestinians ever love israel? 14:40  |  yishuv 16/03/07
  28.   MY PALESTINIAN COUSINS 15:30  |  Zionist 16/03/07
  29.   @ Nadav - you remind me of Belgium 15:56  |  René Fries 16/03/07
  30.   Margie in Tel Aviv and "judenrein" #19 16:01  |  Yaakov Sullivan 16/03/07
  31.   israel is a textbook example of an apartheid 16:16  |  mehmet 16/03/07
  32.   here is a simple question for you israelis 16:30  |  mehmet 16/03/07
  33.   #19 Margie in TA 16:44  |  Boycott 16/03/07
  34.   Is it our home or not? 17:15  |  George 16/03/07
  35.   Assimilation 17:18  |  Yellowbirdwoman 16/03/07
  36.   Arabs in Israel 17:44  |  RAB 16/03/07
  37.   RE: to #5 Nadav 18:01  |  RAB 16/03/07
  38.   sullivan you mistake me 18:16  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 16/03/07
  39.   Israeli Arabs, why such high birth rates? 18:30  |  Jason 16/03/07
  40.   yaacov sullivan 18:31  |  papalbull 16/03/07
  41.   yaacov sullivan 18:33  |  papalbull 16/03/07
  42.   Jewish-Democratic AND a State of All Its Citizens 18:38  |  Ami 16/03/07
  43.   #31 Simple Answer 18:51  |  Yonatan Netser 16/03/07
  44.   Jonathan, don`t project. This is not good dialogue #25 18:51  |  Yaakov Sullivan 16/03/07
  45.   Harmonious living (part 1) 19:06  |  El Haq 16/03/07
  46.   harmonious coexistence (part 2) 19:09  |  El Haq 16/03/07
  47.   Ephraim Kishon sad in his comic book: Democracy is sistem 19:12  |  dzone 16/03/07
  48.   look what you say about the Prohet Mohammad #38 19:16  |  Yaakov Sullivan 16/03/07
  49.   #37 Today`s Paranoia Prize goes to Jason 19:33  |  Boycott 16/03/07
  50.   Yaakov Sullivan (2nd try) 19:55  |  Jonathan W 16/03/07
  51.   The Funny thing is 19:59  |  Danite 16/03/07
  52.   Margie 20:04  |  Danite 16/03/07
  53.   Jason in Aspen 20:12  |  Mark Lincoln 16/03/07
  54.   where in the tanakh it says that 20:14  |  sarah 16/03/07
  55.   Mehmet - every society 20:15  |  Mark Lincoln 16/03/07
  56.   Danite 20:21  |  Mark Lincoln 16/03/07
  57.   Jonathan on other ethnic groups #50 20:24  |  Yaakov Sullivan 16/03/07
  58.   Oh, mehmet! Remember ARMENIANS, murdered by your GrandFathers!!!! 20:29  |  Vittorio 16/03/07
  59.   This raises the higher question 20:29  |  Mark Lincoln 16/03/07
  60.   #12 - Tom 20:34  |  Nik Miller 16/03/07
  61.   FOX #7 20:35  |  GABE1 16/03/07
  62.   Margie in Tel Aviv 20:47  |  Gabe1 16/03/07
  63.   Margie, no one wants the Holy Land Judenrein 20:47  |  Pamela 16/03/07
  64.   #1 and #2 Exactly and one simple question 20:55  |  Chick Corea 16/03/07
  65.   The Jews In Arab Countries Are Part of Society Too 21:12  |  Yoram 16/03/07
  66.   #34 George 21:30  |  Labhras 16/03/07
  67.   Yaakov Sullivan 21:31  |  Jonathan W 16/03/07
  68.   #54 Hi Mark- Been a While 21:52  |  Yonatan Netser 16/03/07
  69.   Pamela -- nice try! 22:09  |  Gina 16/03/07
  70.   To Zionist, "the Palestinian Arabs who are Israeli"? 22:53  |  Jake 16/03/07
  71.   Pamela - Here`s who wants it "judenrein" 23:48  |  Moises 16/03/07
  72.   labhras and "have a nice day" 00:33  |  papalbull