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Last update - 10:08 14/11/2007
Lepers?
By Haaretz Editorial
tags: Arabs, Israel

Opposition to young Arabs volunteering for national service unfortunately unites all Arab MKs. An Arab rap group has composed a song protesting the possibility, rallies have been held, signs have been posted, and MK Jamal Zahalka has said he will consider anyone who volunteers a "leper." One can understand the refusal to cooperate with an establishment that has discriminated against Arabs since the inception of the state. But those who sincerely want to promote equality between Jewish and Arab citizens cannot support such an isolationist attitude.

It is difficult to be an Arab in a state that earmarks Jewish National Fund land only for Jews, where residential communities deny Arabs the right to join them, where the Knesset legislates a citizenship law that prevents family unification between Israeli Arabs and their Palestinian spouses.

But all who value equality must demand more Israelization of the Arabs. Meanwhile, the Arab leadership is demanding more Palestinization, explaining that its opposition to national service stems from its fear that it is an attempt to make the Arabs more Israeli.
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National service is an attempt to improve young Arabs' chances of integration into society. It is not the first step on the road to making such service mandatory. That is why the national service administration was established outside the defense system. Arab leaders' suspicions may be understandable, but it is hard to accept the sweeping incitement they have expressed.

The campaign against volunteering for national service is liable to be understood as opposition to shared civic life, even egalitarian civic life.

This is not military service by the back door, as Arab community leaders try to claim. Rather, it is an alternative that enables everyone who is exempt from military service, no matter what the reason, to choose a volunteer activity for one year. The service is not forced on anyone, and it benefits the volunteer more than it does the country.

For 18-year-olds, this is an opportunity to step outside the bubble into which they were born, and feel - to some extent - equal to those who serve in the Israel Defense Forces, as well as to receive university benefits that currently are given only to army veterans.

From the outset it was clear that the ultra-Orthodox would not be pleased with volunteer service in secular settings, so they have been offered national service in their communities. Less clear is the desire of the Arabs to close themselves off, using an argument similar to that of the ultra-Orthodox - the fear of Israelization of the youth, that is, the fear that they might integrate too much into Israeli society and lose their national identity. It might be expected that the Arabs would view national service as a means to leverage their personal advancement, to break down walls and to increase equality.

The Arab political leadership that is afraid to lose its young people to "Israeliness" may be more fearful of losing them as voters. As it inveighs and incites against those who volunteer for national service, it is working against its own public, and only encouraging parties, like Yisrael Beiteinu, that claim that Israeli Arabs will never be Israelis.
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  1.   Haaretz in a bubble as well 10:32  |  FOX 14/11/07
  2.   haaretz tells us that some towns do not accept arabs 10:42  |  jilly cooper 14/11/07
  3.   NO. 10:43  |  Atilla Karagözoğlu 14/11/07
  4.   strange 10:46  |  Mordecai 14/11/07
  5.   strange 10:52  |  Mordecai 14/11/07
  6.   What a Pity that when 10:58  |  Ann Fink 14/11/07
  7.   What a patronizing and non- realistic attitude 11:12  |  Shalom Freedman 14/11/07
  8.   Haaretz doesn`t dare to demand arabs renounce polygamy,Amira Hass 11:21  |  Absolute Sweden 14/11/07
  9.   The Arab MK attitude 11:32  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 14/11/07
  10.   Nonsense, equality for non-Jews and Zionism can`t 11:40  |  Israeli Christian 14/11/07
  11.   Dear Editors: How many Arabs do u have living in your tony neigh 11:46  |  SLAVO 14/11/07
  12.   Before "Israelizing" the Arabs, try the Haradi 11:51  |  Natallie Durson 14/11/07
  13.   To Mordechai from Canada: No propaganda please 11:53  |  AA 14/11/07
  14.   Absolute Sweden..your alleged forefather Abraham had 12:14  |  Adi 14/11/07
  15.   #5 - Not strange at all... 12:15  |  JES 14/11/07
  16.   Margie 12:35  |  Nik "Banned" Miller 14/11/07
  17.   Adi, correct but so what? #14 12:50  |  FOX 14/11/07
  18.   Lepers 13:02  |  Naim S. Mahlab 14/11/07
  19.   The problem is not the Arabs 13:15  |  The Arab Hammer 14/11/07
  20.   Arab hammer 13:47  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 14/11/07
  21.   lepers 13:47  |  j10 14/11/07
  22.   ARABS WILL ALWAYS BE HOSTILE. HELP THEM LEAVE THE LAND))))) 13:48  |  VOICE of MOSHIACH))) 14/11/07
  23.   Idiot Adi,Abraham my forefather? 14:03  |  Absolute Sweden 14/11/07
  24.   the wrong way to ask the question 14:17  |  bob 14/11/07
  25.   #19 The Hammer`s head 14:22  |  Hastaroth 14/11/07
  26.   Vote for Lieberman 14:27  |  Gene 14/11/07
  27.   Heres the way it works 14:35  |  Danite 14/11/07
  28.   Haaretz and the lepers 14:44  |  Moshe ben Oded 14/11/07
  29.   The Arab Hammer 14:44  |  Nik "Banned" Miller 14/11/07
  30.   Equality First 14:58  |  emad matahin 14/11/07
  31.   Arabs in Israel will NEVER work 15:26  |  Steven 14/11/07
  32.   PALESTINIANS Have No Partner! Israel WAKE UP & Smell REALITY. 15:44  |  Proud Pal Defender 14/11/07
  33.   why dont the arabs volunteer..? 16:06  |  ravi 14/11/07
  34.   ONLY When Jews Perform National Service For GERMANY! 16:18  |  Proud Pal Defender 14/11/07
  35.   National Service bennifets mostly the volunteer???? 16:18  |  Omerbj 14/11/07
  36.   #13 Easy way to destroy Israel and USA. 16:27  |  John Allen 14/11/07
  37.   Danite 16:47  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 14/11/07
  38.   The Arabs are simply a stain on the conscience of the... 16:55  |  Salahudin the Great 14/11/07
  39.   Is this a `chicken and an egg` situation? 17:13  |  Michael N 14/11/07
  40.   This article is lying 17:33  |  Jake 14/11/07
  41.   One of the directors of the Jewish National Fund is an Arab 17:40  |  Jake 14/11/07
  42.   salahudrin the minor 18:02  |  Israeli 14/11/07
  43.   first sensable editorial i have read. right on!!! 18:18  |  ralph 14/11/07
  44.   I Agree With Haaretz 18:32  |  Yosemite 14/11/07
  45.   John Allen 18:49  |  Pssd Off American 14/11/07
  46.   National Service (Atilla, Natallie Durson) 18:51  |  Nick 14/11/07
  47.   # 35 Arab-Israeli contradiction 19:07  |  Lynn 14/11/07
  48.   More hypocrisy from the obscure men 19:09  |  Polybios 14/11/07
  49.   You`ve defined "Israeli" as Jewish - They aren`t Jewish 19:16  |  Pablo B 14/11/07
  50.   Israeli Minister Majadle and the Israelization of Arabs 19:18  |  Jonathan S 14/11/07
  51.   I agree, naim #18 19:18  |  Polybios 14/11/07
  52.   Israeli Christian B.S. (#10) 19:27  |  Polybios 14/11/07
  53.   #36 Israeli 19:27  |  Salhudin the Great 14/11/07
  54.   Citizenship 20:09  |  Chicago Arab 14/11/07
  55.   Why not a Jewish State? 20:12  |  Jeremy Woolf 14/11/07
  56.   # 35 Arabs in Israel - a dangerous and irreconcilable fifth colum 20:15  |  Misha 14/11/07
  57.   Israeli-Arabs want very much to be Israelis "Lokhol Davar" 20:19  |  Rami 14/11/07
  58.   to #2: two wrongs don`t make it wright... 20:20  |  Rami 14/11/07
  59.   to Margie #9 I hope iasraeli-arabs stop voting for arab partys 20:23  |  Rami 14/11/07
  60.   # 41 Pablo - all arbs must live with other arabs in the arabic... 20:25  |  Misha 14/11/07
  61.   Misha and Rami 20:52  |  Polybios 14/11/07
  62.   Stop coddling Israeli Arabs, excusing disloyal conduct 21:06  |  Dr. L. Brnd 14/11/07
  63.   What hypocritical crock 21:09  |  just a jew 14/11/07
  64.   Pablo B.`s big mistake (#49) 21:11  |  Polybios 14/11/07
  65.   Polybios #48 21:27  |  emad matahin 14/11/07
  66.   Margie 21:29  |  Danite 14/11/07
  67.   Rami marchaba 21:44  |  Danite 14/11/07
  68.   # 61 Even if all the opponenets of Jewish State would be.... 21:49  |  Misha 14/11/07
  69.   #10 22:23  |  Moshe 14/11/07
  70.   Danite 22:32  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 14/11/07
  71.   Rami 22:34  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 14/11/07
  72.   #19 22:52  |  Moshe 14/11/07
  73.   Margie Hello 22:55  |  Danite 14/11/07
  74.   #65 00:17  |  Moshe 15/11/07
  75.   Try Cairo 00:18  |  Not a Dhimmi 15/11/07
  76.   #33 00:29  |  Moshe 15/11/07
  77.   #41 00:43  |  Moshe 15/11/07
  78.   Typical 00:56  |  Scharker Yid 15/11/07
  79.   Mordechai # 5 01:28  |  ChanahS 15/11/07
  80.   Rami 01:33  |  ChanahS 15/11/07
  81.   #10 israeli christian..... 02:56  |  nmf 15/11/07
  82.   disloyal arabs in america should be deported 03:00