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Skyline of the Arab city of Nazareth (Dror Artzi / Jini)
Last update - 18:59 12/02/2008
Majadele: New Arab city will bolster our sense of belonging
By Yoav Stern, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Israel, Israeli Arabs 

Israeli Arab minister Ghaleb Majadele said on Tuesday that Israel's plans to construct a new Arab city - the first since 1948 - would strengthen the sectors' "sense of belonging" in Israel.

The sports, science and culture minister added: "The current government has internalized that the Arab population has equal rights."

Interior Minister Meir Sheetrit said on Tuesday during a visit to the Arab city Umm al-Fahm that he is working to lay the foundations for a new Arab city.
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Sheetrit said he is "promoting plans for the new city. It will be a modern city, where young couples can afford to buy property and live just like in any other city in the world."

The interior minister is also expected to declare the Arab village of Kafr Qasem a fully-fledged city.

Since the establishment of the State of Israel, not a single new Arab settlement has been established, with the exception of permanent housing projects for Bedouins in the Negev.

About a year ago Hadash MK Hanna Swaid submitted a bill to set up a new Arab city. The proposal was endorsed by 18 left-wing members of Knesset as well as right-wing MKs.

Sheetrit said he had instructed his ministry to complete the planning stage by the end of the current fiscal year.

He also said he intends to accord greater autonomy to settlements with 15,000 inhabitants and above.

During the interior minister's visit, residents asked him to halt demolition orders for unauthorized buildings.

In response, the minister told Umm al-Fahm mayor Sheikh Hashem Abd al-Rahman that he has no jurisdiction to reverse court orders.

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    <
      1.   New Arab City 16:36  |  Yosef 12/02/08
      2.   A comprehensive resolution of the Palestinian issue. 16:47  |  Malka Ziv 12/02/08
      3.   Lovely... 16:49  |  Erik 12/02/08
      4.   #1 Ignorance is bliss 17:01  |  Gili 12/02/08
      5.   If it were "just like any other city in the World" ... 17:03  |  B`Galil 12/02/08
      6.   Not sad at all, Yosef 17:10  |  David 12/02/08
      7.   Right On Josef #1 17:12  |  B`Galil 12/02/08
      8.   The jews are leaving Sderot 17:25  |  zionist forever 12/02/08
      9.   good start 17:29  |  palestinian refugee 12/02/08
      10.   New City for Arabs 17:31  |  Joe 12/02/08
      11.   israel builds arab city 17:33  |  aron 12/02/08
      12.   Not A Normal Country 17:42  |  Moshe B 12/02/08
      13.   With the "situation" as it is, why does this government... 17:48  |  common sense 12/02/08
      14.   Shhh. Geniuses at work. 18:17  |  Gideon Reader 12/02/08
      15.   Lovely? 18:32  |  A.M. 12/02/08
      16.   Not since 1948??? 18:47  |  Joe 12/02/08
      17.   I have to agree with Yosef. Why a separate city? 18:49  |  Lee 12/02/08
      18.   What a joke 18:58  |  H50 12/02/08
      19.   All arabic cities in Israel must be demolished for good, and new 19:05  |  Misha 12/02/08
      20.   Building new corrals, are we? 19:05  |  Motti 12/02/08
      21.   Since when do murderers have rights? 19:06  |  Don 12/02/08
      22.   A Sense of Longing? Next year in al Quds 19:12  |  Gideon Reader 12/02/08
      23.   Yosef, bgalil, shwaye, shwaye 19:15  |  Israeli 12/02/08
      24.   Not a Bad Idea 19:17  |  Right Wing Fanatic 12/02/08
      25.   Majadele: You Don`t Belong 19:22  |  Yishai Kohen 12/02/08
      26.   Gili, not exactly true 19:24  |  Israeli 12/02/08
      27.   Nice idea but 19:28  |  Benny 12/02/08
      28.   Mixed cities and then some 19:36  |  Jeff 12/02/08
      29.   Just a matter of time......... 19:42  |  Still We Rise 12/02/08
      30.   Like everywhere else 19:55  |  Seth 12/02/08
      31.   Everyone has his price.$$hitrick has found his. 20:00  |  Linus 12/02/08
      32.   Integration NOT segregation is the solution 20:01  |  Rami 12/02/08
      33.   New Arab City 20:03  |  RAY 12/02/08
      34.   new Arab cities 20:05  |  Jitso Keizer 12/02/08
      35.   to # 3: the real reason this city is approved... 20:05  |  Rami 12/02/08
      36.   #4: your comment is not correct 20:09  |  Rami 12/02/08
      37.   #8: you have been reading too much Nazi propaganda. 20:13  |  Rami 12/02/08
      38.   B`Galil, I agree with you 100% 20:14  |  Rami 12/02/08
      39.   #9 Motti, you are right on the money... 20:15  |  Rami 12/02/08
      40.   I`m With Rami 20:27  |  Jane 12/02/08
      41.   "Motti",your arabs burned down homes owned by Jews in Pek`n 20:28  |  Absolute Sweden 12/02/08
      42.   Rami and Incitement 20:34  |  Erik 12/02/08
      43.   #24 Rami - Integration 20:45  |  Russ 12/02/08
      44.   Now they`ll serve in the IDF after "bolstering".Jane 20:55  |  Absolute Sweden 12/02/08
      45.   #42 Erik 21:04  |  B`Galil 12/02/08
      46.   to Russ #43 21:05  |  B`Galil 12/02/08
      47.   Terrible Idea 21:23  |  Rustam 12/02/08
      48.   Are Jews alloud to live there??? 21:35  |  Jacob 12/02/08
      49.   Sense of belonging? The 5th column speaks. 21:42  |  common sense 12/02/08
      50.   Jacob #48 - like it or not, they are our brothers and neighbors 21:43  |  b`galil 12/02/08
      51.   Racist Erik 21:46  |  Chciago Arab 12/02/08
      52.   Why don`t they build this city 100km further north instead? 21:50  |  Moshe 12/02/08
      53.   Chicago Arab 22:24  |  Chicago Jew 12/02/08
      54.   #8 22:26  |  Hilda 12/02/08
      55.   Israeli Arabs don`t get that Israeli peace & security override 22:30  |  Jon 12/02/08
      56.   I warned you but you refused to see that I was right. 22:31  |  Rav Meir Kahane 12/02/08
      57.   #48 respect works when the arabs return ALL Jewish heritage sites 22:44  |  wasted Jewish $$ 12/02/08
      58.   #46 - Pardon my large feet 22:47  |  Russ 12/02/08
      59.   Chicago Jew 22:49  |  Chicago Arab 12/02/08
      60.   There are a Dozen Arab Countries, they Need More Arab Cities? 23:10  |  Efox 12/02/08
      61.   Al Hamdullah!!!!! Who tunred the lights on? 23:12  |  Danite 12/02/08
      62.   re: Chciago Arab (sp) 23:14  |  Efox 12/02/08
      63.   we must be mad 23:14  |  tennyson 12/02/08
      64.   Rami whats the problem? 23:14  |  Danite 12/02/08
      65.   Yishai Cohen 23:17  |  Danite 12/02/08
      66.   To 45 and 53 23:22  |  Erik 12/02/08
      67.   wasted jewish $$ 23:35  |  American 12/02/08
      68.   To wasted Jewish $$ #48 - when all is returned 23:40  |  Motti 12/02/08
      69.   Rami # 32 I agree with you 00:07  |  ChanahS 13/02/08
      70.   Russ # 43 00:09  |  ChanahS 13/02/08
      71.   # 60 EFOX 00:11  |  M.O. 13/02/08
      72.   efox 00:15  |  Chicago Arab 13/02/08