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Last update - 10:09 19/03/2008
Study: Israeli Jews becoming increasingly racist toward Arabs
By Avirama Golan, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: israel, arabs, racism, jews

Israel's Jewish community increasingly supports the delegitimization, discrimination and even deportation of Arabs, found a report on racism in Israel, set to be released Wednesday.

The report, to be presented at a press conference in Nazareth by Mossawa, the Advocacy Center for Arab Citizens of Israel, states that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has clearly impacted public opinion, and warns that ideas such as population exchange and racial segregation are gaining ground. It also warns that several Jewish politicians are gaining influence based on a platform of racial hatred.

Mossawa is supported by the Human Rights Program of the European Commission and the United Nations Democracy Foundation.
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The report, written by Mossawa director Jafar Farah and others, mainly examines racism against Arabs in Israel, using criteria taken from the anti-Semitism reports in Europe.

The report covers Arabs killed by the security forces and by Jewish citizens, anti-Arab incitement by leading Jewish public figures, workforce discrimination by private Jewish organizations, the barring of Arabs from public places, and the destruction of Arab property. The report particularly highlights what it calls the government's helplessness in the face of the problem.

The report lists Arab citizens killed by police, soldiers, security guards and Jewish civilians over the past seven years. It notes that only one Jewish citizen, of Ethiopian origin, was killed under similar circumstances during this period. Indictments were issued in only seven cases, the report states. In two cases, the assailants were found not guilty, and the State Prosecutor appealed the verdict in one of these cases. In another case, the indictment was dropped because the shooter was deemed mentally unfit to stand trial.

Most cases of Arab citizens injured by Jews were not fully investigated, and the attackers were not indicted in most cases, according to the report.

However, the report says Arab violence against Jews led to immediate police action, including collective punishment in villages like Jisr al-Zarqa this month.

The report also highlights employment discrimination against Arabs, and accuses the Industry, Trade and Labor Ministry of foot-dragging in enforcing the workplace anti-discrimination law.

Citing lawsuits and verdicts of recent years, the report states Arabs are subject to racial profiling at Israel's airports. "Problematic passenger" forms, filled out by security guards and bearing the names of Arab passengers, were found in Israel Airports Authority files. Similar cases occured at train stations and on trains, the report stated.

The report also addresses discriminatory legislation, mentioning no less than 10 bills contravening the Basic Law on the Knesset that were passed by the Knesset presidium over the period the report covers.

A new element of the 2008 report is that it also addresses refugees from Africa, foreign workers, Jews of Ethiopian, Russian and Mizrachi origin, and the ultra-Orthodox.

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      1.   What A Surprise ! NOT ! 05:33  |  Phil 19/03/08
      2.   Expected in a society involved in a racist-terrorist occupation 05:47  |  anti-racist 19/03/08
      3.   Cars stoned by Arabs in the Negev andGalilee.. and Ramle... 05:51  |  Open Eyed 19/03/08
      4.   I see Haaretz is up to its old tricks 05:57  |  Gili 19/03/08
      5.   This is no good 06:07  |  Zach 19/03/08
      6.   "European criteria to measure antisemitism" -- but no Euro. war. 06:29  |  Serge 19/03/08
      7.   Israel racist towards Arabs??? 06:35  |  Jim 19/03/08
      8.   Suggestion: Haaretz be published in arabic 06:35  |  Yid 19/03/08
      9.   It Has NOTHING To Do With Race 06:43  |  Yishai Kohen 19/03/08
      10.   Israeli Arabs can help themselves, but choose not to do so 07:01  |  US CITIZEN 19/03/08
      11.   Israeli racism 07:07  |  Jim Anderson 19/03/08
      12.   Arabs have become more radical in the last 8 years! 07:08  |  Yoav 19/03/08
      13.   DUH?!? 07:19  |  Rav Harley 19/03/08
      14.   The FinickyThief 07:43  |  Robert Zidan 19/03/08
      15.   No surprise 07:55  |  Natallie Durson 19/03/08
      16.   The corroding of the state of Israel is getting 07:58  |  Kris Lazar 19/03/08
      17.   Reaction unfortunate 08:03  |  Gilad 19/03/08
      18.   Haaretz is increasing anti semitic feelings 08:20  |  lisa 19/03/08
      19.   Racist? No....just aware of the enemy!! 08:50  |  Jewish State 19/03/08
      20.   Do not trust them. 08:58  |  Jean Van Daem 19/03/08
      21.   Disgusting Israel! 09:05  |  Dutch Dirk 19/03/08
      22.   Is it racist or is it a justified prejudice?!?! 09:05  |  Mark 19/03/08
      23.   "Hating the Jews" is a Religion & an Institution. 09:24  |  Akram Zekaria 19/03/08
      24.   a question (directed to #1- #4 09:25  |  p.man 19/03/08
      25.   Big shocker, people try to kill you, you don`t like them 09:27  |  dave 19/03/08
      26.   #2 by your definition, anti-semitism is not racism 09:35  |  Khalid 19/03/08
      27.   Strange parallel ? 09:47  |  DC 19/03/08
      28.   Not just Israeli Jews ... 09:53  |  Chanalau, Tova 19/03/08
      29.   "using criteria taken from the anti-semitism..." 09:58  |  L 19/03/08
      30.   Duh, they are Zionsits, Which Makes themRacist by Definition 10:04  |  Johan Odin 19/03/08
      31.   Everyone who ever travelled to Israel, knows very well...... 10:07  |  Swiss (Dino) 19/03/08
      32.   Has any Arab "human rights" group ever conducted a study 10:08  |  SLAVO 19/03/08
      33.   Maybe Haaretz is THE TACTIC to confuse Israel`s enemies 10:08  |  Atilla Karagözoğlu 19/03/08
      34.   in short : I love Haaretz BUT I NEVER TRULY TRUST HER 10:11  |  Atilla Karagözoğlu 19/03/08
      35.   horse do do 10:15  |  ZAXTER 19/03/08
      36.   Israel a racist state? 10:16  |  Paul Wood 19/03/08
      37.   dutch dirk 10:23  |  bruce 19/03/08
      38.   Memri=Brain drainer 10:25  |  ZAXTER 19/03/08
      39.   #31 more wood and less brain posts in haaretz 10:33  |  v hardman 19/03/08
      40.   What about the Druze? 10:42  |  Yellowbeard 19/03/08
      41.   How could Jewish Israelis be racists towards Israeli Arabs??? 10:50  |  Arab 48 19/03/08
      42.   And why are Arabs becoming more militant? 10:51  |  Yellowbeard 19/03/08
      43.   Here`s how the Jews should protect themselves 10:55  |  Yellowbeard 19/03/08
      44.   Again they are the victims 10:57  |  Mr Ipp 19/03/08
      45.   To Akram Zekaria RE: hating the Jews 11:02  |  Yellowbeard 19/03/08
      46.   A natural response to arab racism to Jews 11:03  |  Adrian de Klerk 19/03/08
      47.   #39 V Hardman 11:08  |  Paul Wood 19/03/08
      48.   Racism towards Arabs 11:10  |  Ruby 19/03/08
      49.   Nothing new here 11:16  |  pal 19/03/08
      50.   increasingly racist? What does that mean? 11:22  |  John 19/03/08
      51.   #31 Swiss (Dino) 11:25  |  Eugene 19/03/08
      52.   To #41 11:27  |  Uzi 19/03/08
      53.   racism 11:30  |  PalFan 19/03/08
      54.   To # 52 uzi 11:46  |  arab 48 19/03/08
      55.   Good Morning, wake up - Arab are racists about 98% 12:02  |  17 19/03/08
      56.   Another Haaretz Study 12:04  |  nina 19/03/08
      57.   swiss donkey brays his racism 12:12  |  peter 19/03/08
      58.   Like there`s no Arab racism, right? 12:13  |  Yonatan 19/03/08
      59.   Israeli "racisim" 12:20  |  Ruth Broch 19/03/08
      60.   Amazing 12:22  |  JES 19/03/08
      61.   Racist 12:31  |  Chaim Gorenstein 19/03/08
      62.   racism in Israel 12:36  |  samos 19/03/08
      63.   like der, it is forbiden for jews to marry outsiders 12:48  |  VIPER 19/03/08
      64.   Niddah Goyim 12:49  |  Malka Leifer 19/03/08
      65.   what happens when you accuse racists of being racist 12:49  |  Tzemah 19/03/08
      66.   jewish racist 12:51  |  joseph 19/03/08
      67.   Israeli racist 12:53  |  Hilda 19/03/08
      68.   The scandal of the `jewish` state since 1948 is 12:57  |  lakshmi 19/03/08
      69.   # 39 v hardman 13:01  |  Swiss (Dino) 19/03/08
      70.   "Arab48" 13:02  |  DC 19/03/08
      71.   The Arab Islamist-Jihadists are the racists 13:07  |  Brod 19/03/08