Israel's apartheid doesn't stop at the West Bank

You have no problem getting National Insurance benefits and enjoying other government-paid social services, yet you do not serve in either the Israeli army or in National Service. You complain about discrimination, but instead of sending your elected representatives to actually lobby for improvements in your communities, you go off to various enemy countries and advocate for the escalation of the war against Israel. I saw how the Arab Israeli community behaved during the Gaza War. It is hard to trust you when your behavior indicates that you don't want to be a part of this country, but rather you want to destroy it.

I said: 85% was given to the Arab Palestinian population and 15% was given to the Jewish Palestinian population You said: False. Only those folk who lived in the area that became Jordan had a right to become it`s citizens. Those outside the area did not. What remained of the non-state entity of Palestine was minority Jewish, majority non-Jewish. Until `48 they were all Palestinians. Clearly you're unaware that I am referring to the League of Nations San Remo Conference of 1923 which excluded 85% of mandatory Palestine from the original agreement as an accommodation to the Palestinian Arab population. Jordan wasn't established for another 30 yrs! Until '48 (and even '68) they were Arabs living in Palestine, not "Palestinians". That term was invented by the PLO to garner world wide support by creating a myth. In fact, for a short period of time the prevailing myth was: Israel was really Southern Syria which was "stolen" by Jews.

I said: "Palestine was given to the Jews as a national homeland by the ruling govt." You responded: False. We were told we could have a homeland IN Palestine as Palestinians, in a Palestinian state as citizens of Palestine. Britain (the custodian govt.) Nov. 2, 1917 declared: "the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people" No mention of Palestinian citizenship. "National home" means citizens of that nation. You can't have a national home in someone else's nation! You can have a "home" in someone else's nation (UK, US) but not a "national" one. BTW where does it say anything about a Palestinian State (as you claim)? It's with good reason the Arabs decry the "tragdey" of this declaration because it effectively undermines their claim to Israel

Your points are wrong 1)"Palestine" is a recently contrived national entity. In the early part of the last century there were no Palestinian passports, congress, flag or national anthem. There was a Jewish population and Arab population in Israel at the time. They were treated very differently by the occupying power and of course they had "different papers". Jews had white papers Arabs didn't. So what's your point? You refer to both populations as "Palestinians all". At the time Palestine was a remote, backwater outpost of a foreign occupying power with no independent army, court or educational systems. From 1948-1967 not a peep was heard about the establishment of a Palestinian state for the simple reason that Jordan was established as the state for the Arab population in what was once Palestine--a Palestinian state. How many states do the Arab-Palestinians need? Also, if in fact, there was a Jewish population in Palestine aren't they entitled to at least 15% of mandatory Palestine

Oh and Murray, not mitigating Israels wrongs, could you please send me a link to your online protest concerning the deliberate refusal of Italy to take in African refugees. Even letting them drown or handing them to North African authorities who then transport them into the desert to let them die? If that is a problem, please just point me to your protests concerning an average of 600 dead migrants every year, the ones that die trying to scale the walls surrounding "Fortress Europe". Or how about showing me your signature on the petition against having Roma & Gypsies (even children!) fingerprinted and registered in Italy as a preventive measure against crimes they might commit in the future... It's not easy being a "Gutmensch"... Michael

Dear Murrey, call me whatever you like. Just don't twist my words to fit your agenda... Thousands of years of appeasement, many offers of peace, battles lost and wars won have made me a realist. And as a realist I wrote those three talkbacks. History and the present are proof of "being nice" and always giving in not working at all. In a perfect world there wouldn't be any discrimination and "the wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together... So what is there to do? Let's just try and make the best of it. Me in my neighborhood and you in yours. I'm doing my best. Are you? Life isn't fair and fair died a long time ago... Let me live in peace with my people in this little country of mine. You take the rest of the world, OK? And if you want to join us in this wonderful land, please do... As long as you don't want to get rid of us, welcome... Best, Michael PS: There is only evil, but in Israel there is less evil...

"mistakenly characterizing the Pals as Arabs" - what ignorance! Of course the Palestinians are Arabs, in fact, if you study the history of the Arab-Israeli conflict, they only became "Palestinians" in the last 50 years or so. And the rest of what you write is just as ignorant. Learn some facts and history before you attempt to comment again.

"In the last decade something far worse has crept into Israeli society" - In case you forgot, in the last decade Israel experienced an intifada and multiple suicide bombings against Jewish civilians (this after offering up unprecedented concessions at Camp David); persistent rocket fire and terrorist attacks from Gaza (this after completely withdrawing all its soldiers and civilians); and persistent attacks across its northern border from Lebanon (this after completely withdrawing its forces from Lebanon). During the last ten years, Israel's Arab citizens also increasingly identified with Israel's enemies and supported these attacks on Israel and its Jewish citizens. To ignore all this context, as your post did, and make it sound like Israelis are just inherently 'racist' and anti-Arab for no reason at all, is the height of duplicity and ignorance.

Do the Palestinians ever stop whining and "Woeing is Me)? Have they ever done anything besides being victims? Grow up and use that free education you get.

I guess I have some trouble imagining multilingual signs in New York. How would you say Madison Ave or Wall St. differently in Puerto Rican Spanish or French or Dutch or Haitian Creole or or Greek or Hebrew or Urdu or whatever you might think the next language of New York might be? I imagine it would be a space problem if you tried to put every possible language on a bus that runs through 20 or 35 different ethnic neighborhoods.

..There is no comparison between minorities of United kingdom and the arab inhabitands of israel. The author has only revealed just few examples of the real apartheid practices by the israeli government against the palestinian in the state and in the occupied territories. The israelis, jews and arabs must unite to ashieve the principles of independence declaration before it becomes too late for both sides.

is the ONLY solution - and the quicker the better!

When the policy of making Arabs sub-citizens only applied to Arabs in the occupied territories, it was NOT Apartheid. It was not keeping citizens apart. It was not segregation. It was not racism, it was simply discrimination against the occupants of occupied territories. In the last decade something far worse has crept into Israeli society. Ignored by many, embraced by many, the idea that Arab Israelis should not be allowed to pollute the lives, neighborhoods, or presence of 'real' Israelis'. "Real" meaning Jews, or in the ultimate sense only Orthodox Jews. Israel has not quite succumbed to this vile racism, but it certainly is ascendent. The only defenders who could stop this drift into racist depravity is the Israel left, which seems to lack even the impulse of self-preservation, much less the humane impulse to preserve others.

Fight Muslim Suprmacy. Fight muslim domination. fight for your life, your childrens lives, your family, and your country.

"In the early part of the last century there was the Arab Palestinian population and the Jewish Palestinian population" Palestinians all. Or did they have separate papers? Passports? "Palestine was given to the Jews as a national homeland by the ruling govt." False. We were told we could have a homeland IN Palestine as Palestinians, in a Palestinian state as citizens of Palestine. "85% was given to the Arab Palestinian population and 15% was given to the Jewish Palestinian population" False. Only those folk who lived in the area that became Jordan had a right to become it's citizens. Those outside the area did not. What remained of the non-state entity of Palestine was minority Jewish, majority non-Jewish. Until '48 they were all Palestinians. "the Palestinian Arabs attacked and illegally occupied about half of the 15%" False. The Arab league protected their ward from Jewish forces. Israel AGREED to Jordanian & Egyptian occupation. Read the armistice AGREEMENTs.

Miles of tunnels are being dug in Gaza, the WB, from there and from Lebanon into and under Israel itself. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8548277.stm That's what the anti-apartheid crowd will be cheering about as the Arabs dig under and murder the Jews

As a former leftist, I had high hopes for the integration of Israeli Arabs into Israeli society. However, I have found them to be more radical than Hamas.I usd to shop in Umm al Fahm because I enjoyed the markets but now I dont go there because I dont want to be stabbed. Most Israeli Arabs are opportunists waiting to assist our enemies. May the fate of the Sudeten Germans be the fate of Palestinians living in pre-1967 Israel

As a former leftist, I had high hopes for the integration of Israeli Arabs into Israeli society. However, I have found them to be more radical than Hamas.I usd to shop in Umm al Fahm because I enjoyed the markets but now I dont go there because I dont want to be stabbed. Most Israeli Arabs are opportunists waiting to assist our enemies. May the fate of the Sudeten Germans be the fate of Palestinians living in pre-1967 Israel

As a former leftist, I had high hopes for the integration of Israeli Arabs into Israeli society. However, I have found them to be more radical than Hamas.I usd to shop in Umm al Fahm because I enjoyed the markets but now I dont go there because I dont want to be stabbed. Most Israeli Arabs are opportunists waiting to assist our enemies. May the fate of the Sudeten Germans be the fate of Palestinians living in pre-1967 Israel

As a former leftist, I had high hopes for the integration of Israeli Arabs into Israeli society. However, I have found them to be more radical than Hamas.I usd to shop in Umm al Fahm because I enjoyed the markets but now I dont go there because I dont want to be stabbed. Most Israeli Arabs are opportunists waiting to assist our enemies. May the fate of the Sudeten Germans be the fate of Palestinians living in pre-1967 Israel

As a former leftist, I had high hopes for the integration of Israeli Arabs into Israeli society. However, I have found them to be more radical than Hamas.I usd to shop in Umm al Fahm because I enjoyed the markets but now I dont go there because I dont want to be stabbed. Most Israeli Arabs are opportunists waiting to assist our enemies. May the fate of the Sudeten Germans be the fate of Palestinians living in pre-1967 Israel

As a former leftist, I had high hopes for the integration of Israeli Arabs into Israeli society. However, I have found them to be more radical than Hamas.I usd to shop in Umm al Fahm because I enjoyed the markets but now I dont go there because I dont want to be stabbed. Most Israeli Arabs are opportunists waiting to assist our enemies. May the fate of the Sudeten Germans be the fate of Palestinians living in pre-1967 Israel

As a former leftist, I had high hopes for the integration of Israeli Arabs into Israeli society. However, I have found them to be more radical than Hamas.I usd to shop in Umm al Fahm because I enjoyed the markets but now I dont go there because I dont want to be stabbed. Most Israeli Arabs are opportunists waiting to assist our enemies. May the fate of the Sudeten Germans be the fate of Palestinians living in pre-1967 Israel

As a former leftist, I had high hopes for the integration of Israeli Arabs into Israeli society. However, I have found them to be more radical than Hamas.I usd to shop in Umm al Fahm because I enjoyed the markets but now I dont go there because I dont want to be stabbed. Most Israeli Arabs are opportunists waiting to assist our enemies. May the fate of the Sudeten Germans be the fate of Palestinians living in pre-1967 Israel

As a former leftist, I had high hopes for the integration of Israeli Arabs into Israeli society. However, I have found them to be more radical than Hamas.I usd to shop in Umm al Fahm because I enjoyed the markets but now I dont go there because I dont want to be stabbed. Most Israeli Arabs are opportunists waiting to assist our enemies. May the fate of the Sudeten Germans be the fate of Palestinians living in pre-1967 Israel

As a former leftist, I had high hopes for the integration of Israeli Arabs into Israeli society. However, I have found them to be more radical than Hamas.I usd to shop in Umm al Fahm because I enjoyed the markets but now I dont go there because I dont want to be stabbed. Most Israeli Arabs are opportunists waiting to assist our enemies. May the fate of the Sudeten Germans be the fate of Palestinians living in pre-1967 Israel

As a former leftist, I had high hopes for the integration of Israeli Arabs into Israeli society. However, I have found them to be more radical than Hamas.I usd to shop in Umm al Fahm because I enjoyed the markets but now I dont go there because I dont want to be stabbed. Most Israeli Arabs are opportunists waiting to assist our enemies. May the fate of the Sudeten Germans be the fate of Palestinians living in pre-1967 Israel

As a former leftist, I had high hopes for the integration of Israeli Arabs into Israeli society. However, I have found them to be more radical than Hamas.I usd to shop in Umm al Fahm because I enjoyed the markets but now I dont go there because I dont want to be stabbed. Most Israeli Arabs are opportunists waiting to assist our enemies. May the fate of the Sudeten Germans be the fate of Palestinians living in pre-1967 Israel

As a former leftist, I had high hopes for the integration of Israeli Arabs into Israeli society. However, I have found them to be more radical than Hamas.I usd to shop in Umm al Fahm because I enjoyed the markets but now I dont go there because I dont want to be stabbed. Most Israeli Arabs are opportunists waiting to assist our enemies. May the fate of the Sudeten Germans be the fate of Palestinians living in pre-1967 Israel

As a former leftist, I had high hopes for the integration of Israeli Arabs into Israeli society. However, I have found them to be more radical than Hamas.I usd to shop in Umm al Fahm because I enjoyed the markets but now I dont go there because I dont want to be stabbed. Most Israeli Arabs are opportunists waiting to assist our enemies. May the fate of the Sudeten Germans be the fate of Palestinians living in pre-1967 Israel

As a former leftist, I had high hopes for the integration of Israeli Arabs into Israeli society. However, I have found them to be more radical than Hamas.I usd to shop in Umm al Fahm because I enjoyed the markets but now I dont go there because I dont want to be stabbed. Most Israeli Arabs are opportunists waiting to assist our enemies. May the fate of the Sudeten Germans be the fate of Palestinians living in pre-1967 Israel

As a former leftist, I had high hopes for the integration of Israeli Arabs into Israeli society. However, I have found them to be more radical than Hamas.I usd to shop in Umm al Fahm because I enjoyed the markets but now I dont go there because I dont want to be stabbed. Most Israeli Arabs are opportunists waiting to assist our enemies. May the fate of the Sudeten Germans be the fate of Palestinians living in pre-1967 Israel

Superb article on a very sensitive subject. Read most of the comments and did not find one person saying the points made are utter lies. Lots of lame excuses and inane comparisons to what non democratic countries do though. Would therefore suggest ever democracy on the planet treat its jew minority, if one so exists, in the identical manner the democratic jew State treats its arab minority. No one can object to that now could they.

It would seem to me that any declaration of independence worth its salt would say something about "all men" (and women!) being "created equal." We should strive to become independent from our fears and prejudices, not only from our outward persecutors. That's the only independence that's worth fighting for.

The word apartheid, genocide, fascist, Nazi, are all strong terms, none of which describe Israel. Those who would attach such terms to Israel have no idea of what these terms really mean, and thereby show to the world their ignorance.

Israel is a state built on ethnicity. This is what Avi says, now my question to Avi is the following are Ethiopean jews from the same ethnic group and race as the Russian Jews and what is the relationship, ethnically speaking, between the jews of Yemen and Iraq and those blonde european jews!!!!. Nothing but the great religion of JUdaism these people have in common Avi and if you don,t beleive me look in the face of a yemeni jew and then look in the face of a blonde,blue eyes russian jew.It is true that zionism has succeeded in creating an ethnic group on paper but the realities on the ground are far different .

You really want the "See how open and multicultural we are and how we struggle to incorporate our Arab citizens into the country" to be nonsense. You'd love it to be. So you can continue throwing mud. But you know it was done precisely with that positive intention. The founders wanted to help the Arabs integrate, and of course Arabic also helped 1st generation Jewish immigrants from Arab countries to get by. But as you say, Israeli Arabs speak Hebrew now. And there are of course no more than a handful of Jews left in Arab countries, because they were all booted out, so we won't see any new arrivals needing Arabic signposts. You have built a very convincing case for saying that Arabic should no longer be an official language in Israel. Still no critique of the PA for not having Hebrew as an official language, to help e.g. Hebron Jews to integrate into a future PA state though. They don't speak Arabic. But they'd be slaughtered if the Army left. No need for translations.

Not mitigating Israels wrongs, could you please send me a link to your online protest concerning the deliberate refusal of Italy to take in African refugees. Even letting them drown or handing them to North African authorities who then transport them into the desert to let them die? If that is a problem, please just point me to your protests concerning an average of 600 dead migrants every year, the ones that die trying to scale the walls around "Fortress Europe". It's not easy being a "Gutmensch"... Nite, Michael

The thing is, Israel can never make mistakes, and palestinians are always at fault and they simply should leave their homes and give there keys to the israeli government and ask for forgiveness for their very existance because this existance bother the hell out of every racist zionist.Tomy, for God sake, your comments are full of B.S. man.

I know, I know... But sometimes there are circumstances beyond our control that keep us from home for a while... I will not be long... Cheers, Michael

Dear Murrey, call me whatever you like. Just don't twist my words to fit your agenda. Thousands of years of appeasement, many offers of peace, battles lost and wars won have made me a realist. And as a realist I wrote those three talkbacks. History and the present are proof of "being nice" and always giving in not working at all. In a perfect world there wouldn't be any discrimination and "the wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together". So what is there to do? Let's just try and make the best of it. Me in my neighborhood and you in yours. I'm doing my best. Are you? Life isn't fair and fair died a long time ago... Let me live in peace with my people in this little country of mine. You take the rest of the world, OK? And if you want to join us in this wounderful land, please do... As long as you don't want to get rid of us, welcome... Best, Michael PS: There is only evil, but in Israel there is less evil...

By this definition, near every country on earth -- west and east, rich and poor -- are now apartheid states. The word becomes meaningless! France, Germany, China, Poland, Greece, US, Mexico, Pakistan, etc, the list could go on forever. This is exactly the sort of perversion of language of which Orwell warned.

There really is no such thing as an "Israeli Arab". I will believe that an Arab can be a true Israeli at the moment: they sing the national anthem, perform military service, their political leaders talk about their pride in being Israeli, their schools give instruction in Hebrew not Arabic, and they describe themselves as just "Israeli" not "Israeli Arab". Until then they are simply not the same as other Israelis, and they should not expect to be treated in the same way.

Your claim that the "whole world" recognizes them as occupied may be true but the "whole world" would be wrong. Exactly who is it occupied from? The Plaestinians? Here are some quick facts: 1)Israel captured the land in a defensive war in 1967 from Jordan. So it can't be occupied from Palestinians but Jordanians. In fact, the PLO claimed inthe 1960's that the Pals had no claim to the W Bank as it belonged to Jordan. 2)The "whole world" recognized the Nazis as a legitimate form of Govt. in 1934; did that make it a legitimate form of govt? 3)what today is referred to as "W Bank" is the armistice lines that the Jordanians agreed to as part of the ceasefire following their conquest of the WBank in 1948. It was recognized by only 2 nations as valid the rest of the UN rejected their claim to the land. Any objective, honest observer would understand that the Jewish claim to the W Bank far supersedes any Pal claim. especially since the League of Nations granted the land the Jews in 1923

is that we convert this Zionism thing into a Fraternal Organization like the Masons. We open it up to everybody that wants to join and pay a fee. Meaning everyone. Free Market. Nobody Attacks Their Own Country Club. But... you know, nobody reads my posts except Bradley Burston.

The Declaration of Independence sounds just great (discounting the colonial nature of the Zionist enterprise). However, that was 62 years ago. Your problem is that the high principles of the Declaration have not been put into practice, in housing provision, in education, in civic services and other aspects of everyday life. Where is your constitution, enshrining these principles? Why has it taken 62 years to get an agreed constitution? The Declaration is not enshrined in Israeli laws and so is not enforceable.

"This way they made themselves enemies and outside the law." & "There is nothing against any citizen in israel who live by the law" Do you not see the inconsistency? By your own statement, all Pals are considered enemies outside the law without any evidence that they individually did anything wrong - all that matters is their race. This is not consistent with true democracy or truly multi-racial states.

The problem with your argument is that no Palestinian will ever consider a Jewish presence in the W Bank. For them Jews are too be eliminated just as they were eliminated from the Arab lands where they resided pre-state. That is, they had their land confiscated,stolen and expropriated. In the W Bank however, greater than 99% of the land where Jews live was empty, non-populated areas. There are no claims of theft as you misrepresented the situation. Where you totally miss the point however is that the issue is not OWNERSHIP as the Pals would have you believe, the issue is SOVEREIGNTY. For them to perpetuate the hoax and garner Western sympathy they will babble about stolen property when I don't see anyone offering compensation for stolen Jewish property in Arab lands. Jewish "colonists"!? Are you serious? In Israel? Jews were expelled from Israel for the second time after millenia 500 yrs. before Mohammed was born! Jesus was he a colonist?

Two wrongs do not make one right B,galil

Bob, It is not fair to descriminate against jews neither in Jordan nor in Saudi Arabia. It is not right to descriminate against the Palestinians either.Remember that the Palestinians are there for time immemorial and most of the rest of the population are new commers or sons and grandsons of new commers. You Bob, are in Long Island but as ajew, you can take the first flight to Israel and become a citizen of first class while the palestinian whose roots in the land are very deep is either a second class citizen or under a military rul.

Not to have police cars marked in Arabic is a very tiny inconvenience for Israeli Arabs. However those Jews living in Egypt, Iraq, Syria Yemen were expelled by force (Even in Turkey we were subject to unfair taxes, labor camps in Ashkale etc) leaving everything behind. So one tiny country for the Jews in the historical home land of Judaism should not be much of a problem I believe. Where did you want those Jews who came by planes from Yemen, Iraq, Alexandria to go? To the ovens in concentration camps?

Avi, thank you for your clear explanation of Israeli apartheid. It was quite lucid. So, of course Israel cannot allow full freedom to its arab citizens because they are security risks. I read that more than 85% of the nation consists of security zones where they cannot go at all. And a large part of the residential land -- again more than 85? -- is rental land which by law cannot be sold to individuals and in practice is not rented to arabs. Etc. I hope that now you can sympathise with various defunct societies which could not allow Jews full rights because they similarly regarded Jews as security risks. I was raised to think all that was simply immoral. But your explanation makes it clear that things are not so simple. Of course nations have the right to prevent their citizens who are security risks from becoming actual threats, by whatever means necessary. This is as true for Israel as it was for those other nations which have been destroyed.

What Arab peace initiative are you referring to? You mean the one that said that Israel must unilaterally withdraw to the 1967 cease fire lines (lines that were constantly violated and breached by the Arab world from 1949-1967) and give up half its capital of Jerusalem, and allow back all the Arab refugees and their descendants who fled as a result of wars started by the Arab world? That was not a "peace initiative", it was an attempt to dictate terms of surrender.

I didn't mean #111,. I meant # 138

don , the minimum requirements for erudite comment are to know what the f-- youre writing about ! you clearly do not ! this subject has been around for 3000 years and you as an outsider feel that you can comment ? diverse people have come together in new country and its only 60 years since they started !

Israel is not a state built on citizenship. Israel is a state built on ethnicity. the 1947 partition pan called fr two ethnic states, a Jewish state and an Arab state. this was meant to be the great compromise between Jewish nationalism ie Zionism and Arab nationalism. The idea of Zionism is to recreate the jewish ethnic state that existed in second temple times. at that time non jews lived in their autonomous regions and didn't interfere with Jewish ffairs. In modern times Arabs vote for their representatives in the knesset who are supposed to be lobying for better conditions for local arabs instead of backing the wider Arab political stand. Ther are arab lawyers, doctors nurses and academics. they are prevented from security sensative jobs. That is the most that anethnic Jewish stayte can give its arab citizens. Anything more means moving over to the PA.

As is typical, between the lines, this article articulates the classic Muslim Supremacist arguement. In essence, the pattern remains the same, world wide. When the Muslim population reaches a certain percentage of the noverall population, first they begin demanding special "Muslim Only rights", i.e. Muslims are draft exempt. When they reach a higher precentage, the Muslims begin demanding separation, Sharia law and not to be governed by non-Muslims. If the majority is Muslim, then the rights of non-Muslims are adversely affected, until there are none. In Israel ,the Israeli-Arabs aren't seeking the SAME rights as Jews, they are seeking EXTRA privileges such as the right to use violence to attack the state without legal consequences while recieving government benefits, to build without title to the land or building permits, to not pay taxes, to recieve a free education in a non-majority language,and to be exempt from law enforcement. Its not "apartheid" to deny Muslim Supremacy.

War doesn't have to be against a standing army like Egypt or Jordan. These days guerilla war and terrorism are the ways in which wars are carried out against strong nations. Hit and run. Cowardice. Aiming at children and women. School buses, markets, cafes, discos exploding. Doesn't matter if Iranians use their own army or contract out to IRA style thugs in Gaza / Lebanon who subcontract to kids brainwashed to believe they are fighting for their religion - instead of their handler's bank balance - but it's still called war. People who lie and exaggerate about Israel's faults are part of that war to delegitimise a tiny country which clearly tries much harder than most. Israeli citizens, both Jews and Arabs, will benefit from less $h1t-stirring.

1. Your comparisons do not support your argument. In NYC, many signs and documents are written in or can be traslated into Spanish or other languages. But they are not offical languages. That is a great difference between legal staus and custom or courtesy. 2. My point is that though Arabic is the second official language in Israel and bills receive Arabic translations in the Knesset, this is not substantive but symbolic and it is symbolic for propaganda purposes: "See how open and multicultural we are and how we struggle to incorporate outr Arab citizens into the country?" This is nonsense. The situation, as long as Arabic is the second official language should have the same status as English in Quebec, where both languages are used.As for your pont on Palestinians speaking Hebrew,it is nonsense. All Arab citizens of Israel are fluent in Hebrew and in the WB many Palestinians speak Hebrew which is neccesary for work. Many more palestinians speak Hebrew that Jews in Israel do Arabic

My response is simple. Of course I support an independent, viable and contiguous State of Palestine in all of the occupied territories and East Jerusalem. Those colonists in Palestine, who colonised stolen land through a process of confiscation, annexation and expropriation have the choice of either returning to the State of Israel or becoming Palestinian citizens with each one of them who does so to be matched by a Palestinian refugee returning to the State of Israel. There is nothing liberated about the occupied territories and they are recognised by the entire interantional community as occupied.

I have plenty of friends. I simply don't count racist, bigoted a-holes (who disproportionately criticize my people and my country on a daily basis) among them. I don't insult people for simply disagreeing with me. I insult the racist, bigoted a-holes... for example, you.

Israel was established to preserve and protect Jewish identity. That is why it exists as a Jewish and not any other state. Thousands of people for thousands of years were trying to destroy Jewish identity: some by applying moral pressure, others by using physical methods, by burning Jews alive, killing them, raping and forcing conversions, from inside (Trotsky, Kaganovich) as well as from outside (Hitler, ?black hundreds?), proponents of assimilation, degradation and extermination, with all kinds of possible means and methods but they still did not succeed. Why do you think that you will?

The palestinians are shooting themselves in the foot by advocating lies. This way they made themselves enemies and outside the law. No peace can be build when some of the citizens of that country are living with an agenda, its purpose to destroy the state ! There is nothing against any citizen in israel who live by the law. Just like in any other democratic country. But those who think, feel & act against the interest of the country can't expect to escape the power of the law & that is how every citizen is being treated in israel. Justice must be prevail equally. In many democratic countries new laws are legislated. In the U.K the police have more power to act against terrorists & sentences are made harsher against those who are engaged with terrorism against the state. It is the principle job of any government to protect the innocents. That is also democracy !

Labrhat, I don't insult people who simply disagree with me. I insult the lowlife, racist scum who mindlessly and disproportionately criticize my people and my country on a daily basis... You, being one of them.

Depends how you define official, Yaakov. Have you visited the UK? Every council information sheet, application form etc comes with reams of translations into every language you can think of (except Hebrew of course) for all the immigrants whose right not to integrate is put ahead of the rights of the British and those who bothered to learn the language. You said: "Arabic is (or perhaps the racists in this government have changed that) a national, recognised language of the State of Israel". Your argument is self-defeating. You acknowledge that Israel DOES have Arabic as an official language, but instead of praising that, you damn the Jewish State with accusations of racism for doing what others would not. For consistency, must you not label the PA racist against Jews because Hebrew is not one of their official languages? Jews have been present there since way before the Arabs left Arabia...

Poor baby go cry to mommy and maybe she will wipe your nose!!! Grow up and maybe a pair

"Find it hard to make friends" Not at all. I just don't care for racist, anti-Semitic a-holes. Why would I want to be friends with a lowlife, like you? "Gee I wonder why SDHD spends his every waking hour insuklting those who do not dance to his tune." I insult those who dance to the anti-Semitic, mindlessly anti-Israeli tune... of which you are a lifelong member.

First of all, Israel does not practice "apartheid." Within Israel, Israeli Arabs are not segregated from Israeli Jews. Period. Go find a dictionary if you do not take my word for it. Second, Israeli Arabs will never be able to get their full civil rights until the Palestinian-Israeli issue is settled (and it's no coincidence I use this word). Third, and this is the best news of all, when the issue is finally settled, Israeli Arabs have plenty of legal basis to fight for the rights they so keenly deserve.

Find it hard to make friends Gee I wonder why SDHD spends his every waking hour insuklting those who do not dance to his tune. Probably a pock faced snot nosed beady eyed creepy wuss who is shunned by all who meet him. You are a sad fellow sdhd---sad indeed.

You are absolutely correct about your comparisons. I try very hard to make sure my students understand that exact connection. Your intelligence and passion for Israel are a breath of fresh air---I wish all understood as you do. Shalom.

Sorry messed up the numbers. BTW as a teacher of Holocaust studies the parallel between the Catholicism-Nazism-Propaganda and Islamism-Palestiniaism-propoganda is eerily similar. In fact if you read Goldhagen's book on the culpability of the Catholic church you can practically replace the words Catholic with MOslem and Palestine with Germany and get the same exact description of events. The difference used to be that in Israel we were able to fight back for the first time. Since Oslo however we are being run by the US and no Israeli P minister has the guts to tell the State Dept. "Your analysis is incorrect, dangerous and foolish".

Dear David, One can't posibly compare the US public with the Israeli one for a reason as your self the vast majority of the Americans are emmigrants from all araund the world, hundreds of nationals. The people who moved to Palestine came by planes mostly zionist(not all) to grab their land and deprive the native Pals from all their rights. It's easy to write on a car in Hebrew and Arabic than two hunderd languages. One reasnable being can't claim otherways I would say. Layla tove Masa alghier Iye gegeler

As the jews push "embrace diversity in America, itz the same old story "doeth as we sayeth, not as we doeth'

"In other words, the Jewish majority decided, in coordination with religious authorities, not to provide any means of marriage between Jews and non-Jews. " The government simply chose not to get into the marriage business, oaf.

"Save your laudatory comments for true multiracial and multicultural countries. A country that will not allow Jews and non-Jews to marry is at best bigoted. " Moron. Marriage in Israel is only performed by the religious institutions. There is no civil marriage in Israel. Israel recognizes civil marriages performed in other countries. People of different faiths who want to marry can travel to Cyprus and Israel recognizes the marriage. You're a crappy attorney given how often you flap your gums with only partial information. "If a Pal is involved, he or she will probably not be allowed to live with his or her spouse in Israel." Moron. The Palestinians are at war with Israel. No countries allow members of enemy entities to enter the country because they married a citizen.

Dear Mr. Masalha. You must not follow Israeli politics very closely. You write: "Were the Arab Knesset members blessed with any imagination, they would pull the words "on the basis of full and equal citizenship and due representation in all its provisional and permanent institutions" out of the Declaration of Independence and formulate them into a bill." MK Ahmad Tibi did just that. The bill, of course, was rejected by the government of the "only Democracy in the Middle East".

In my life the U.S. has given over half a trillion dollars in military and economic aid to Israel, a country which has weak - or perhaps nonexistent - legal protections for it's own minorities. I can have only very limited influence over what kind of society Israel is, but I have more sway over my fellow Americans: I'd like to see us stop sending money until the government of Israel puts in place real legal machinery that guarantees that ALL Israeli citizens - Jewish or not - have exactly the same rights.

The condition of the Palestinians, or Arabs as some people prefer, is blatantly visible under Israeli law or IDF military law. Yet the conditions continue with no reaction from the Israeli citizens. I believe the treatment of the Palestinians is in direct contradiction of our historic and driving commitment to truth and justice. Many other western nations have had their episodes of reactionary fervor, but they usually recover in less than sixty years. Must we foresake those values of truth and justice so that an entire people is suppressed just so we can feel secure from the threats of a very few?

Presumably you support the establishment of an independent Palestinian state in the territories liberated by Israel after being illegally occupied by Jordan in 1967. Would it be racist to evict the 300,000 Jews who currently reside there?

You may find discrimination baed on religion acceptable, but it is inconsistent with the "western democracy" label Israel is always claiming. Name one western democracy with such discrimination. You can't. In real democracies, the government does not automatically label everyone of a certain race or religion an "enemy" and treat them differently. If individuals cause problems, they may be dealt with in the courts individually. There is no excuse to treat all members of a race or religion differently based on broad generalizations, not in a country under the rule of law. Your analogy is inapt. If some Native Americans in the US violated the law, they would be dealt with on an individual basis. Native Americans do have total equality and more. They are absolutely full citizens without limit. The US recognizes a limited sovereignty on reservations that allows Native Americans to do things prohibited by the laws that apply to everyone else (e.g., casinos).

Moshe---I think you responded to the wrong #---I believe you meant to address #63, and not me? Is that correct? Upon reading more of your responses, I think that you meant to address the comment after mine. Is this true?

In other words, the Jewish majority decided, in coordination with religious authorities, not to provide any means of marriage between Jews and non-Jews. You can call it whatever you want, but this is at best theocratic, definitely not democratic. This is just another example in which Israelis use religion as an excuse to treat different "citizens" differently. The fact that the discrimination is religion-based makes it worse, not better. You accuse me of being full of it and lying, yet you do not contradict anything I said. Only in Zionist-world would such statements be called lies. You just think there is a good excuse - not that I lied about the facts. You need to grow up and learn to engage in civil discourse. I note that you do not dispute the difference in property laws between Jews and non-Jews. It is undeniable. Democracies may make some compromises during war, but not anything to do with race, religion or marriage. War is no excuse.

Actually Moshe, I understand racism quite well. I also understand propaganda quite well. I am a certified teacher of the Holocaust Moshe. I understand incredibly well what happens when a government or religion decides that another is no longer valid. I do not see any Arabs being sent to death camps. I do not see anyhone being herded into trains and being sent to a gas chamber. I do see terrorists detonating bombs in marketplaces, on buses, and even in schools. I see a group of Israeli Olympians being kidnapped and slaughtered for the cause of Jihad. I see people in my own country sending those taxes and support you cite to terrorist groups willing to wipe out all Jews and Infidels. AND, I still do not hear you offer any valid suggestions for what is to happen---you vail your true inentions with dictinary definitions and twisted propaganda. Hitler would be proud.

However there is always a counterpoint to every point: Here in the USA there are many Spanish Latin Americans in my neighborhood of Bayside / Flushing NY many Chinese, Korean speaking Asians but the police cars are only marked in English. There are many north African's in France but no Arabic markings there also. Lets come to Switzerland: As you know you have a Cantonal system where each Canton is different. Eg. Canton De Veaux is French speaking. while in Zurich German is the language. However In Israel building Minarets to mosques is not banned by public referendum while in Switzerland it is. So in your own words I ask you: So why should that not be possible in Switzerland..?? Bon Nuit Guten nacht Ciao

Yes, there is a difference in the way the Arabs and Jews live in Israel. One simply has to visit an Arab town to see this. While Jewish towns are sparkling with modern architecture, paks and gardens, etc., the Arab towns look like a mishmash of mostly ugly buildings, with plenty of dirt roads, etc. A big contrast. But, one needs to ask sincerely why this is so? The main reason that the Israeli government does not feel obligated to invest more in Arab societies is because most of the Israeli Arabs' allegiances are with the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza, and as a result Israelis fear the Arabs. If they didn't, not only there would be more investment in Arab societies, but Israelis would even accept sharing everyday life with the Arabs. There would be mixed towns, and yes, more Arabs would be invited to talk shows! So Mr. Masalha, before suggesting that ridiculous bill to the Arabs Knesset members, ask them to display first their allegiances to the State of Israel!

Arabs don't mix here in the USA, their values, morals and what ethics they have are in total clash with Western ideals. I'm not surprised he feels alienated. In order to be part of the society, you have to subscribe to the social contract, not merely submit to the will of Allah and his representative Imams who prescribe jihad and other such non-western concepts. Arabs, not just in Israel, are alien EVERYWHERE in the West. The real underlying objection is that Arabs are a fish out of water when they can not impose their values and world view on the life they and their non-Arab neighbors live. Arab culture is still in the Dark Ages; the 12th century and this is reflected in their economies, life styles and even by the Sephardic Jews who allowed themselves to be assimilated into Arab culture; they too, are alienated. But they are learning from the fellow Jews to change. Do'nt want to be alienated; then change your ways.

Read carefully O Sullivan I did not admonish them to leave. I just said that they have to decide what they want and then go for it. I think the overwhelming majority would support living in a Jewish state and respect the right for Judaism to be the preeminent culture of the Jewish state. Just as I have no problem with Islam being the preeminent culture in Iran or Saudi Arabia. Racism starts when I have no intention or chance to change Iran or Saudi Arabia from being Islam yet I am prevented from setting foot there since I am Jewish. Your remarks show that you have no idea what racism really is.

Tibi and other Israeli Arabs or Druze are brought often on the iSRAELI tv. tHERE ARE many non Jews in the Israeli Police , (Moslems, Druze and Christians). Because the security conditions in Israel, only people with military training (men and women ) could be accepted in the Israeli police. THERE IS NO APARTHAID in Hospitals service (Hundreds of doctors and nurses of Arab origin work at hospitals auch as Hadera, Kfar Saba, Haifa , some are head of departments and really excellent doctors. Ditto in the Universities. (e.g. the head of the Pharmacy School at the Ben Gurion University is Dr. Ahbaria. )The article is trying to invent nonexisten t aparthaid!

I was not allowed to marry in Israel. Had to go to Cyprus. I also cannot be buried in state-owned public cemeteries. Nor can I own real estate properties in many cities. Reason? Not being Jewish. When I wanted to have a beer during passover in Jerusalem, I had to hide. Felt like an infidel having a good time and drinking beer next to the Kaaba. Well, they probably would have killed me in Mecca. People from abroad don't really know how crazy the entire Middle East is. As said, it's a surrealistic place.

Contrary to Yaacov Sullivan's claims and echo's of Israeli racism and institutional Apartheid, J-Street issued the following release: J Street & J Street U Reiterate Opposition to BDS, ?Israel Apartheid Week? As ?Israel Apartheid Week? comes to campuses across North America this week to advocate for boycotts, divestment, and sanctions against Israel, J Street and J Street U reiterate our strong opposition to the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement. We also reject comparisons of Israel to South African apartheid. The analogy clearly implies that Israel is illegitimate, that it deserves a wholesale boycott, and suggests a single state for Israelis and Palestinians would be some sort of solution to the conflict, when in reality, it is a recipe for further violence, strife, and insecurity. The BDS movement wrongly places the entirety of blame for the conflict on Israel. Responsibility for the conflict does not rest exclusively with either the Israelis or the Palestinians, and moreover, this conflict will never be truly resolved if one side wins only at the other?s loss.

There is the difference between legitimate complain and blunt accusation in apartheid. While the first one could be looked at and addressed and probably resolved, the second one does not have any other purpose as to create hatred and mistrust between two people. The fact that such article has support of Arab minority makes future reconciliation almost impossible. One thing Arab citizens should realize: Israel is a Jewish state and it will remain such; therefore Arabs (if they really want to live in peace) have just two options ? either accept it or join their "brothers" on the other side of the fence.

Yes, there is a difference in the way the Arabs and Jews live in Israel. One simply has to visit an Arab town to see this. While Jewish towns are sparkling with modern architecture, paks and gardens, etc., the Arab towns look like a mishmash of mostly ugly buildings, with plenty of dirt roads, etc. A big contrast. But, one needs to ask sincerely why this is so? The main reason that the Israeli government does not feel obligated to invest more in Araba societies is because most of the Israeli Arabs' allegiances are with the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza, and as a result Israelis fear the Arabs. If they didn't, not only there would be more investment in Arab societies, but Israelis would even accept sharing everyday life with the Arabs. There would be mixed towns, and yes, more Arabs would be invited to talk shows! So Mr. Masalha, before suggesting that ridiculous bill to the Arabs Knesset members, ask them to display first their allegiences to the state of Israel!

to convince you that a tiger doesn't change it's stripes and that Jews don't have any place in Germany? What are you waiting for, another Shoa?

either through isolation or placing yourself on a pedestal. And J-streeters, unlike yourself, are able to suffer Jews and even (gasp) advocate FOR Israel; something you find to be an anathma. Indeed, it is the fact that you equate advocacy with ethnic cleansing shows your need for seperation from Jews. The idea that there is one language for a state is hardly unique. Indeed, NYC busses show sinage in English only. But I guess that's due to the Transit Authority's "racism". What is racist is that you find Israel's parlimentary system to show 'tokenism', when Arabs are free to organize, form parties of their own, and run on their own platforms. That their elected officials run to Syria, HAMAS, and Hizballah, is hardly due to Israeli ethnic cleansing. Indeed, I know of no single Arab politician that has done the same thing and lived.

I'm not for the name Jewish State,because as long as i have the flag the national hymne,and Hebrew as the first language.Idon't need the name.That said,i wonder why all you people that are against the"Jewish state"(like me)never protest about the "Muslims republics",and we all know how racistic they are.Just look at the fate of the Coptics,Bahais,Maronis,and Jews. That why i've no respect for your opinion.It isn't an honest opinion.It is biased!!!

In this case, Israelis are in an Arab land, imposing their rule over the native population. You are right, Israelis cannot go to an Arab country and impose their priorities there. That's what they are doing on Palestinian land that was never freely given to them by the Palestinians, it was seized.

yaakov do you live in the real world ???? there are many arabic road signs and street names in israel but they are generally in arab districts ! none in russian and too few in english

Though there is a movement afoot in Israel to delegitimise Arabic as a second language in the State of Israel, it still has that status. Spanish is not the second official language of the US. Arabic is the second official language of the State of Israel as well as the mother tongue of 20% of its population and spoken by millions of Jews who had it as their mother language, spoke it, wrote in it, composed in it and philosophised in it. I suggest you take it up as a sister langue after conqueing the native language of Eire.

Thank you Moshe for your instructive lesson in zionism. That is not the point. Perhaps you can advocate to have yiddish as the second official language or Russian and hence exhibit some of your eurocentric prejudices against those who came to Israel speaking Arabic, a far greater number than Yiddish. The fact is that the Declaration of Independence, though never implemented, is still a binding national document and it makes certain promises and claims. The majority of Israel's Arab citizens are loyal, law abiding members of the State that denies them full recgonition as a community. Your admonition for a them to leave is the best proof not only of your own racism but that of a system that you claim lies in its Declaration of Independence and then advocates complete assimilation or expulsion. nIf any one should leave it would by you but fortunatley South Africa does not exist any longer. They have moved on. You have not.

recognising police cars . yaakov i dont remember police cars in new york having anything on them written in spanish ? or in california ?

For some insane reason Arabic (and not Yiddish) was selected as one of the official languages of the Jewish state besides Hebrew. Any official govt document is available in Arabic. The irony is that the language is the language of Israel's enemies. That's why the article's author wants it more widespread, not to make it more convenient for the Arab speaking public. The Israeli Arabs need to do one of 3 things: 1) become law abiding citizens that recognize and support the Jewish state and its culture 2) leave 3) fight the Jewishness of the state at every turn. The sad part is that the Israeli Arabs are increasingly choosing option 3.

If anything,this article is very mild in it's description of the Israeli "democracy",and the proof lies is some of the TB responses.This has been going on since I can remember.I know, I was born and raised there.......And to add another layer,one must consider the discrimination among Jewish Israeli (ie:Ashkenazi vs.Sefaradim).It was just a matter of time for these issues to become a major problem.When Israel decides to join the 21st century and stop being a tribal society it might have a chance at solving these huge issues.

In the early part of the last century there was the Arab Palestinian population and the Jewish Palestinian population. Palestine was given to the Jews as a national homeland by the ruling govt. 5 yrs. later it was divided into 2 sections 85% was given to the Arab Palestinian population and 15% was given to the Jewish Palestinian population. Obviously it was unacceptable for the the remaining 15% to be Jewish so the Palestinian Arabs attacked and illegally occupied about half of the 15%. They now wish to evict the Jews from their historical homeland and abolish the Jewish State. They will use any ruse they can think of to accomplish this. This stunt is classic antisemitism identical to the antisemitism of past generations.

Israel is a racially based state. If me, as a foreigner (not Jewish and not arab), I'm bothered by a Jew and a fight break out, the police will put me in prison and the day after Israel will send me back to Europe ripping my visa, whether Im the real guilty or not.. That's the sad reality..

You always did have a seige mentality, as any good Unionist. But war?? With Egypt? Jordan? Really, victor.

The Israeli arabs refuse to do any kind of national service - why not arab youth join police instead?

other less perfects . This article does not have a single point in which Israel could be accused of not trying her best , against all adds , against strong Arab cultural stubbornness , to integrate them , to improve their lives . Solid lies .

the founding fathers did not establish secular civil laws in respect of marriage birth and death, and because of coalitions with the ultra religious the matter has not yet been passed into law. however strangely civil marriage is recognised from any country outside of israel . democray is always short in any country in a state of war ! even in the usa !

I believe that Arabic is still the second official language of the State of Israel, unlike Russian, Moldovan, Kurdish, Amharic or Maltese.

Sorry, Jacob, it is not that easy, on either account. I simply will not be part of your campaign for ethnic cleansing. I am part of the same people you are and the JStreeters are here to stay and becoming more vocal, despite your efforts. As for problems of school bussing and your example inthe Carolina's it doesnt hold. One, the US had admitted to its racist past and the vestiges that still hang on. The days of denial over that sad chapter in US history are over. Israel simply does not admit what is obvious. As for bussing, in the Israeli example seperate but not equal does seem to operate with segregated sections for women on the haredi busses and the refusal of the haredi public to use regular mixed seating buses. The question is do public busses in Israel also have their destinations written inthe two offical languages of the State... or has that second offical language been dropped due to racist legislation in which Arab citizens are given their token representation?

Apartheid (S. Africa) excludes an individual from mainstream society because of the person's race/religion. This is unacceptable. A nationalist movement (Zionism) that endeavors to promote and maintain a certain culture may exclude certain elements from that culture if those elements are unwilling to accept the nation's culture. This is totally acceptable. Imagine what would happen if Native Americans found US democracy unacceptable, refused to accept the prevailing govt., did not pay taxes, corroborated with enemies, and tried their utmost to cancel US democracy. In this case it would be beyond galling for the Native Americans to demand total equality. Nonetheless Israel has NO discriminatory laws on the books when it would be purely justified in the present situation since the Israeli Arab fits the intransigent, seditious citizen's description to a "T".

I often drive in Israel and Arabic signs are everywhere . The lower education level is just plain cultural , where woman are not permitted to educate and work . Still , the best Universities of Jerusalem and Haifa are full of Arabs . The social welfare is paid equally for every citizen of Israel . Just stand in front of any bank on the first of the month . This whole article a huge BS from the beginning to end .

Save your laudatory comments for true multiracial and multicultural countries. A country that will not allow Jews and non-Jews to marry is at best bigoted. They have to leave the country to get married. If a Pal is involved, he or she will probably not be allowed to live with his or her spouse in Israel. Israel has very explicit race-based laws on spousal residency. Israel is one of the most overtly racist countries in the world today, if not the most (Saudi Arabia?), with distinct property laws for Jews versus non-Jews and a persistent anti-Pal bias in the courts. Israel is not even close to being a "Western Democracy." See recent US State Dept. report to that effect. With regard to Israeli citizens, apartheid may be a stretch because Pals aren't a majority but the WB fully qualifies Israel as an apartheid state.

Written about America , France , England.....or any other country with a minority population . Minorities by nature grieve , find things to complain , most often baseless . I know , I am a minority immigrant myself . Arabs in Israel have a much better life , more economic opportunities , security , freedom then any Arab in any other Arab country . But even Among all advanced countries Israel stands out as the best in every indication of Arab well-being . Just try to ask any Arab to leave Israel , doors are wide open .

The Islamic Religion in practice is apartheid. Preaching hate and subjugation against infidels, all non-Muslims. Oppressing women and minorities. Engaging in ethnic cleansing, genocide, intimidation, and terror. The Palestinian pawns are Arabs who have never wanted to share. Once in power they behave like Jordan did between 1948 and 1967, destroying religious institutions of the "other", desecrating and expelling and subjugating the "infidel". Becoming like Saudi Arabia, Syria and Iran. Blaming Israel and the Jews for the sickness found in the Islamic and Arab tradition is part of Jihad and Global Apartheid sought by Mohammedans. Don't confuse the SKUNK with those resisting the SKUNK and getting the smell on them.

"The Arab world does not read. According to various reports, the Arab world is largely illiterate. Illiteracy in the Arab world is not 50%" Only those obsessed with race and mistakenly characterizing the Pals as arabs would quote such tripe. In fact, Pals are among the most educated Muslim societies, even on the WB, where there are several fine universties. Generalizations about arabs is irrelevant. This article provides no statistics on literacy among Israeli Pals, but if it is low, that is the fault of Israel for not offering equal education opportunites. BTW, Pal & Jewish males share a rare mutation of the Y chromosome and are closer to each other genetically than either are to arabs or europeans. You are the same race. It is culture, language and religion that divides you.

So communities don't get along and different cultures don't mix that well. This morning's NPR had an article about the problem of school bussing to create a diverse school system in the Carolina's . . . which failed. You are so eager to paint Israel with the most vile and disgusting traits that you act like a spurned lover. Do yourself a favor Yaacov and get that divorce.

French is one of the two "official languages" of the Olympics (English being the other). This means that in ALL Opening and Closing ceremonies, official announcements are made in both languages, REGARDLESS of the country of competition.

nor of the 100 languages spoken in israel

Arab citizens choose their representatives. They choose their level of participation in the government, in the armed forces, in all aspects of life. Indeed, you have Arab citizens participating in all things in Israel, including Israeli football teams. Sorry, but that's not Apartheid. Now perhaps the author would care to discuss the ehtnic cleansing of its Jewish population that occurred throughout the Arab world over the past 60 years.

My home, the Bahamas, was an apartheid state until three brave men, Cecil Wallace Whitfield, Lynden O. Pindling, and Arthur D. Hanna formed a peaceful political party to remove the British from control of the country. They won self rule in a free election in 1964 and Independence in 1973. When was the last/first free election in Gaza? The apartheid state is in Gaza and ruled by Hamas.

Who are you fooling. Why don't you tell the minorty language. Which language are we mentioning? French or English. Is French a Minority language in Canada! What I know is two languages are at the same level. In Quebec the first language is French, if you don't know learn. You've rather to give me an example about not a French language but a true minority language like native Indian native North American language. This is a typical twisting everything upside down. Israel would change the writings when they would equate us in generating wealth like the French people does in Canada. Aby

Even before the State of Israel was established, Jewish leaders consciously sought to avoid the creation of a segregated society. Since the United Nations Conference on Racism in August of 2001, anti-Semites and racists have tried to delegitimize Israel by calling it an apartheid state. Their hope is that this false equation will tar Israel and encourage measures similar to those used against South Africa, such as sanctions and divestment, to be applied to Israel. The comparison is malicious and insults the South Africans who suffered under apartheid. The term ?apartheid? refers to the official government policy of racial segregation formerly practiced in South Africa. The whites sought to dominate the nonwhite population, especially the indigenous black population, and discriminated against people of color in the political, legal, and economic sectors. · Whites and nonwhites lived in separate regions of the country. · Nonwhites were prohibited from running businesses or professional practices in the white areas without permits. · Nonwhites had separate amenities (i.e. beaches, buses, schools, benches, drinking fountains, restrooms). · Nonwhites received inferior education, medical care, and other public services. · Though they were the overwhelming majority of the population, nonwhites could not vote or become citizens. By contrast, Israel?s Declaration of Independence called upon the Arab inhabitants of Israel to ?participate in the upbuilding of the State on the basis of full and equal citizenship and due representation in all its provisional and permanent institutions.? By Mitchell G. Bard http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/myths2/exclusives.html#a125

Ralph "Israel has been in a state of war with the Arab world for over 60 years;" Please do not resort to the big lie, that the case is a result of Arab non reciprocation to Israel's pursuit of Peace. Israel " Never " wanted peace over more land grab. And that is why she never responded to the Arab Initiative

for the other side and are therefore suspect. the segregation bothers me , but do you want to live next to some one who has the potential to blow themselves up and take your family with them.

Interesting point but the diffrence is that Bengali, Urdu, Gujarati and Polish are not official languages of Britain. Arabic is (or perhaps the racists in this government have changed that) a national, recognised language of the State of Israel. The situation would be more comparable to Quebec or Ireland/Eire. The police cars should have both languages on them, as should every other official body representing the State of Israel.

Listen to the words of Ruth Dayan in the interview she gave to this paper just a few days ago. She commented, very perceptively, that the various segments within the Jewish population cannot get along. How can one expect respect and a sense of civic duty to exist between the communities. Zionism was not set up that way. It is by its very nature meant to create an ethnocracy where one ethnos has rights that the other does not. The reality is hardly democratic. Ruth Dayan knows tha.

Intolerance is necessarily built in to the concept of a Jewish State. A homeland for Jews is one thing, but insisting on Israel as a Jewish State necessarily relegates its non-Jewish "citizens" to second class status at best, or dooms them to life under an apartheid regime at worst. The Zionist dream may have had some intellectual currency in the past, but it is a sorry goal for the modern age.

Why don't you look back in time a bit? What countries refused to take in the very people they ordered to rush out of their towns and fight the Jews? Only to refuse ther entrance into their own lands? Jordan, Syria, Libya, etc. And where would the Israelis go when you push them to the seas? The gas chambers? All I hear and read is how the Israeli's suppress the Arabs---there are no suggestions, no ideas for what would happen to those you would force to leave. Maybe that is because what the Arabs would do to the Jews is more heinous than just refusing them a home. The whole world sees what happens to those deemed as "Infidels".

Palestinians in Israel maybe equal by law but suffer social and institutional discriminiation. This must end. Calling discrimination (based on a very real war we are involved in) 'apartheid' only serves to distance Jews from your cause. I and many others get very frustrated with the hyperbole and exageration around the conflict.

Arabs did die for Israel. Just not necessarily with a uniform. What you don't seem to realize is that many of those who live in the towns and villages were forcibly shifted from elsewhere and that they have been paying in neglect and identity crisis both on municipal and national level for more than 60 years now. There are still "unrecognized villages". Ever thought why this should be? Ever looked at the doctors who treat you, care for you, cure you when you're sick? Ever looked at the people who drive our buses? Mr. Masalha just wrote a very perceptive piece for Israel. Shame you can't poke your head over the parapet for long enough to see that. When they "restructure" the IBA next time around let's see more room made there for Israeli Arabs not just in the back room, but up front. Let's have music programming that includes Arab music, let's hear what's going on. Let's open the windows. It's time for change

Israel probably is broke right now, just like the rest of the World. That is, with the exception of the Swiss who were smart enough to store it all away.

Really? What about the Haredi parasites who don't serve? And by the way, it's easy to tell someone else to serve when you're sitting thousands of miles away in Texas, afraid to use your real name.

"Israel is not perfect but the means for improvement is built in to the system" What the author makes plain is it is the very system that has failed the Arab community in Israel. Neither does pointing out Arab States deficiencies ameliorate one jot anything that Israel does vis a vis its own Arab population. The only thing that is 'built in to the system' is systematic discrimination and negligence. no handful of judges nor gaggle of MK's can rectify it either. That is supported by the fact that all this has been in the public domain for many years, WITHOUT the so called 'built in' elements of the 'system' being able to do anything to alleviate the problems: "The commission also concluded that the state's longstanding neglect of and discrimination against Israel's Arab sector was the central underlying reason for the mob violence." Or Commission Report, Part One, Chapter A, p. 7. 2003.

Does Mr. Masalha believe that Israeli Arabs should be required to serve in the IDF or to perform equivalent National Service? (And before anyone asks me, yes, I believe that the charedim should be required to.)

Salman Masalha, who is a Galilean, is right in pointing out the glaring disparity between the principles stated in Israel' Declaration of Independendence and the reality on the ground. One can only appreciate that by travelling around in Israel and visit both predominantly Jewish areas and Arab areas. For those who refuse to believe that there is apartheid within the Green Line - or a glass wall as Jonathan Cook calls it - I would suggest reading Jonathan Cook's "Blood and Religion. The Unmasking of the Jewish and Democratic State" and "Apartheid Israel" by Uri Davis.

Of course more integration is needed...but seriously, articles like this are not the way to achieve it. Constant moaning about what is wrong and wallowing away...a bit pathetic. Barack Obama got to power in America by saying "Yes we can"....Arabs in Israel have to work hard to achieve things, but there is no reason why they can't do so. Step up, earn what you want. You live in an open society, you have all the opportunities there for you.

Not only Arabs are discriminated against, its Ethiopians, Russians, Anglo's anything and everything that is not Israeli.It does not matter that one might be a Jew from another country there is a great dislike for them. Unfortunately Arabs do take the brunt of this discriminatory behavior.

the Ottoman empire, the roman empire were full of violence. the Arab Israelis must discard all loves for violence the rest will be easy, and all human rights will be honored apartheid is a Chomsky, Marsheimer, Walt and Bennis smear and represent the usual anti-intellectualism of very intelligent people.

Israel does not discriminate on the basis of race and color. Arab citizens vote and are subject to the protection of the Law. This kind of exaggeration is what makes people like Masalha lose their credibility. It is possible to make real fair criticisms without falling into the trap of being an exaggerating propagandist.

Apartheid in arab countries is daily acceptable in the mideast . The Mideast is not Europe or any other part of the world where democracy has a natural presence . The absence of security as a result of radical islam & terrorism made israel live in a permanent state of war;exceptional time ! Even in the democratic countries in europe, like the UK, individual freedom & private rights are restricted by law. Israel is not hiding the fact that it is a Jewish State. Israel has no choice than to be so, because the jews in israel are the majority of the population. There are no laws in israel that restrict the right of any citizen but because of security problems israel have no choice but to apply the law with a very watchful eye on the security of all the country and that includes jews, palestinians & others ... Blaming israel as an apartheid state is part of the propaganda of those who hate israel. Whole hearted citizens not promote such an obviouse lie !

As much as i know, israeli arabs have always taken the side of those other arab nations against israel. They support the overthrow of israel. Do they get the short end of the stick. Sure but There are over 22 arab/muslim countries and not one of them understands and accepts the Jews connection to tiny Israel and their holy land. Pure greed and hate. contribute and stop your daily violence and hateful propaganda against jews.

Here we are taking the good time and trouble to get rid of every "Injun" ...and for what? So we can elect an "Injun" who doesn't want me to make Aliyah!!!

All young Israeli Arabs should do a civil service. They can't be asked to serve in the IDF as long as the occupation endures, it'd be inhuman to ask them to fight their own relatives in the West Bank. However, men could do three years and women two years of civil service, for instance helping in hospitals, schools, administrations... This would help them integrate better in Israel.

1)I see no reason why Israeli police vehicles in Arab populated areas should not have Arabic writing also 2) I see no reason why Arabs should not be part of the media conversation. 3) Abandoning Arab towns to violent gangs is wrong. Arab citizens also have the right to be protected from arbitrary violence and crime. But- 1) Arab citizens of Israel or a good share of them indicate repeatedly that they side with the state's enemies 2)Arab citizens of Israel do not as a whole (There is of course the Bedouin exception) join in the defense of the state. 3) Arab citizens of Israel start from a much lower level and therefore any expectation of total equality between the sectors is bound to mislead 4) Israel has provided its Arab citizens health and economic and educational benefits of a kind unlike those known before. 5)Israel should not be blamed for not wishing to especially help those who often openly proclaim they wish to destroy it.

There is a strong argument against the term "apartheid" being applied to Israel proper. What this article describes is state-supported discrimination and the resultant alienation, but is still far short of apartheid. But that doesn't make it right. And when Israel supporters like Michael F. and David Nigel Braham start defending Israel on the grounds that other countries are worse, they delegitimise Israel more than any Palestinian attack can. If you really think the best argument that can be put forward for Israel is "some other countries behave even worse", you condem Israel to being despised by the world - probably even, if you're honest, by yourselves And we all know that without the outside world, Israel cannot survive. So find better arguments.

with open arms. Before you shout discrimination Jews without Israeli passports who call for war on Israel etc are also expelled as a security risk or not allowed in. Do you realise the damage done by the likes of Sheik Saleh and Bashir.? Meanwhile feel free to look at what Arabs DO have in Israel and what the neighbours offer them.No problems for you there?

Point #2 Israel is a small island surrounded by Arab nations, making up about 1/500th of the Middle East. This small island of Israel has about 20% Arab of its population, these people who have full vote privileges, share buses, beaches, hotels and toilets with. Arabs constitute a proportionately representative presence in the Israeli Knesset. The only major difference between Arab Israelis and Jewish Israelis is that Arabs are not legally required to perform military service, which is otherwise compulsory to the majority of Jews. The linking of the word Apartheid to Israel is a misnomer, a complete lie and distortion of reality. But then again, as Goebells once was attributed to sating - "If you repeat a lie often enough, it becomes the truth."

You'll find the vast majority of them have 'writings in minority language'. And if you watched the opening and closing of the Olympics, you'd have heard the minority language being used there, too. (and seen the leaders of other minority groups being acknowledged as heads of state, even though their state is a part of Canada)

When will we see more Israeli Arabs stepping up to the plate and volunteering for the IDF? Israel is their country too; thus, they need to act like they love it or take the consequences and not complain.

A true and accurate read, and something we must strive for in Israel. The Palestinians with Israeli citizenship I encountered in Israel, always made a big deal out of the symbols of the state, not to talk of the distribution of state resources. Our right wing cynics keep dancing on the fact that Palestinian with Israeli citizenship are still better off in terms of social welfare than most of their neighbours in Lebanon, Syria and Egypt, but it is certainly not a reason to sit back quietly for us. Most of us here in the UK stand for the equality of "minorities," that our Jewish state finds it so hard to do best to its 20 percent large minority as we would have like to be treated in Poland, Russia, or Lybia and Eritrea, contradicts taking moral lessons from our very own history, or only chooses one lesson, namely to ensure Jews are always first in these post-shoa times. In Hendon, a Jewish suburb of London. in a short while a group called Israel Connect, run by the Zionist Federation, has an event with Mohammad Darawashe, Co-executive Director of The Abraham Fund Initiatives. It is great that the Zionist Federal body shows interest in the question of Palestinians with Israeli citizenship. But what concerns one is the title they have given to the talk. How to integrate Israel's Arab citizens, suggesting already in the title that it is the "Arabs" who have to integrate, not Jewish Israelis change their attitude towards their minorities and how they understand their state.

and of course arab treatment of women and other human rights !!!

Part 1: The true Apartheid After many long centuries of Jewish co-existence in the Middle East, in the period leading up to, and immediately after the establishment of the State of Israel, most Jewish communities were unceremoniously victimized, subjected to murderous riots, and forced from their homes and out of their host nations, often forced to leave their homes and wealth behind. One of those families just happens to be mine. After a 1000 year unbroken coexistence in Egypt, a vibrant Jewish community there is now no longer. The story of the Jewish community in Egypt has repeated itself again and again in different neighboring Arab nations. Some of these nations are just about devoid of all Christians and Jews. Saudi Arabia is the most blatant example.

I think all this "Israel is Apartheid" with its BDS (boycotts, divestments and sanctions), is just plain hypocrisy. There's a great satire by Janet Tiger called "May we please have the moon?". Google it and you'll see what I mean.

Endorsed 100%. He said it exactly the way it is. We know it's wrong. We need to do something about it, because it's not going to get better by itself.

I think, that for history not to repeat itself one last and fatal time, there has to be a Jewish state of Israel. Thousands of years of persecution, pogroms, antisemitism et al lead to the establishment of our small state in our historical homeland. It's not perfect, but we're trying... Can't you just leave us alone? And if you want to live with us and not your "brothers" in one of the numerous countries surrounding Israel, can't you do so without calling for our annihilation? What are our rights in respect to living in Saudi Arabia for example? How many Christians live in Mecca? Are Copts full and equal citizens in Egypt? Are Muslims represented in the same numbers in government, army, police in Germany? What about ethnic minorities in Congo, Darfur, Indonesia, Brazil, Sri Lanka and most if not all countries in the world? Why this fixation on Israel and its shortcomings? Will things change when we are gone? Will you only rest, when you have implemented the final solution? Peace...

but not an arab, I see every day the situations how there is a hierarchy between the different groups -not only between tha arabs but also depending what it is the origin of the people (Europe,Africa, russia, South-America, USA ,North-Africa and also Jewish Arabs). They are living in different areas of the cities, they have their own tv-programmes, they spent time together with the people of the same "culture (exept the religion) and some of them see themselves superior to the others. The mixt marriages are not seen with the "good eye". So the Israeli muslim arabs are really on the lowest lewel of this hierarchy in many way.

The language issue is all-important - even though most Arabs living here speak better Hebrew than the majority of Israelis! Arabic is our official second language and the language of the surrounding countries. It should be promoted not suppressed. But is its neglect apartheid? Apartheid was an official, explicit government policy that denied voting rights, jobs and the most basic civil rights to its citizens. It could still happen if things go on like they are, but it hasn't yet. Israeli Muslims and Christians are marginalized, ignored and neglected. They are socially excluded. Israel is far, far from the noble intentions expressed in the declaration of independence. It needs to be straight with itself and the Arabs need to use their vote.

Most of this is correct. Insularity and intolerance is rife inside Israeli Jewish society in the shape of religious neighbourhoods that are not haredi, such as Mishhav. However, similar phenomena obtain in our neighbouring countries and are not called apartheid. And the incidence of gated communities is not an exclusively Israeli one and does not earn the name apartheid in other countries either. Inexplicit, not to say hidden, Government policies that exercise prerogatives such as designating "nature reserves" and "military zones" to limit urban growth are the issues that need to be targeted, as do issues of regular invitees to TV chat shows (yes, there is Israeli national Arab TV too, but there, in stark contrast, the chat guests usually include a Jew). We do not get to hear our Arab citizens frequently enough. We never get an Arab song on Hebrew-language Israeli National Radio. We never even get Mizrahi music these days although we used to!

"Otherwise it`s like saying that police cars in London should have the word "police" written in Bangladeshi, Gujarati, Polish, Hindi, Urdu, Mandarin etc etc." You overlook the fact that Israeli Arabs are the original natives of this land, and that all those minorities that you listed in London are immigrants. Also, Israeli law says that Arabic is an official language. I don't think British law says the same about Bangladeshi, Gujarati, Polish, Hindi, or Urdu. It's ok for you to overlook these facts as a way to convince yourself of your righteous positions, but this will not fly with people who know better!

"and this is the only accurate thing in his article." How can you judge what is true and what is not while living thousands of miles away? Have you ever been to an Arab village/city? Have you ever visited and Arab school? Have you ever seen Arab employees in any of the ministerial offices? Have you ever talked to an Israeli Arab about his/her daily lives? Most Israelis acknowledge the blatant inequality between all things Arab & Jewish. Even the government acknowledges these facts but fails to do anything to remedy the situation or do very little to impact the status quo. Turning a blind eye to these inequalities, or denying their existance is no different than what german citizens did when worse things were taking place in their country while pretending that they didn't know.

We are in a state of war with the Arab countries surrounding us. Israel's Arab population are a vibrant part of the Israeli democracy. Unlike the Japanese and Germans in the US during the second World war and unlike the Bahai, Kurds in countries where they are minorities.

to the system. You have access to the court system including Arab judges and your own politicians at every level. That is not apartheid. Apartheid is what your brothers do to you,but of course you would never afdmit that. Feeding each others delusions on everything being wonderful between Arab brothers and how much you love each other helps nobody,least of all yourselves.

" The Arab alienation from the police - a symbol of the regime - is apparent, among other things, in the absence of Arabic writing on police vehicles." Can you give me an example a country in this world the police vehicles has writings in minority language. How many shekels did pay tax last year? How many shekels did the Arab minority paid tax last year? Thats the mesauarement of to be a good citizen. How many shekels did the Arab minority get from state of Israeli budget? When we compare this numbers the Arab minority is not giving anything to Israel but in return is taking to much from Israeli state. The bottom line is start to generate wealth. Aby

You are correct, and sometimes when driving here I feel like Im in California not the middle east, funny thing is the only place I see Jews and Arabs working side by side is in the hospitals, then they finish their shift and go and live in separate worlds...but I never noticed the lack of Arabic on the police cars, just shows how well it's done.

Just imagine what life could be like in this beautiful country, if we wouldn't have to invest so much money into our defense "against enemies, foreign and domestic"? Don't you think we want our youth to be able to go to a discotheque without being blown to bits? Do you think it is "fun" to pass an armed guard at the entrance to our kindergartens? In our own country? I'm not even talking about the school in Cologne my 13 year old daughter attended a few years ago. In Cologne, Germany! What has that got to do with Israel? Or is it because we're Jews and it doesn't really matter where we live in this world? Just yesterday she was physically and verbally attacked on a bus riding home from school while she was trying to explain to her best friends (one Muslim, the other Christian!) what the Torah is! Nobody came to their help and the attacker got away. There just has to be an Israel. So, live with us in peace, or leave us in peace...

To the writer, "apartheid" is the feeling that your culture does not dominate the society in which you live. There are dozens of countries in the world with ethnic minorities that could have written this article, and none of them are thought to experience "apartheid". None of the anecdotal evidence in the article comes close to demonstrating any of the policies approaching apartheid. He's upset that Jewish police don't hassle him more? That's the kind of discrimination I could go for. This is utter nonsense and propaganda

What about all the years of Arab occupation of Jerusalem? Most of the Old City was occupied by Arabs who took by force most of the city. They gave no reason except WE deserve it. There is no mention of Jerusalem (Peace be upon Jerusalem) in the Koran or teachings of Mohammaed. So the Arabs are just opportunist thieves.

How many Arab countries have Jewish members in their government? Would an Israeli Arab move to an Arab country to improve his/her life? (Democracy,Jobs). Can an Arab in an Arab country critisize the government without fear of arrest or harassment? Is there a newspaper like Haaretz in arab countries where people can freely critisize the Government without fear of arrest or harassment?

During the real apartheid it was illegal for two people of a different race to have sex together. (See immorality act.)I am unaware of any such law in Israel. In apartheid South Africa it was illegal for different races to use the same toilet. (See group areas act.) I am unaware of any such law in Israel. Please find a more appropriate term

I think, that for history not to repeat itself one last and fatal time, there has to be a Jewish state of Israel. Thousands of years of persecution, pogroms, antisemitism et al lead to the establishment of our small state in our historical homeland. It's not perfect, but we're trying... Can't you just leave us alone? And if you want to live with us and not your "brothers" in one of the numerous countries surrounding Israel, can't you do so without calling for our annihilation? What are our rights in respect to living in Saudi Arabia for example? How many Christians live in Mecca? Are Copts full and equal citizens in Egypt? Are Muslims represented in the same numbers in government, army, police in Germany? What about ethnic minorities in Congo, Darfur, Indonesia, Brazil, Sri Lanka and most if not all countries in the world? Why this fixation on Israel and its shortcomings? Will things change when we are gone? Will you only rest, when you have implemented the final solution? Peace...

" since its establishment the state has not kept its promise" Did you do your homework to the state of Israel? Are you ready to be a first class citizen? Are you ready to die for Israel? Did you ask to yourself what can I do for Israel, what can I give to Israel. Most of all do you feel an Israeli. Ask this quesetions to your minority then want. If you want equality do your home work, not want but start to give, you'll get get you want if you give to this society. What did you gave to this society to you want. You get what you give. You don't want to give anything to Israel and want to be an Israeli. Blame yourself instead of Zionist regime. It's your way of thinking the sole culprit. I am not quilty, the others are responsible. Aby

....minorities. But the police cars in their parts of the land are as a matter of course written in French and Italian, that's not even a question.... So why should that not be possible in Israel..?? As I said, an absolute matter of course, if you respect the feelings of your fellow compatriots....

Have you ever notice that Arabs/Muslims never do anything wrong. If we were to believe your propaganda, you are pathetic weak individuals unable to control or influence the world around you and always a victim. So here are some facts to consider. You choose to provide political loyalty to the enemies of your state and this choice of yours locks you out of the political system. You choose not to serve in the Army, and then complain you do not get post army benefits. And the proof of your lie--the Druse--yes the Druse have some legitimate grievances but overall they engage the country they live in receive substantial benefit as a result. It is your choice not to engage the system, so you should not complain about the result

Then you need to answer the question in what language are the TV shows presented? Is this the proof showing Israel's apartheid behavior toward minority that is according to Masalha,refusing to integrate and see Jews as foreigners? Entertaining contribution to the apartheid week,thank you Salman.

-They've bled us white, the bastards. They've taken everything we had, not just from us, from our fathers and from our fathers' fathers. -And from our fathers' fathers' fathers. -Yes. -All right, Stan. Don't labour the point. And what have they ever given us in return? -The aqueduct. -Oh yeah, yeah they gave us that. Yeah. That's true. -And the sanitation! -Oh yes... sanitation, Reg, you remember what the city used to be like. -All right, I'll grant you that the aqueduct and the sanitation are two things that the Romans have done... -And the roads... -(sharply) Well yes obviously the roads... the roads go without saying. But apart from the aqueduct, the sanitation and the roads... -Irrigation... -Medicine... Education... Health... -Yes... all right, fair enough... -Public baths! -And it's safe to walk in the streets at night now. -All right... all right... but apart from better sanitation and medicine and education and irrigation and public health and roads and...

Salman Masalha's description is bitter and painfully accurate. However, not all seclusion and exclusion is limited to the Jewish side. Jewish women do marry Moslem men and move to their communities and convert. No Muslum Arab woman would dare let herself fall in love with a Jew. She would be massacred on the spot by her own family in the name of honor, religion, and culture. Women's rights,children's rights, envvironmental issues, animal rights and protection are just a few of the issues which still divide rather than unite the best people from both sides to start the process of full equal partnership . As one who is involved and committed to the guiding principles of the Declaration of Independence and Arab-Jewish social, political, economic and educational equality I see and feel the enormous complexity of this situation every day. Wost of all, BOTH SIDES see themselves as the eternal victim of the other's distrust and xenophobia, clearly a no win situation.

1. do not serve in the army or any alternative, 2.so they enter universities at 18 and not at 21 as jews, 3, they cheat on their taxes, paying many times less that is their proportion of 20% but 4. they take huge part -out of any proportion of20%- of social payments. 5. the last 2 points were true even under british mandate.

Ever since the establishment of the state of Israel the political leaders of the Arab inhabitants are fighting for one thing only: delegitimizing the state of Israel. there are only few which really fight for equal rights for their voters. uf Arabs in Israel wouldnt call for the distruction of the only state in the Middle Easty where they can acctually express themselves freely they would feel equality in other fields as well.

There are definitely issues and concerns around the status and treatment of Israel's Arab minority in a Jewish state, just as there are issues around the status and treatment of blacks and other minorities in the US, moslems in France and other European countries, non Moslems in most Arab/Islamic countries, etc... But this is not Apartheid, and when critics of Israel like this author through around the "A" word, one suspects it is because their main objective is to de-legitimize Israel completely, not advocate for more rights for the Arab minority. And what these critics also consistently ignore is that Israel has been in a state of war with the Arab world for over 60 years; one would have to have blinders on to fail to acknowledge how this has also colored relations between the Jewish and Arab communities in Israel.

Having spent time in Israel, living and working with my fellow Jews and Arabs, it is sad that they are not fully apart of the society. My experiences with Arabs in Israel has been one of friendship and trust. As Jews we need to make sure that all cultures in Israel are respected and encouraged, for they make Israel the great society it is today. Someday there will be peace, and Jews and Arabs will live together in harmony, G-d willing!

Yes, change required, but in order for Israel to fully integrate Israeli Arabs, the Arabs need to show allegiance to Israel!

"The Arab world does not read. According to various reports, the Arab world is largely illiterate. Illiteracy in the Arab world is not 50% like it says in the reports. I say that it is over 80%. Practically speaking, even those defined as not illiterate because they completed eight years of schooling, I consider illiterate. In this century, anyone who finishes elementary school can't really read. ..."We here [in Israel], with all our problems, and all the complexity of our situation, know deep inside that we are free, I mean, as far as thinking goes, and as far as the possibility of writing goes. We are freer to think than anyone in the Arab world." http://www.memri.org/report/en/0/0/0/0/0/0/1097.htm

How about saying something positive about Israel ?

so true: Hamas, Islamic Jihad, iz-addin

Funny how for such an oppressed people no Israeli Arab seems to be moving anywhere else. Nor are any of them interested in becoming part of a Palestinian state. Also rather interesting is that the Arab MK's seem to have no problem lambasting the state and calling for its destruction while living lavish lives on Zionist tax dollars. I don't know about all this Apartheid. In Eilat I saw more than a few Israeli Arabs enjoying their time on the beaches and night clubs while their Jewish counterparts where risking their lives performing military duty. As fro the cops not having Arabic on their vehicles...clearly the author has never been to Quebec where English is illegal on public notices and nearly totally absent. While in Israel Arabic is visible on almost every road sign and official posting.

Use intellectual discourse instead of radical and inflammatory rhetoric (words like apartheid) if you want your ideas to be taken seriously. You may be on to something important when you call for arabs to be included in television talk shows, but your use of the word "apartheid," which is emotionally charged and has no relevance to the situation, makes it so that even moderate Israelis and Jews don't want to work with you. You've shot yourself in the foot. Inequality does not equal apartheid and you make yourself sound uneducated when you use words like that.

"have no representation in the government or in "provisional and permanent institutions."and who are your representative? Arabs who prefer to travel to enemy countries and vilify the state that pays for those trips. Instead of applyng their legislative skills, they incite against their state.Enter any Mall,here, and find arabs shopping, uninhibited. Enter any hospital and see arabs treated to medical unavailable anywhere in the Mid-East.Tjis is a Jewish land, given to the Jews by G-d, and the only reason the Arabs are here is because they chose to because it's so much better a place than Damascus or Cairo where an article like this couldn't be printed because protesters of gov't policy are jailed.If you don't like it here where you are free to go wherever you want, live somewhere else.

I hope they using private money

The same could be said of the US before the Civil Rights movement. Canada has two official languages. And the US seems to be moving in that direction. Perhaps the Anglo-Saxons here should learn from Israel's example.

Even with the inequalities - which are improving daily - the Israeli Arabs have more rights than the Copts in Egypt, the Bahai in Iran and most of the rest of the Arab people who live in brutal dictatorships. You should try a little perspective sometime.

While there is some truth in what Masalha is saying, most of it is a load of bull. No representation in the government? Are there no Arab parties in the Knesset? Budgetary in-balances? They pay no taxes and when many of their cities and towns are given funds, they go to the few mafia bosses who control the communities and the money that was supposed to be spent on infrastructure ends up in the pockets of a few with huge houses up on the hilltops of the their towns. There are many examples of Arabs and Jews living and thriving together and they are growing in number. Do we have a way to go - absolutely and we should be encouraging this to happen. My advice to Salman is that he gets out of his shell and goes to the Galil to see these changes. It is also not surprising that the communities with the biggest changes are the ones not run by radical Muslim mafia clerics like the Christian, Druze and Beduin - they can learn from their brethren.....

....where is their Madiba?

One man one vote: yes On the statute books: no Elected Arab Israeli representatves : yes Arabic official language: yes Israeli Arabs majority in Israel?: no Where then is it apartheid ? Write about alienation from a country Arab israelis wish to destroy: yes Don't write about apartheid!

One man one vote: yes On the statute books: no Elected Arab Israeli representatves : yes Arabic official language: yes Israeli Arabs majority in Israel?: no Where then is it apartheid ? Write about alienation from a country Arab israelis wish to destroy: yes Don't write about apartheid!

Jordan and Saudi Arabia ban Jews from owning land altogether, much less practicing Judaism, fair representation, etc. But of course, the crazy left on this forum would not be complaining of "apartheid" in those countries.

Salman asks "How would the inhabitant of some Jewish locale feel if there were no writing in Hebrew on police vehicles, but only a foreign language?" Pretty strange, I suppose. I know that if I called the cops and the police car showed up with only Spanish markings, I would feel strange. But if I went to Mexico, I would feel strange if the police car was marked in English. I don't see the point. Wiki says Hebrew is the national language, so bingo, there is the answer, Salman. As for Arab gangs being in control of certain neighborhoods, maybe deportation to Gaza would be in order. More opportunity there for violent expression. People should never have their desire for expression stifled. Besides, if you arrest Arabs for criminal behavior, you get the Left all upset.

Sadly that is the case - or to paraphrase "live like dogs or leave".

The situation is similar in many parts of the world... Its the same situation for ethnic Chinese and Hindus in 'democratic' Malaysia where combined they make up 40% of the population. Similar situation in Indonesia. Some call it democratic, some say no. But this model (and its many variations) is common where there is a majority ruling a minority that relatively speaking end up with less power then they desire or consider equal. Not every country can be like US, Canada, Australia, etc... Sure countries like Israel and Malaysia claim to be fully democratic, but when the country primarily serves a majority, these imbalances are going to occur. Just take a look at all the countries that call themselves "democratic" or a "republic" and check on the internet how minority groups in those countries are doing. This is why minorities emigrate to countries like the US, Canada, etc. - more equality and opportunity. So get over it. Or start preparing your visa application.

Disloyal, disrepectful, always complying Arab liars don't deserve to live in the Jewish state.

The Palestinians did not come to the country, the country came to them. Your example does not apply to them because you only listed immigrants, not natives.

It kind of reminds me what life must be like for all the Jews living in one of the 56 countries that classify themselves as Islamic....oh wait, there are no Jews left in any of those countries (besides a few Jews who are too old to leave the Islamic Republic of Iran).

I am glad to see haaretz openly siding with writers who realize the problem of the occupation began in 48 not 67 and will only end when all of Palestine is returned to its owners. Tel Aviv is as much a settlement as Ofra.

No Arab writings on police cars? Maybe there should also be Russian and French writings as well? Arabs are just one of the minorities in Israel. When there are no Arab schools then there is accusation in discrimination, when they are - then there is accusation in segregation. Disloyal, disrepectful, always complaining - Arabs don't deserve what they get in the Jewish state. The total separation could be the only answer to all those baseless accusations. Arabs must to understand: Jews won't be able to tolerate them much longer if they will continue to act the way they do now.

By this standard, France, Germany, Britain, Poland etc, etc are all Apartheid states! In classic idiotic fashion, you've gone down the road Orwell warned of and rendered an other wise useful word totally meaningless....

Hamishim our subways, ATMS etc., are multi-lingual. Russian, Spanish, Chinese etc. Why? Russian for Russian Jews, and we have large numbers of Chinese and Hispanics and not all of them speak english well enough to understand. Yes, Hebrew is the national language but if you have a large segment of the population, the elderly, uneducated may not understand hebrew. Basically this has nothing to do with Hebrew being the main language or the fact that they should all learn hebrew (I'm sure the younger ones do) but a lot to do with practicality.

All citizens of Israel are equal before the law. All have the identical rights, although Arabs don't have all the obligations that other Israeli citizens have. If one is to truly seek equality between Arab and Jew, one should demand that all Arabs serve in Israel's security forces, as Jews do: in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), police, etc.

..again another use of the word without any justification or basis in fact. This is pure name dropping and jargon toting to get attention. By Salman's own admission, Arab Israeli's have equal rights on the statute books (the crucial element of Apartheid therefore being absent). Alienation is a far cry from Apartheid, and before writing such nonsense, Salman, should, I suggest, take a minute or two to examine the reasons for the Alienation. By his own admission, again, Arab Israeli's are a minority in Israel. Again, a crucial distinguishing factor. what country in the world would open its arms to a minority that (including its elected representatives) bemoans the very existence of the State? and of course, despite their vociferous attacks on the very institutions that provide them assistance, Arab Israelis have one man one vote. Come on: write something worth reading!

As a non-Jewish citizen of Israel, I was always wondering about the almost total absence of a large part of the population (actually, Masalha underestimates somewhat the 'minority'; there are 25% non-Jewish citizens - but agreed, not all of them are Arabs) in government, military, judiciary (except the token judge here and there, often temporary, i.e. non-tenured), police (except some lower ranks and again, a few token officers, mostly Druse), academia, TV, many public schools, kindergartens, neighborhoods, apartment buildings etc. Similarly, food laws for all public buildings are based entirely on religious Jewish rules. These 'minorities' are citizens, not immigrants/permanent residents as in many European countries or the US. It generates a very strange atmosphere. Even stranger, many Jewish Israelis will claim that the 'Arabs' don't want to participate. It's quite surrealistic.

Interesting points re: Insufficient policing of Arab areas; Insufficient Arab representation in Government, Media and Culture. Both of these need to be redressed right away, though it is my view that the process will be much easier once peace arrives and a Palestinian State lives peaceably alongside Israel. However, I don't agree that Hebrew is a foreign language to Israeli Arabs. They are Israelis in terms of civil life, even if politically, being Israeli is uncomfortable to them at times. Hebrew is the language of their country. Otherwise it's like saying that police cars in London should have the word "police" written in Bangladeshi, Gujarati, Polish, Hindi, Urdu, Mandarin etc etc.

The apartheid is well and alive in every facet of society, political, economic, cultural. Why not when one group is fed with propaganda of superiority. It justifies it's treatment with evil fallen upon them Palestinian had nothing to do with. One feels this apartheid the minute the planes touch down.

As the poet Salman Masalha puts it "poetry and lies have much in common" and this is the only accurate thing in his article.

Israel has a million plus arabs living in the State in much better conditions than any citizen in any arab country,exception to the milionaries and the royalty....Druze and Bedouin moslems serve the IDF.Do JEWS ENJOY THE SAME BENEFITS IN ANY ARAB "country"????THE ONLY APARTHEID IS IN THE arab/moslem "countries"...

All Israeli arabs want is a chance to be part of the collective Israeli society. A society that rejected and discriminated against them since the day the country was established. Koli Tikvah, i'm still hopfull that one day true democracy will prevail in our country

This Salman Masalha lunatic has a degree from Israel's Hebrew University. So he's an Arab educated in an Israeli university, and he spends his entire life trying to promote hate of Israel. And Haaretz as a newspaper enables him to do this.