Arabs are second-class citizens in Israel, a state set up explicitly as a Jewish homeland. Arabs have always been excluded from all coalition governments, and have gotten so discouraged about their rights as citizens, that they have stopped voting altogether. They are systematically discriminated against, in a thousand ways. The army is probably the most important unifying institution in the country, and the army is Jewish.
It is true that there is discrimination. But you have several of your facts wrong. Arabs are citizens de jure with the rights of citizens, the discrimination is de facto. Arabs are not excluded from government, there are Arab parties, Arab Knesset Members, and there have been Arab cabinet ministers. The Arab vote put Ehud Barak into power. It is not true that the IDF is Jewish. It is true that Arabs are not drafted, since they cannot be required to fight against their own kindred. Druze, who are also Muslim, are drafted, btw. Arabs can volunteer for the IDF and Bedouin often do - in fact a number of them have lost their lives in this intifada.
So, Arabs will never be happy living in a Jewish State, and Israelis will never live in an Arab State
You know, there are minority populations all over the Mideast, and sometimes they are miserable, and sometimes they are ok. The idea that it is uniquely horrible to be an Arab in Israel is one that is coming from Arab politicians and radicals, not the Arabs on the ground. I suggest that you look not to the people on the ground for the source of the problem, they have shown that they can adjust fine to peace. Look to the politicians who benefit from keeping the problem inflamed.
The history of the last 60 years, has been unremitting daily violence between the two peoples.
No, neither unremitting nor daily. More the situation of 95% of the people getting along fine, and 5% intermitently trying to blow it up. There have been long periods of peaceful coexistence, and places that still manage it even today - look at Haifa. When looking at the violence of the intifada, you also have to look at the malicious influence of the Arafat thugocracy and the incitement it preaches. |
