Wed., January 04, 2006 Tevet 4, 5766
Barakeh: Arabs who support Zionist parties are bribed
By Yoav Stern, Haaretz Correspondent
MK Mohammed Barakeh (Hadash-Ta'al) harshly criticized Israeli Arab citizens who vote for Zionist parties on Tuesday, saying, "These are people who are bribed or receive benefits," he told Haaretz. "They are mistaken if they think that will be the source of their life preserver."
Polls indicate that Kadima and Labor will receive a number of mandates from the Arab sector in the upcoming March elections. Barakeh expressed concern that the Arab parties would disappear due to low voter turnout. He praised Jewish citizens who vote for his party. "They are the brave people who go against the mainstream."
Barakeh criticized what he regards as the accepted method in the country; Arab citizens, he says, are subjects rather than citizens of the state.
"I am not loyal to the country. The country must be loyal to me. The country is supposed to serve the citizens, rather than the citizens worshipping the state," he said.
According to Barakeh, many in Israel demand that Arabs citizens prove their loyalty, while the country does not regard them as legitimate citizens and does not grant them equal rights.
Hadash will hold party primaries in ten days to determine its Knesset list. Barakeh will likely be the only contender for the party's top slot and will serve another term as the party's chairman.
Barakeh refused to answer questions regarding a proposal made by MK Avigdor Lieberman (National Union) to transfer areas populated by Israeli Arabs to the control of the Palestinian Authority.
"I am not prepared to discuss whether my existence is legitimate. Demography is a nickname for race theory." Barakeh said that he recognizes the right of the Jewish people to self-determination in the state of Israel, and said that if Arab citizens are given equal rights in the state, their quality of life will go up and birth rates would go down.
haaretz.com |
