From: bgdv706@utxvms.cc.utexas.edu (Noam Tractinsky)
Newsgroups: talk.politics.mideast
Subject: Re: Arab Jews are ARABS
Date: 5 Oct 92 06:39:53 GMT
Organization: University of Texas @ Austin

In article <1992Oct4.173607.3799@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu>, kshammou@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Khaled J Shammout) writes:

			[....]
 
>      First of all, you know that there are many privileges tied with the
> military service in which only Jews serve, (in addition to the minorty group
> the Druze).  Therefore, the Arabs do not have the chance of getting many
> priviliges and services which require, as one of its conditions, the
> completion of military service.  Thus Arabs do not get many of those Housing
> loans, education scholarships, social security, tax breaks, etc...  And even
> those Druze who serve, usually end up in almost the same diprivation of such
> priviliges because they are considered minorty group, despite their military
> service.


	You've raised an important issue. The current arrangement
	according to which Israeli Arabs are not required to serve 
	in the military serve both Jews and Arabs quite well. The
	Arabs get the privilege of not wasting three of their best
	years and not having to face a very difficult conscience 
	conflict. The Jews, on the other hand, don't have to deal 
	with suspected loyalty in their most sensitive organization 
	and save the money associated with those privileges. A propo, 
	to the best of my knowledge there are some Arab _volunteers_ 
	in the IDF (that is, the road is not hermetically closed). 

	The problem is that both the Jewish and Arab establishments 
	seem to be quite satisfied with the status quo. While it is 
	understandable why there should not be a compulsory military 
	service for Israeli Arabs, I am not aware of any serious 
	attempts (from either side) to find an alternative to this 
	problems. The most salient alternative that comes to mind 
	is the idea of "national service" in which Arabs will serve 
	3 years as teachers, builders, paramedics, etc., either in 
	Arab settlements or in the country at large. Upon completing 
	their service they'll be granted all the privileges of those 
	who served in the military.

	As I said, I'm not aware of any serious attempt at such a 
	solution, which makes me suspicious about the true motives 
	of both sides. As long as such a solution remains a far 
	fetched dream, I can only tell you that those who spend their 
	best years in a military service, then considerable period of 
	time in the reserves service, and who are required to risk 
	their lives for some agency (the state),  deserve to get 
	something back from this agency (i.e., the privileges you're 
	talking about). As to those who didn't serve, believe me,
	they have much more privileges built into their non-service.	 
	

>      Also, there are certain areas in Israel where non-Jews are not allowed,
> BY LAW, to live there.  Such as the village of CARMIEL, where non-Jews are not
> allowed to live there nor are they allowed TO OWN A BUSINESS (this is the so
> called Israeli DEMOCRACY !!!!).  Not only that, now that village have
> incorporated the land of three neighboring ARAB villages (in an effort to make
> the entire area PURE JEWISH) and are forcing the Arab inhabitants out of their
> villages.  One of these Arab villages is called Rumayya and their case is still
> hanging in the Israeli supreme court (I think it is called the Supreme court).


	I think you are mixing here half truths and complete lies. BTW,
	if there's such a law, why are the villagers trying to get the
	court's remedy? Can the court rule against the law?


>      And what about the Kiputzim,  in which Arabs were not allowed, by law, to
> becaome members.  But then when the government noticed that many kiputzim were
> employing Arabs, as cheap labor, it (the ISRAELI GOVERNMENT) passed a law which
> prohibits even employing Arabs.  And you talk about the so called Israeli
> Democracy.


	This is pure fantasy. Complete non-sense. However, if this were
	true, I'd attribute such a law to the government's bashing of
	the kibutzim even more than to its bashing of Arabs {:-)


>      And finally, what about all those special rights and priviliges that are
> offered ONLY to the new comers to Israel.  And guess who the new comers are???
> Jews, of course.


	Sure Jews. Who else would like to go to such an evil country?

                                                               
> Khaled Shammout

Noam
Newsgroups: talk.politics.mideast