The women took the case to the special committee of the Nazareth EB, which disregarded their appeal. Only after four months, and after WAC appealed the case to Labor Court, were the women summoned to the Appeals Committee and their status as refusers canceled. As the above case shows, these Appeal Committees do not function in their stated role. Many registered refusers wait months for a hearing. All forms are in Hebrew, and the appellants often do not understand procedures.
Lines are long and staff few.
It all adds up to humiliating treatment. Even in its heyday, the Histadrut never fought the structural discrimination against Arabs in Israel's economy. The present Histadrut agenda has no regard for the lack of infrastructure and industry in Arab towns or the high rates of unemployment there. Arab public opinion, which is totally dominated by western values of success and influence, neglects working-class issues. In rural Arab society, where traditional habits of solidarity have been destroyed, one finds a total lack of working-class awareness.