page_title: Racism in Israel
section_title: Incidents
hierarchical_section_title: Racism in Israel / Groups subjected to racism / Racism against Israeli Arabs by Israeli Jews / Incidents
caption_attribution_description: English: Tombstone of Baruch Goldstein, Meir Kahane Tourist Park, Kiryat Arba, Palestinian Occupied Territories. Gravestone text (Hebrew Jewish acronyms are translated with dashes separating the words): Here-is-buried The Holy The physician Mr. Barukh Kappel Goldstein Blessed-be-his-holy-and-righteous-memory, May-the-L-rd-avenge-his-blood Son of Mr. Israel, who-in-contrast-is-still-alive-and should-continue-to-a-long-and-good-life-Amen Seventh generation of the Old Rebbe "Master of the Tanya" Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi Gave his life for the nation of Israel, its Torah and its land "Clean of hands and pure of heart" Born 5th of Tevet, 5717 Martyred sanctifying the Lord 14th of Adar, Purim 5754 May-his-soul-be-bound-in-the-bond-of-life עברית: קבר ברוך גולדשטיין, פארק התיירות ע"ש מאיר כהנא, קריית ארבע, הגדה המערבית. הטקסט על המצבה: פ"נ הקדוש הרופא ר' ברוך קאפל גולדשטיין זצוק"ל הי"ד בן ר' ישראל יבדלחט"א דור שביעי לאדמו"ר הזקן "בעל התניא" רבי שניאור זלמן מליאדי מסר נפשו למען עם ישראל תורתו וארצו "נקי כפיים ובר לבב" נולד ה' בטבת תשי"ז נרצח על קידוש ה' י"ד באדר, פורים תשנ"ד תנצב"ה
context_page_description: Racism in Israel encompasses all forms and manifestations of racism experienced in Israel, irrespective of the colour or creed of the perpetrator and victim, or their citizenship, residency, or visitor status.
  More specifically in the Israeli context, however, racism in Israel refers to racism directed against Israeli Arabs by Israeli Jews, intra-Jewish racism between the various Jewish ethnic divisions, historic and current racism towards Mizrahi Jews and Jews of color, and racism on the part of Israeli Arabs against Israeli Jews.
  Racism on the part of Israeli Jews against Muslim Arabs in Israel exist in institutional policies, personal attitudes, the media, education, immigration rights, housing, social life and legal policies. Some elements within the Ashkenazi Israeli Jewish population have also been described as holding discriminatory attitudes towards fellow Jews of other backgrounds, including against Ethiopian Jews, Indian Jews, Mizrahi Jews, Sephardi Jews, etc. Although intermarriage between Ashkenazim and Sephardim/Mizrahim is increasingly common in Israel, and social integration is constantly improving, disparities continue to persist.
context_section_description: In 1994, a Jewish settler in the West Bank and follower of the Kach party, Baruch Goldstein, massacred 29 Palestinian Muslim worshipers at the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron. During his funeral, a rabbi declared that even one million Arabs are "not worth a Jewish fingernail". Goldstein was immediately "denounced with shocked horror even by the mainstream Orthodox", and many in Israel classified Goldstein as insane. The Israeli government condemned the massacre and made Kach illegal. The Israeli army killed a further nine Palestinians during riots following the massacre, and the Israeli government severely restricted Palestinian freedom of movement in Hebron, while letting settlers and foreign tourists roam free, although Israel also forbade certain Israeli settlers from entering Palestinian towns and demanded that those settlers turn in their army-issued rifles. Goldstein's grave has become a pilgrimage site for Jewish extremists.
  In 2006, a stabbing incident took place when a gang of Russian immigrants chanting racist slogans stabbed and lightly injured Arab Knesset member Abbas Zakour, which was part of a "stabbing rampage" and was described as a "hate crime".
  The Mossawa Advocacy Center for Arab Citizens in Israel reported a tenfold increase in racist incidents against Arabs in 2008. Jerusalem reported the highest number of racist incidents against Arabs. The report blamed Israeli leaders for the violence, saying "These attacks are not the hand of fate, but a direct result of incitement against the Arab citizens of this country by religious, public, and elected officials."
  The Bedouin claim they face systemic discrimination and have submitted a counter-report to the United Nations that disputes the Israeli government's official state report. They claim they are not treated as equal citizens in Israel and that Bedouin towns are not provided the same level of services or land that Jewish towns of the same size are, and that they are not given fair access to water. The city of Beersheba refused to recognize a Bedouin holy site, despite a High Court recommendation.
  In late 2010, the number of racist incidents against Arabs increased. The events were described by the Defense Minister of Israel, Ehud Barak, as a "wave of racism". The most notable ones took place on 20 December 2010, when a group of five Arabs were driven from an apartment in Tel Aviv after their landlady was threatened with the torching of her home if she continued to rent out to Arabs, and on 21 December 2010, when a gang of Jewish youths was arrested in Jerusalem after carrying out a large number of attacks on Arabs. A girl aged 14 would lure Arab men to the Independence Park, where they were attacked with stones and bottles and severely beaten. The teens confessed to nationalistic motives. On 31 Oct 2010, a Jewish mob gathered outside of an Arab students' residence in Safed, chanted "death to the Arabs", hurled rocks and bottles at the building, shattering glass, and fired a shot at the building before dissassembling.
  In May 2011, two Israeli border patrolmen were charged with physical abuse against an Arab minor who was carrying firecrackers. The incident took place in March 2010. The youth was punched, knocked to the floor, kicked, and had death threats thrown against him by the officers. At a police station, the 17-year-old male was tricked by a female police officer into believing he was going to die. After making the prisoner go down on his knees, she allegedly pointed her pistol at him at point-blank range. It was not loaded, but the minor did not know this because his eyes were covered. According to the charges, she counted to 10, with the teen begging her not to kill him. She allegedly pulled the trigger, saying "Death to Arabs".
  
  She was later sentenced to 3 months in prison.
  In March 2012, two Arab males of Beit Zarzir confessed, after being arrested, to damaging a local school for Arab and Jewish students. They admitted responsibility for having sprayed on the wall of the school, "Death to Arabs". The school was sprayed twice in February wit
caption: Baruch Goldstein's tomb. The plaque reads "To the holy Baruch Goldstein, who gave his life for the Jewish people, the Torah and the nation of Israel."
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