Monday, April 28, 2003

"It is no secret that Arab Israelis face constant discrimination, either open or institutional, in virtually all walks of life. Although they constitute nearly 20% of the population, their representation in many publicly or privately owned corporations, such as the Israel Electric Corporation or Bezeq, is minuscule - and non-existent when it comes to top management. The same can be said with respect to government ministries. Whenever this fact is pointed out, various non-convincing excuses are trotted out..." -The Jerusalem Post July 15, 1999 "Equal rights, equal responsibilities"
No secret for Israelis in Israel yet in America it is basically a secret. A secret that the mainstream media does an efficent job keeping.
Note: Here in America, exucuses are really not necessary since mainstream media doesn't make the public aware of these facts.

Descrimination against Arabs: The Racist System against Israeli-Arabs imposed by Israeli-Jews.
Examples of this can be found in "Israel's Changing Society", written by Calvin Goldscheider.
Calvin Goldscheider is an Israeli citizen. He was educated in Israel, served in the Israeli military and taught at Hebrew University. His book, "Israel's Changing Society," gives clear examples of the racism of Israel. The differences between Arabs and Jews are striking. Mr. Goldscheider said, "If you ask any Israeli, they will say the Arab-Israelis have the right to vote, have the right to work in this society and have been thoroughly integrated into the economy." But Goldscheider said, "this integration has led to their thorough discrimination." according to his research of the data from the Central Bureau of Statistics of Israel.

Goldscheider explained that by being integrated into the Israeli economy, Arabs have been kept under control. "They have to work for Jews. They don't have control over their own lives. Arab-Israelis who are educated have a very difficult time translating that into better jobs, if they don't control the economy."

Take, for example, an Arab and a Jew applying for a job. "They are both equally qualified," Goldscheider said. "But who do you think gets hired? My cousin or the individual who has been demonized by the society as a whole?"

Goldscheider equated the Arab-Israelis to the blacks of America, a position that is greeted with vehement opposition from fellow Israelis - not because the Arabs are the blacks, Goldscheider said, but because "the Jews don't want to be seen as the white oppressors."
In addition to seving in the IDF (the Israeli Military)m he is a professor of sociology and Judaic studies.

Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
http://www.bayefsky.com/themes/equality_employment_concluding-observations.php

Israel, CERD, A/53/18 (1998) 30 at para. 84.

The State party should reinforce its efforts to reduce the persisting gap between the living standards and the involvement in national affairs of the Jewish majority and the Arab minority. This should be done in a manner consistent with the measures adopted for assisting the integration of Ethiopian Jews. The State party is encouraged to adopt new labour legislation in order to secure the protection against ethnic discrimination of the rights of Palestinians working in Israel on a daily basis. The rights of migrant workers, including undocumented workers, are also a matter of concern.

Israel, ICCPR, A/53/40 vol. I (1996) 45 at para. 308.

Deeply embedded discriminatory social attitudes, practices and laws against Arab Israelis that have resulted in a lower standard of living compared to Jewish Israelis, as is evident in their significantly lower levels of education, access to health care, access to housing, land and employment, are of serious concern. That discrimination against members of the Arab minority appears to be extensive in the private sector is also of concern. The State party is urged to take steps without delay to ensure equality to Arabs and to proceed as soon as possible with the planned formulation of a draft law on discrimination in the private sector and to adopt it at an early date.

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