THE LAST OF THE ISRAELI ARABS

DesertPeace
(Ben Heine cartoon)

"“I am an Israeli Arab”…. those words were said to me about ten years ago by my very dearest and closest friend. My response was…. “If that’s the case then I am a Jewish Palestinian”. My statement seemed to make as much sense (or not) as his did…. but things have changed.

Today one does not hear the term ‘Israeli Arab’ as often as one did ten years ago…. today there is a stronger identification with the Palestinian people and with Palestine itself.
One might ask why that is… there are many reasons. Firstly is the second class status that the Israeli Arab has endured while maintaining Israeli citizenship. He has been treated no differently than Palestinians living in the occupied areas. His villages suffered during Israel’s war with Lebanon last year but compensation for damaged property or lost wages have not yet come to light.Also keep in mind that ‘Arab Israeli’ villages and neighbourhoods are in many cases walled in or surrounded by electrified fences. This is to let the locals know that they are not viewed any differently from the Palestinians living in the occupied West Bank....."