Arabs are demanding cultural, religious and
educational autonomy, and the right to veto government
decisions on national issues that affect them.
The Higher Arab Monitoring Committee Tuesday released a
document entitled "The Future Vision of the Palestinian
Arabs in Israel." It stipulates that Israeli Arabs will
demand that during the next two decades Israel become a
binational state alongside an independent Palestinian
state.
Monitoring Committee officials say the document is a
cornerstone in the history of the Israeli Arabs, as it was
produced by the Monitoring Committee and sponsored by the
local authorities committee, two bodies representing all
the political factions of the Arabs in Israel.
"Our main objective is to ignite the spark of the
political debate on the future of the Palestinian Arabs in
Israel," said Shawki Hatib, chair of the Monitoring
Committee.
The document demands that Israel recognize the Arab
community as a national minority with the right to be
represented in international forums. Jewish Israelis need
not see it as a threat, Hatib said.
The document has eight chapters, each outlining the vision
regarding land policy, economic development, education,
etc. The chapter about relations with the state does not
say that Israeli Arabs recognize Israel's Jewishness, but
that they are willing to see it as a "joint homeland" for
the two nations.
"This means we recognize the Jewish nation's rights in
Israel as individuals and a group. But not at the Arabs'
expense. We will respect each other if they respect our
rights," said Dr. Asad Ghanem, a political scientist, who
wrote the chapter.
The chapter presents Israel as a state created by
colonialism, which grew strong due to the increased Jewish
migration to Palestine in the wake of World War II's
consequences and the Holocaust. It says Israel imposed a
colonial policy on its Arab citizens, including
confiscation of their land and redefining the culture as
Jewish.
The document demands changing the state's symbols. "After
60 years we must grow up and speak the truth. This state
must contain both groups on all levels. Let the Jews have
Zionist symbols in their space. I support that. But why
impose those symbols on me?" asked Ghanem.
The chapters presented Tuesday will be part of a book to
be published by the Monitoring Committee. It was initiated
by Hatib, prepared by the local authority heads' committee
and financed by the United Nations Development Program
(UNDP).
"The Or Committee also ruled that the Israeli Arabs'
weakness is the lack of group rights. That was written by
a Jew, and nobody felt threatened, but when the Arabs say
it, it's threatening," he said.
The chapter about the Palestinian state says the Israeli
Arabs support the establishment of a Palestinian state
adjacent to Israel. It would belong to the Palestinian
people, while Israel would be a binational state, as it
has a Jewish majority and a large Arab minority. It calls
for setting up a democracy constituting a coalition of
Jews and Arabs in Israel. Each side would run its own
affairs and each would have a right to veto the other's
decisions.
The document says the Arab public does not see Israel's
present government system as a democracy, and says Israel
is an ethnocracy, like Turkey, Sri Lanka, Latvia and
others.
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