| ARABS
AND MUSLIMS IN ISRAEL
The freest Arabs, Christians,
Jews and Muslims in Mideast are Israelis
Even
after the "Palestine Liberation Organization" got authority
over 95% of the Arab Palestinian population in the Gaza Strip and
the West Bank, the more than one million Arab Palestinians in Israel
chose to continue to live under Israeli sovereignty in the Jewish
state of Israel rather than choosing to live under the all-too-unfortunate
oppression which is the lot of their Arab and Muslim brothers throughout
the Middle East.
77% of Israeli Arabs would even live nowhere else than in Israel.
Moreover,
millions of Arab Palestinian imagined "refugees" desire
to "return" living in Israel.
Arabs
in Israel have equal rights under the law
Arabs in Israel can vote for whoever they want
Arabs in Israel can worship freely
Arabs in Israel are entitled to the full same state education as
all other Israelis
Arabs are members of the Israeli parliament and ministers in the
government
Israeli
society gives more opportunity to Arabs than do Arab states to their
own citizens. Israeli Arabs and Muslims have the right to vote and
to hold public office, like every other Israeli citizen. Nearly
one-10th of the Knesset, Israel's parliament, is Arab; there is
a mosque in the Knesset building for those who are Muslim. One of
the justices of Israel's Supreme Court is an Arab Muslim; so is
a minister in the Israeli cabinet. Arabs are active in Israeli commerce,
media, education, and law. For
headstrong Arabs, bent on protest, Israel is in every respect a
paradise compared with any other state in the Middle East.
Arab
Israeli wins Maccabiah gold
Arabs
volunteer for combat units of the Israel Defense Forces
First
female Arab soldier joins elite Israel Defense Forces unit 669
Arab
security guard a 'hero for the State of Israel'
Arab
student wins Zionism contest
One-third
of Arab households in Israel get government support as their main
source of income
A secure and prosperous Israel benefits Arabs: over 100,000 illegal
aliens have left Arab lands to reside in Israel
Arab
Palestinians who cling to Israel
Rana
Raslan, an Arab woman, was crowned Miss Israel
 Israeli
Arab Bnei Sakhnin wins State Cup Final (Haaretz, May 19, 2004):
"Sakhnin owner Mazen Ghnaim said 'many Jews and Arabs from
the Galilee came to cheer us on. Sakhnin is a great example of coexistence.'
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon offered his congratulations to the team
and said he was certain Bnei Sakhnin would represent Israel honorably
in European matches. ... Bnei Sakhnin fans heading back north after
the Ramat Gan game caused traffic jams when they stopped for a spontaneous
celebration at the Fureidis junction. Israeli Arab towns across
the north were celebrating the Bnei Sakhnin victory."
 Compare
Freedom Score of Israel (Free)
versus 22 Arab regimes & Iran
(18 Not Free, 5 Partly Free), Source: Freedom
House (PDF, 187 KB)
Compare
Human Development Index of Israel (0.905), 22
Arab regimes (0.662) & Iran (0.719)
(PDF, 670 KB) Source:
United Nations Human Development Report 2003
Compare
Corruption Index of Israel (7.3), Germany (7.3) and USA (7.7)
versus 22 Arab regimes & Iran
(1.7 - 5.5), Source: Transparency International
(PDF, 1.8 MB)
99.5%
of U.S. Congress Commends Israeli Democracy (Feb 11, 2003)
( PDF, 31 KB) The House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly
to “commend the people of Israel for reaffirming their dedication
to democratic ideals”. The resolution, which passed
411-2, also reaffirms the “close bonds
of friendship” that have “bound the people of the United
States and the people of Israel together through turbulent times
for more than half a century,” and urges the Palestinian leadership
to act on President Bush’s June 24, 2002, call to elect new
leaders, dismantle the terrorist infrastructure, end incitement
and embrace democracy.99.5%
of U.S. Congress Commends Israeli Democracy (Feb 11, 2002)
Why
Arabs love Israel (Joseph Farah, WND, Apr 9, 2003): "Arabs
in Israel vote. They elect leaders to the Knesset [Israeli parliament].
They have their own political parties. They have their own newspapers.
They have full rights to citizenship. They are free to speak their
minds. As an Arab-American journalist who has spent a good deal
of time covering the region, I can tell you there is more freedom
for Arabs in Israel than in any Arab state."
The
freest Arabs in the Middle East: List of 12
Arab members of 15th Israeli Parliament (out of 120
MPs in the 15th Knesset).
The
sole Arab parties in
the Middle East participating in free elections send members to
the Israeli parliament (where they use the Western freedom of
speech to criticize Israel and can praise Iran
and 22 Arab police regimes). The only freely
elected Arab parliamentarians in the Middle
East are members of the Israeli
Parliament - in Jerusalem. The only court in the Middle East
from which an Arab or a Muslim can expect justice is the Israeli
Supreme Court - in Jerusalem - which is one of the most highly
regarded in the world. Israel is the only place in the Middle East
where an Arab or Muslim can freely criticize his government.
List
of 28 parties
running in the elections for the 16th Israeli Parliament (Jan 28,
2003), including 4
Arab parties and other parties with an "Arab" agenda or
Arab candidates
The
Jerusalem Times is published by Palestinians in Jerusalem -
under Israeli rule. So are Al-Quds,
Palestine
Report, and others. Ironically, the only free Arab press in
the Middle East is published in Israel. The Israeli freedom of speech
allows Palestinian journalists to criticize Israel and praise Arab
police states, tyrannies and theocracies.
Israel:
religious freedom for all - including Moslems
Moslems
at Al-Aksa Mosquein
Israeli capital Jerusalem
Christian
churches in Jerusalem/Israel (Israeli Yellow Pages) - At the
same time as Christians are fleeing the Palestinian Autonomy Israel's
Christian population is increasing
Freedom
for all religions in Israel
vs. religious apartheid in Saudi
Arabia and
Palestinian Autonomy:
 
Palestinian
National Authority Official Website, Jul 2, 2003: "President
Arafat Condemns Israeli Decision to Allow Non-Muslims into Al-Aqsa
... Officials from the Waqf—the Islamic trust running the
site—banned Jews and other non-Muslims from visiting the site
..."
A
mosque in Rome? Sure. A non-Muslim in Mecca? No. (Jonathan V. Last,
Wall Street Journal, Aug 29, 2003): "If you judge by the
pictures, the Makkah Hilton is a nice place to stay. There's just
one catch, as the Web site notes. The five-star hotel 'is exclusively
sited within the Holy City which, by
national and religious law, is only accessible to visitors of the
Muslim Religion.' This law is something of a
singularity among major religions, because it isn't merely the Grand
Mosque that is off-limits to nonbelievers, the way, for instance,
a Mormon Temple is. It's a city--a major city with hotels, supermarkets,
schools and a population of 1.2 million people. (The city of Medina,
population 700,000, also forbids non-Muslims.) ... The ban sometimes
creates logistical woes. Companies that rely on skilled workers
often resort to using auxiliary offices outside the city. Ms. Mackey
tells of the building of a hotel
designed by a Western architect. The Saudis refused to allow him
into the city and, she writes, 'insisted that he stand on a hill
outside of town and direct the work through a telescope.'
... But even at the State Department, the ban rankles. 'Every religion
needs to have its own freedom of assembly and be able to protect
the integrity of its holy places,' said one State Department expert.
'But it's just absurd that it goes to these great lengths. . . .
Even if you don't care about lofty
ideals like religious freedom or openness, we're starting to see
some real connections between religious intolerance and terrorism.'"
Official
website of Makkah Hilton Hotel, Saudi Arabia (Aug 30, 2003):
"... this hotel is only accessible to visitors of Muslim religion."
Official
website of Madinah Hilton Hotel, Saudi Arabia (Aug 30, 2003):
"... this hotel is only accessible to visitors of Muslim religion."
Saudi
Arabia's Apartheid (Colbert I. King, Washington Post, Dec 22, 2001):
"He said he and his wife were amused
to read early press reports from Afghanistan about the oppression
of women and religious minorities. 'Virtually everything described
there was taking place in Saudi Arabia, with the exception that
at least the Taliban permitted other religions to exist in their
country. This is absolutely forbidden in Saudi Arabia.'
.... One
of the (still) untold stories, however, is the cooperation
of U.S. and other Western companies in enforcing sexual apartheid
in Saudi Arabia. McDonald's, Pizza Hut, Starbucks, and other U.S.
firms, for instance, maintain strictly segregated eating zones in
their restaurants. The men's sections are typically
lavish, comfortable and up to Western standards, whereas the women's
or families' sections are often run-down, neglected and, in the
case of Starbucks, have no seats. Worse, these firms will bar entrance
to Western women who show up without their husbands. My wife and
other [U.S. government affiliated] women were regularly forbidden
entrance to the local McDonald's unless there was a man with them."
TREATMENT
OF CHRISTIANS AND JEWS (AND OTHER INFIDELS) IN SAUDI ARABIA, SPIRITUAL
CENTER OF ISLAM (World Travel Guide):
Arabic
is one of the official languages of the State of Israel:
Israeli
stamps, Israeli
money,
Israeli
State Comptroller and Ombudsman website
Israeli Supreme
Court website, Israeli
Parliament website
Entrance
of the State Comptroller and Ombudsman's 's official Arabic website(Feb
3, 2004)
Entrance
of the Jerusalem Municipality's official Arabic website(Jan
7, 2005)
Entrance
of the the Israeli Parliament's official Arabicwebsite
(Feb 3, 2004)
 Friday
Sermon on Palestinian Authority Television (MPG,
4.2 MB): "... I
pray to Allah that we live to see the usurping Knesset [Israeli
Parliament] collapse on the heads of the Jews ..."
The
Arab Population of Israel (Israel
Central Bureau of Statistics) (PDF,
201 KB):
"8 times its size in 1948." - one
of the world's highest annual growth rates (3.92 p.a.).
If
you're a headstrong Arab or Iranian, bent on protest, Israel is
in every respect a paradise compared with any other state in
the Middle East:
In Lebanon, don’t try speaking out against
the Syrian occupation. You won’t live long.
In Saudi Arabia, don’t try converting from Islam. You won't
live long.
In Somalia, don’t try refusing sexual mutilation of your sister.
She and you won't live long.
In Tunisia, don’t try saying the government is corrupt. You
won't live long.
In Egypt, don’t try being a homosexual. You won't live long.
In Sudan, don’t try being a separatist. You won’t live
long.
In Iran, don’t try having an affair. You won’t live
long.
In Iraq, don’t try to be a party activist. You won’t
live long.
In Algeria, don’t try to be suspected of Islamism. You won't
live long.
In Libya, don’t try asking about her role in international
terrorism. You won’t live long.
In Mauritania, don’t try helping a slave run away. He and
you won’t live long.
In Syria, don’t try throwing stones at police. You won't live
long.
In Oman, don’t try demonstrating for women rights. You won’t
live long.
In Morocco, don’t try saying Arab Saharawis have been displaced.
You won’t live long.
In Yemen, don’t try apostasy. You won’t live long.
In the Palestinian Authority, don’t try supporting democratic
Israel. You won’t live long.
Compare:
Palestinians in Lebanon (Julie Peteet, World
Refugee Survey 1997): "Despite international law governing
the treatment of refugees, the Lebanese state implemented laws to
restrict Palestinians in a variety of ways. In 1962, legislation
placed Palestinians on a par with foreigners so that their gaining
employment required a work permit. While Palestinians circumscribed
this requirement for nearly two decades, the post-1982 period has
witnessed its vigorous implementation. For example, Decision no.
289/1, issued by the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs on December
18, 1982, set out the categories of employment closed to foreigners,
which range from banking to barbering. The ministry also issued
a circular detailing the arenas of work open to foreigners, with
work permits, as: 'construction workers and workers in ancillary
tasks, excluding electrical installations, sanitation facilities
and glass mounting; agricultural workmen; tanning and leather workers;
excavation workers; textile and carpet workmen; smelters; sanitation
workers; nannies, nurses; servants and cooks; car wash and ubrication
workers.' In other words, Palestinians
are forbidden to work in all but the most menial of positions."
The
Legal Status of Palestinian Refugees and their Relation with the
Lebanese State (Nasri Saleh Hajjaj, Shaml, the Palestinian Diaspora
and Refugee Center)
  Palestinians
are driven from homes by armed Iraqis (Jack Fairweather, The Daily
Telegraph, Jun 9, 2003): For
all its golden words in support of the Palestinian cause, the [Iraqi]
government refused to let them own their homes and restricted their
employment to manual labour ... While the Palestinian
cause may stir the passions of Arabs across the Middle East, Palestinians
themselves are often regarded with suspicion. Palestinian
militants were involved in civil wars in Jordan and Lebanon.
In 1991, hundreds of thousands
of Palestinians were evicted from Kuwait after
the emirate was liberated from the Iraqis. And in 1993 and 1994,
hundreds were evicted from Libya
on the grounds that Yasser Arafat had supported Saddam. Now it is
the Palestinians in Baghdad who
are the victims of the political upheaval."
Palestinians
Expelled by Libya Stranded (Salma Shawa, Washington Report, Aug/Sep
1996)
Who
Cares about Palestinians? (Arab-American journalist Joseph Farah,
Aug. 23, 2001): "Who really cares about the human rights
of Palestinian Arabs? Syria, Iraq, Iran, Egypt, Saudi Arabia,
Jordan and other Muslim nations have warned Israel, in various ways
and with different degrees of intensity, over the Jewish state's
alleged mistreatment of Palestinian Arabs. There's one major problem
with these threats. These nations
have done far less for Arab Palestinians than Israel has."
The
Jews took no one's land (Arab-American journalist Joseph Farah,
WND, Apr 23, 2002)
Kill
a Jew for Allah. The Mideast problem. (John Derbyshire, NRO, Mar
22, 2002): "Look: Possibly there would be some abstract
justice in closing down the settlements, I don't know. I don't see
it myself, I must admit. Why should
Jews not live among Arabs? Lots of Arabs live in Israel,
and do very well there. There are rich Israeli Arabs; there are
Israeli-Arab pop stars and comedians; there are Israeli-Arab intellectuals,
teachers, writers, businessmen, athletes. Why, when the whole thing
gets sorted out, should there not be Jews living in Arab territory
— as there were for centuries past? What, exactly, is wrong
with the settlements? I don't see it."
Israel
related documents at Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI)
Library
of Congress's Country Studies (Israel - General)
CIA
World Factbook (Israel)
|
