New Israeli law to separate Arab Christians and Muslims

Jerusalem, 27 February 2014: A new law that provides for distinct representation for Christian and Muslim Israeli Arabs has been labelled racist by both Jews and Palestinians.

On Monday, the Knesset approved a minor bill expanding the equal opportunities commission from five to ten members, giving separate seats to Christians, Muslims, Druze and Circassians.

Some MKs (Members of the Knesset) have immediately slammed the law as "useless" because Israeli society has a duty to provide jobs to all Arabs, not specifically to Christians or Muslims.

Statements by the bill's sponsor, Likud MK Yariv Levin, has led to a heated debate. Interviewed by the newspaper Maariv a few weeks ago, he explained that the purpose of the law is "To grant separate representation and separate treatment to the Christian community, which will be distinguished from the Muslim Arabs."

"This," he explained, "is a historic and important move that could help balance the State of Israel, and connect us and the Christians, and I'm being careful about not calling them Arabs because they aren't Arabs."

"We and the Christians have a lot in common," he added. "They're our natural allies, a counterweight to the Muslims who want to destroy the country from within."

Israel's Arab community has its roots in the 160,000 Palestinians who remained inside Israel following its creation in 1948. Today they and their descendants number around 1.3 million (20 per cent) out of a total Israeli population of 7.9 million.

Israeli Arabs enjoy full citizenship and are allowed to vote but have long complained of official discrimination.

Adopted two days ago, the law is seen by many as an attempt to divide Israeli Palestinians on the basis of religion, pitting Christians against Muslims, in order to make the first the "allies" of the State of Israel.

For Meretz MK Issawi Freij, "an effort is being made to try to define the state according to religions. Here they are trying to say that there's a difference between Muslim Arabs and Christian Arabs."

Balad party chief Jamal Zahalka also criticised the bill's sponsor. "Arab rights don't interest Yariv Levin," he said. "We will not be his lackeys."

"This law aims to create a new reality among our people based on religion and not national identity," Palestine Liberation Organization executive committee member Hanan Ashrawi said in a statement.Source: AsiaNews