In light of the previous post, I want expand on an issue I saw briefly addressed by Benjamin in DIARY OF AN ANTI-CHOMSKYITE. He says:
There is no question that there are issues with Israel's Arab citizens and their place in a Jewish state. There is racism and there is discrimination. It is not Apartheid by any stretch of the imagination. It is also nothing particularly unusual in states with large national minorities. Particularly when, as in Israel's case, that minority considers itself an inseparable part of a hostile regional majority.
The critical sentence is the last one. I would like my readers to be aware of the enormous lengths Israel goes to treat is Arab citizens right. Israeli Arabs openly identify with Israel’s enemies, nevertheless they have equal democratic rights, and indeed there are several Arab parties in the Knesset (parliament), which reflect their views. It is impossible to go to an Israeli hospital without meeting Arab doctors – in fact, Arabs are well represented in most professions, though it’s true that they are over-represented in low-skilled jobs.
Let me give an example of “racism” and “discrimination”. As I said, Arabs tend to be over-represented in low-skilled jobs (which, I know, some people would consider absolute proof of discrimination all by itself), but there is one job where you don’t find them: cleaning services. I’m thinking of the people who come into offices after hours to clean up. This particular low-skilled job is usually 100% Jewish labor. (In the US these jobs are usually held by immigrants.) Let me ask you: would you want someone who sympathizes and identifies with your enemy to have unsupervised access to your office (or your home)? Yes, I know we can’t be sure that it’s true, but we know that statistically it is much more likely to be true than not.
But that’s the beauty of the free market. Opportunities naturally flow around any obstacles. I, myself, not being born in Israel, am discriminated against by the Israeli government: I cannot get security clearance for a wide variety of jobs, unless there is something that makes me immensely valuable and worth the extra effort of the security check. Do I feel discriminated against? No. There are plenty of opportunities available to me. The same is true for Israeli Arabs.
Now let’s take a look at a self proclaimed paragon of virtue: France. France is a large state with almost 60 million people (Israel has 6 million.) It faces no existential threats (unlike Israel). Its population is about 10% Arab (Israel’s is about 20%). Its per capita GDP is $25,700 (Israel’s is $19,000). Which of these countries bans its Arab students from wearing headscarves in school? France.
Let’s look at things from the Arab side. Every Arab country (there are 22 of them – 23 including the PA) persecutes its own people, even the most moderate: Jordan and some of the Gulf States. Some regimes are simply hells on Earth – the Palestinian Authority and Syria, for example. An Arab who is suspected of sympathizing with Israel or Israelis (this is interpreted very broadly) can expect to be murdered by his brethren, even in Israel, even in US administered Iraq. It’s not easy being an Arab. I don’t know what I’d do in their circumstances. But I know what to do in mine: defend myself.
For those who want to compare the morality of Israel to that of the Arab states, the bottom line is this: How many Israeli Arabs emigrate to Arab countries? Essentially none.
Posted by David Boxenhorn at June 20, 2004 03:25 PM