I had at one time considered that including the Arab parties in Israel’s government — giving them cabinet positions, they already have seats in the Knesset — that inclusion would temper their rhetoric and anti-Israel behavior.
But then I read comments from present and former Arab MKs and realized that ‐ for now — there is no place for the current crop of Arab MKs in the government’s operation.
In the U.S. it is unlikely that a Communist would (a) be elected to Congress or (b) be appointed to a cabinet position.
Granted, the U.S. House of Reprehensibles is on a witch hunt to find something, anything with which to pillory a president. (That it is unlikely any president would be removed from office following a trial in the U.S. Senate is another matter. The House voted impeachment for two Democrats — Andrew Johnson and Wm. Jefferson Clinton — but the Senate failed to muster enough votes to remove the incumbent president.)
Israel has had Arabs in its Knesset from 1949 when Amin-Salim Jarjora of the Democratic List of Nazareth (a Mapai-sponsored party) served in the first Knesset.2, 3, 4. There have been many Muslims in the Knesset since, many from Arab-specific parties and others from left-wing, primarily Jewish, parties (e.g., Labor, Meretz). Several Druze won election on right-wing parties, including the Likud. At the last Knesset, there were 14 Arab MKs, of which three were Druze, two Christians, four Sunni Muslims, one Bedouin, one who claims to be “non-religious,” and three who don’t self-identify with a religion.5
There HAVE been Arabs in the Cabinet. Mohammad Barakeh, of the left-wing Hadash party6 was once deputy Knesset speaker.
The problem for Israel is that the leading Muslim party, the combined “Joint List”7 is composed of people such as Ahmad Tibi8. Tibi was a political advisor to Yasser Arafat who self-describes as Arab-Palestinian in nationality, and Israeli in citizenship. A OB-GYN, he was educated at Hebrew University.
In September, 20119, he made headlines when he served as a member of the Palestinian Authority's UN delegation, headed by Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas, as it submitted its request for UN acceptance of "Palestine" as a full member state.
Haneen Zoabi was ejected from the Knesset for repeated anti-Israel activities.
Leftists Foreign Policy.com reported that Asked once by an Israeli TV interviewer whether she could say anything good about Israel, she laughed lightly and replied, "No, I can’t."10
The same source partially reported that on May 31, 2010, (Zoabi) as an Israel Arab activist aboard the Mavi Marmara, a ship chartered by a Turkish Muslim aid organization to lead the flotilla challenging Israel’s blockade of the Gaza Strip. After unarmed Israeli naval commandos rappelled onto the ship and were attacked with wooden clubs and metal rods. What Foreign Policy.com failed to report was that the Israelis several times tried to peacefully board and inspect the vessels contents for contraband war-making supplies.
According to Ynetnews.com11, MKs (Azmi) Bishara, (Jamal) Zahalka, (Wasil) Taha visit Lebanon after controversial talks with President Bashar Assad of Syria; delegation members express solidarity with 'victims of war'; attorney General orders probe upon their return.
It is unfortunate
It is unfortunate that too many Arabs elected to Israel’s Knesset work against the state rather than work to improve their constitutent’s lives.
Why Zoabi was aboard a TURKISH vessel bound for GAZA — where war materiels are used against Israeli civilians — is proof to this scrivener that she was part of a provocation as much as Egypt’s massing troops at the Canal just before the “Six Day War” was sufficient for Israel’s pre-emptive attack to prevent its annihilation.12
There ARE Israeli Arabs — Muslim, Christian, whatever — who are in every respect loyal to Israel. These people need to be treated as Israeli citizens as equally as any Jewish citizen, haridi, heloni, and somewhere in between.
When the Arab parties send Muslims to the Knesset who put the good of their people and the State first, then they should be welcomed into the government (cabinet).
MKs don’t need to be of the same mind, but they need to have the same goals. What’s good for Israel should be good for ALL Israelis without any distinction.
Sources
1. Pollyanna: https://tinyurl.com/qlmevhj
2. Amin-Salim Jarjora: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amin-Salim_Jarjora
3. Democratic List of Nazareth: https://tinyurl.com/rvfem8y
4. Mapai: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mapai
5. Arab MKs: https://tinyurl.com/zsts3qh
6. Hadash: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hadash
7. Joint List: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joint_List
8. Ahmad Tibi bio: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahmad_Tibi
9. Tibi at UN: https://tinyurl.com/qsfy574
10. Foreign Policy: https://tinyurl.com/ubthscn
11. Visits: https://tinyurl.com/rfq7j7h
12. Pre-emptive strike: https://tinyurl.com/suj8jew
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