It's strange that you find it strange. In not so distant past a majority of of America's white population moved to the suburbs to escape blacks and hispanics moving into the cities. It's only in the last 20-25 years that mixed neighborhood became viable realities in the US. And that was mostly the result of economics, as the US industrial base has eroded and big business/big finance completed its acquisition of all 3 branches of the US governement.

If I were the bigot you think I am, I wouldn't live in this neighborhood. Short of Eskimos and Voodoo priests, we have one or two of just about everything else, which I happen to like. By the same token, I don't hear the world screaming, because it's almost impossible to get citizenship in Switzerland, Luxembourg, Monaco and a few other places. That's the way their laws are, it seems to work for them, and the world accepts it. As for carrying weight in Israel, I wouldn't know how. If you, however, are as open-minded as you want to come across, I hope that you allow me my opinions and questions. To me, citizenship implies some sort of allegiance to a type of government and working together towards common goals and aspirations. In Israel, it seems, - at least, from what I read - that there are two sets of citizens trying to live together who are diametrically opposed in their thinking of what that government should be and the religion of one of which literally demands that they kill the other "set," while both sides accuse each other of having stolen each other's land. There has to be, short of "the last man standing wins" a right and wrong somewhere. More confusing, yet, are some of the looks and comments I get from Jewish friends over here, when I ask them, if they'd ever consider moving to Israel. Their reactions run the gamut from rolling eyes to,"are you out of your mind?" to "it's a nice place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there" to "if I wanted to live surrounded by Muslims wishing me dead, I'd move to Dearborn, MI." (One elderly lady told me that she prefers South Florida where they, at least, have a lot of good Mah Jong clubs.) And on that note, I am going to my daughter's house to get "surprised" for Mother's Day. Happy Mother's Day!

this just shows how backwards these people are. I feel like were in 1950's America when white people refused to allow blacks to live in their neighborhood.

To all those Israelis who ask why most American Jews don't consider moving to Israel: this kind of behavior reminds me of the treatment of Jews and blacks in the U.S. 40 years ago. Israel has a lot of catching up to do in its treatment of its Arab citizens, Ethiopian immigrants, guest workers, Darfur refugees, etc. Simply disgusting.

..... in Israel to behave so awfully? It is really appalling that such bully boy intimidation is not stopped at once and the perpetrators sentenced to very long terms of imprisonment. " ... taken in for questioning" is not an adequate response.

BE REALISTIC, simple-minded, political correct crap!! I totally agree with these people demonstrating against this! Just like "Arabs" here in the Netherlands, WHEREVER they come live, the neighbourhood goes down! Where I lived 10 years ago (without Arabs), it was GREAT! Now, (with Arabs) it's disgusting, Dutch families leave. I'm not talking about Amsterdam now, though the situation is even MORE (!!!) awful in Amsterdam! BE REALISTIC and admit that Arabs DO change the neighbourhood in a negative way!! There's enough multi-cultural crap already; Jews and Arabs: seperatie neighbourhoods!

Wow, most of you people are frothing at the mouth looney tunes. It makes me wonder how so many can live without the slightest inkling of a conscience and not only not be bothered by it, but downright revel in it. When Israel crumbles, you all will be asking "How, why?" The how and why will be your wicked refusal to live with your neighbors on the land you stole from them.

Then don't pretend to call Israel a democracy. If Israel is to operate by racist policies, then at least be open about it. But so long as Israel is a democracy, then it can be compared to the US, UK, and others when it comes to the freedoms of its citizens. Or is it only so long as those citizens are Jewish?

Washington DC is hardly an example of integration of the races. It's not even an example of democracy, not being able to elect a representative to Congress. Before you criticize the Jews in Israel, take a look at our own country and the tensions and injustices generated by racial differences. Come to think of it, you yourself may be new to the USA. Americans have greater insight into their own national conflicts to express themselves the way you just did on your TB. Still, it would be a good idea for each American critical of Israel's policy regarding refugees to sponsor a refugee or two. That would be a great help.

Sorry to embarass you having to educate you in public, but democracy means simply that eligible citizens vote. If these Arabs are citizens they may vote. And they are not a different race from the Jews that don't want them living there. Nobody is obligated to be their neighbors, or to have to suffer from them bringing crime to our neighborhoods, which they always do. Just read the news, the facts are all there.

Doesn't history repeat itself???!!! Don't you think that you (neighbours)treat others today very much the same as your own people were treated in Europe 70 years ago???!!! Confining other people to "ghettos" where they are supposed to stay, because they are Arabs or whatever. Don't you ever forget that THAT was the way JEWS were treated some decades ago - and you emigrated to Palestine in order to escape such (and other) conditions. So. while you now live in freedom, you confine other people to the same conditions that you yourself escaped from... HORRENDOUS!!! Unless this Arabic family are proven criminals or suspected terrorists, they have the right to live like any other citizens wherever they like, whether you like it or not!!! Some Arabs are not good neighbours. Obviously that goes for some Jews too!!! Fortunately, many others ARE. Or may be, if they are met with respect and kindness.

Doesn't anyone remember the Jews who bought a house in Hevron fair and square and still the Arabs would not accept their right to occupy it?

The arabs wouldnt fit in a jewish naighborhood like this anymore than the jews wanted him there so even if he did move in he would have felt out of place. For some people living in these naighborhoods its like being part of a tribe and you dont want outsiders coming into your village especialy not arabs ... the arabs are Israels enemeies, their culture is different, their religion is different. Allthough they legaly have a right to move there they will never fit in and for natural ( not racist ) reasons its easy to see why the jews wouldnt want arabs in their jewish naighborhood.

You can imagine what the reaction would be if this took place in a civilized Western country.

And even more disgusting is how the supporters of Meir Kahane, may his name be erased, are here defending and justifying this with their racist generalizations. "Arabs are our enemies," "they voted for Azmi Bishara" etc. etc. How do you know these things? How do you know they did not serve in the IDF. Oh yeah, I guess even Arabs who serve in the IDF get the same treatment - their houses demolished and so on, per the other piece on this website today. Not only is it disgraceful, it's unbelievably DUMB and short sighted.

no rationalizations, no excuses, no explanations... the only context to this is that some of us are not prepared for the responsibility of maintaining a free and open Jewish democracy which treats the stranger in our midst within the traditions of Avraham Aveinu...a chilul hashem by whatever standard.

Sharon you are right on the mark by telling it exactly like it is.

I am ashamed to be a Jew when reading some of the comments on this talkback. So racist! Reminscence of WWII. How could Israel, become such a corrupt and racist country.

Although living with high tech gadgets in a high tech society, socially and morally it has not evolved. The same schtetl tribal mentality from turning of the 20th century persists. The rest of the world has evolved! apparently some parts not.

Don't forget Israel's environment, and sephardic memories! Experiencing 1400 years of "friendly" dhimmi status gives another reading grid than being a politically correct western yuppy. Arab speaking Jews were legally stripped from their arab citizenship, economically, culturally, politically discriminated during the independance struggles, and a last, slaughtered or expelled. So please, don't teach moral lessons!

For those talkbackers who condone, rationalize and/or encourage this effort to keep an arab family from moving into a jewish neighborhood, I suppose you would also then support Arabs trying to keep Jews from moving into an Arab neighborhood?

i don't think you'll find a Jewish Israeli who wants to live in an Arab neighborhood . The contrary , yes , there are Israeli Arabs who want to live in a better [ = Jewish ] neighborhood . Maybe they feel more Israeli than Arab ?

"We have no problem with Arabs living in their own neighborhoods, but they'd better stay out of our neighborhood," one of the residents told Ynet, "this is their way to slowly kick us out of the city by taking over Jewish neighborhoods. Just like we don’t go live in their neighborhoods, they shouldn’t come live in our neighborhoods." VERY FUNY, Then GET OUT OF THE Golan Height, and West bank, Gazza, South Lebanon, GET Out OF PALASTINE< THIS IS NOT YOUR neighborhoods. HOW did you get to come her and call these your neighborhoods. ASK YOUR ELDERS ASK THEM IF YOU CAN HANDEL THE TRUTH. SHALL NOT LIE< SHALL NOT STEEL. BUT YOU DO YOU DO YOU DO.

We have a word for this in America: racism. It's illegal to discriminate here. I live in a town with people from all ethnic backgrounds and religious beliefs. We get along splendidly. We don't hate each other over petty differences. It's called civilization; perhaps the people of Lod should try it.

You are mistaken, Please read and get to know the True Islam, not what u see on the News media outlet for prpaganda. What others do in the name of Isalm is not Isalm. You can;t judge the entire religion base on few, Just like you don't like to be judged based on what WW1 and WW2 and who killed whom? Chrisitians Vrs Chrisitians, It is ploitics not religion that fulles the wars, they use religion to gather troops. The Koran says Muslims CAN Marry and have kidds from Chrstian and jewish women, without the women changing their religion. a Muslim Man can Marry Jewish and Christians, is is allowed and even it is prefereed to do so.

That was an incredibly racist article. Imagine if someone was talking about blacks like that in America. Awful. No wonder you people have so many problems. I wouldn't want racists living near me either.

"This is about survival. " No, this is about racism. And no matter what justifications you try to offer for your racist ideology, racist it is and shall remain. "The Arabs are reproducing at a very high rate and not just because they like children. Israeli Arabs are deliberately marrying Arabs from the PA so as to increase their numbers in Israel proper. They are building up in PA towns that used to be Jewish so as to establish the Arab presence in case of future division of that territory. " Substitute the word "Jews" for the word "Arabs", the words "German" and "Germany" for the words "Israeli" and "Israel", and substitute "Poland" for "PA", and this is what you get: "The Jews are reproducing at a very high rate and not just because they like children. German Jews are deliberately marrying Jews from Poland so as to increase their numbers in Germany proper. They are building up in Polish towns that used to be German so as to establish the Jewish presence in case of future division of that territory." Whom do you sound like, Madam? What happened the last time that government and foreign policy was based on such blatantly racist propaganda? Never again. NEVER again.

"We have no problem with Arabs living in their own neighborhoods, but they'd better stay out of our neighborhood," one of the residents told Ynet -------------------- "Not that we're being racist, of course. and only a filthy anti-Semite would say we are!"

To # 30 and others The Quran does NOT forbid Muslims from taking Jews and Christians for friends. Indeed it even allows a Muslim man to take a Jewish/Christian woman as a wife. You may have been misled by an erroneous translation of verse 28 in Surah III of the Quran, which does caution against taking disbelivers as "auliya" (plural for the Arabic " wali"). An approximate translation of wali is a guide on spiritual matters. The Arabic for a friend is "Sadiq" . The Quran does not impose any restrictions on taking a Sadiq because of the person's faith or the lack of it. No, the book is not wrong. Sometimes we humans are.