this is the best news for our people I have ever heard. Arab villages have much to gain by coopirating g than by causing problems. I bless you Ursan Yassin and your children and the entire town of Shfaram. Allah is great!

This man is a shining example of good will and co-existence. We can only hope there'll be more like him.

It won't work, Yassin. We have an institutionalised conflict: You are Ishmaelites, we are Israelites. According to our Torah, the Israelites win.

Great, nothing more to say than that.

1. First time I see Ynet publish something positive about the Arabs. 2. Pretty cool decision. Let's hope this will produce more Arab towns to think like that. 3. Now, how about a nice big Jewish congregation to shlepp up to Shfaram on Independence day to celebrate with them?

Yesher koach, Mayor Ursan Yassin ! Let us also remember the then-mayor of Abu Gosh, who stormed out of a 1933 meeting convened by Amin al-Husseini, the anti-Semitic mufti of Jerusalem, and to counter the mufti's hateful agenda drummed up support from 300 local Arab leaders to sign a proclamation expressing their welcome of European Jews to their homeland... Shabat shalom...may the moshiach come soon...

Wow! More of this kind of direction and things could be oh so so much better here. Watch this space!

Respect! Finally more people are going against the party line of the likes of Ahmad Tibi.

You are right Yassin, Israel is OUR country. Want to shake your hand.

... to represent the "silent majority"? Why are "leaders" like Tibi, Barakeh and A-San'a seed separation, hatred and oppose integration? Why are they allowed to live opulent lives while making sure that their voters live in poverty, despair and separation? Maybe it is time for the "silent majority" to become as vocal (or even MORE vocal) as the "minority" which preaches and practices hatred, treason and terror. Maybe it is time to tell the likes of Raid Salah, Tibi, Barakeh, A-San'a that they are not wanted anymore and that they should take their extremism, racism and intolerance to the deserts of Saudi Arabia or the streets of Teheran. Shame on them and praise to leaders like Ursan Yassin!

Your post shows well the racism of the settlers and your simplistic view of life.You don't respect your Torah, open up your eyes and stop talking nonsense.You sound like what you must be : an alienated pathetical racist.

We live in villages, where we do not know who is who, or what they can do, if we speak our minds!!!

This is very good news. We Jews want peace with our Arab brothers. There is room for us all in this Land. The one G-d created us all.

will be more faithfull than any jewish citizen. just treat us equaly.........

that iam willing to loose my life for , but unfortianatly the very bad ones are ruling the state of israel which causes pain for the good ones ..... # 16 god bless you and i defenetly wish all jews were like you .....

A Jew is a Jew , not a racist or pathetic settler - go get some mental help

Makes you realise how infrequent this type of news is from the Arab world. Israel wants peace, if only the Arabs will co-operate.

... run your lives and decide your future? Do you like being forced to live in fear and be terrorized by extremists? Don't you think that it is about time you assume responsibility for your life and family and make sure that you and your children have a future? There is much more to gain from a real Peace with the Jews than from endless wars and conflicts, so why allow those who make sure you are kept in poverty, hatred and ignornace decide your fate? Why allow illiterate, racist and extremist preachers tell you what is right and wrong? And I am sure you KNOW who they are :-) I for one, will go to Shfar'am to celebrate and encourage. I will also break my decision of not buying anything from Arabs (after October 2000) and go and eat in a Shfar'am restaurant. I will shake the hands of those who genuinely ACT for Peace - not only talk about it while stabbing us in the back. Talking time has been over a long time ago - I only believe in action.

Well , i can only agree with your tb . Sad to say , there are extremists on BOTH sides , who are filled with hatred , who have their "religious" ideas , and by their words and actions oppose any steps towards a peacefull life in our country , a peacefull life that will only benefit all of our children .

It is important to remember that MKs such as Tibi do not represent, nor were voted for, by our Israeli-Arab citizens. In every election, approximately half of the Israeli Arab population votes for parties such as Labour, Kadima, and Likud and not for Balad and so forth. The very visible actions such as Shfaram is taking are extremely important for all of us, Jews and Arabs alike. It is important for the breaking down of the prejudices and fears stirred up by the extremist arab leaders that create the conception that all Israeli Arabs are a fifth column against their country, which in turn leads to discrimination against arab citizens. It is important for the silent majority of our arab citizens to see that it is ok for them to express the love they feel for our country --the country of all of us arabs and jews alike who are citizens here.

Believe me; the majority of Israelis are good, decent people who have nothing against you - as Muslims. It is those who - for the past hundred years or so - have been threatening us; murdering us; and villifying us just because we have returned to the Land of our Fathers. And I will criticize anyone here who doesn't want to hire someone because he/she is an Arab!! Or doesn't want a neighbor who is one. This country is somewhat crazy to live in at times; but all in all not a bad place to live in!!

well, he took the right way, not like all the others which take the wrong way.. we arabs, christians muslims and druz, are Israeli citizens and we'll always be.

Sadly these arabs represent the minority most Israeli arabs today still consider Yom Hatzmaut to be the aniversry of the Nakba and given a chance to replace Israel with an arab state they would not be showing any loyaty to the jewish state no matter what its achivements. Many arabs who usualy shun Yom Hatzmaut and talk about the Nakba will also probably not say to much this year and join the celebrations .. what you think personly politicly can take a backseat one year if there is going to be a big party and all are invited.

inshallah, there would be more, many more, people such as yourself that see a future, a real peaceful priductive future, for all arabs and jews to live in israel in harmony, in dual respect, in civility and in love and peace. your gesture, which actually, i am sure, amazed the israeli government speaks volumes of your humanity, your love for YOUR COUNTRY AS WELL AS THE ISRAELIS' COUNTRY,...and most of all, what touched me the most, is your comment that you, and the israelis (arabs) in your town, would love to bring up your children, the next generation of israelis, in a loving and nationalistic manner without hate and inticement. what a rave man you are and what a kindness you have shown to your constituents in working hard to give each one of them a future of peace, od nice coexistance, of hope and calm, of a hand reaching in peace and kindness amongst all both jews and arabs. you sir, are the voice of the arab people living in israel, not tibi, zahalke, etc... you sir are an example of humanity, of tollerance and of kindness and a huge hope to all arabs in israel that should be represented by someone like yourself who understands that jews in israel would be happy to extend a hand in peace, a hand in cooperation, in love and in tollerance to all citizens living under the israeli umbrella. you sir, are a mench, a leader, a huge asset to your constituents. i bow to you and am floored by your actions, kol hakavod to you and to all the loving people in your town who want to coexist and live and raise their children in peace and love rather than hate and blindness. god protect you, your family and all the people who live in your town.

you are shameful, shameful. how dare you turn away and slap a hand reached to you in peace and coexistance. maybe you should look at yourself and what you say. you are an idiot, a looser! how dare you say a thing like this? don't you see that this action by this honorable and kind man is exactly what we israelis need? a peace, a stop in annimosity on both sides. this man and his actions are a shining example of kindness and harmony, while your statement is vile, hateful and contrary to everything that is good for israel and its jewish residents. shame on you, moron!

... how can you expect us to treat you with confidence while you "celebrate" Nakbah, vote for ruthless parazites like Raed Salah, Tibi, B'shara, Barakeh etc. You cannot expect to be "given" rights. You must first "take" responsibility. The "rights" will come after that as a natural outcome.