Try being an Arab for a week

He chose to hinge his arguments on a limited number of incidences that were taken out of context - their use is both erroneous and misleading. He has a blind and distorted view of the crushing of Israeli Arab citizens' rights in all walks of life.

The State of Israel is perceived as Jewish and democratic. However, in everyday life, as well as in our political and social reality, we tend to make more use of ethnic traits at the expense of civil ones. Yet with equality being a basic value in any democratic society, Israel is obliged to ensure equality among all its citizens, Jews and Arabs alike.

The Or Commission established in wake of the October Riots in 2000, determined unequivocally that the State failed in creating equality between Arabs and Jews, and that it must prioritize amending this situation in order to erase the mark of discrimination. The gaps between Jewish and Arabs citizens must be bridged as a basic right and not as an act of grace.

Discrimination against Arab citizens is systematic and ongoing and is inherent in the broad divides prevalent in the socioeconomic, educational and municipal arenas. It is also evident in the lack of integration of medium and high level Arab citizens in the labor market, and lack of adequate representation in governmental institutions and centers of authority.

Overt and covert discrimination

This discrimination is manifested both overtly and covertly: Overt discrimination is manifested in the Law of Return, the National Jewish Institution Law, as well as in the clauses of the objectives in the State Education Law, and in the Broadcasting Authority Law.

Covert discrimination is generally seen in the outcome of policies, for example: Taking advantage of military service for granting benefits, while the Arab population according to law and cabinet decisions does not serve in the army.

Another example is the designation of various regions as areas of national priority, while excluding Arab communities from this category.

Massive land expropriations, the failure to establish new Arab communities, and the limit imposed on the growth of existing ones have created a sense of continued historic injustice. Arab communities were never earmarked for development, on the contrary: Their numbers and expansion were deemed as having to be minimized.

Different story in settlements

It's a very different story when it comes to the red-roofed cottages of the settlements that are continually expanding with the help of government support and public taxes, and whose very existence on occupied and expropriated land violates international law and any human value.

I would suggest Mr. Weber and those of his ilk switch places with a "preferentially treated" Arab for just one week.

I'd like to know how he would react to an employer who wouldn't hire him just because he is an Arab; to a landlord who would not rent him an apartment; what would he do if his house was divided by a separation fence and his land expropriated "for the public good;" and how would he respond to racist responses to his own article?

I assure him that he'll also be entitled to the "package of bonuses" including: Low income, poor education, high mortality rate, occupied land and an oppressed identity.

Dr Jubran Jubran is an attorney and coordinates the Or Watch Committee project on behalf of the Association for Civic Equality in Israel