MK Tibi during rally against Israel Railways
צילום: ירון ברנר
In praise of full equality
Ron Gerlitz says racist Israel Railway decision to fire Arab workers must be annulled
The Labor Court’s decision to prevent Israel Railway from firing the Arab safety personnel it employed has great significance. As we know, about six months ago Israel Railway decided to change the employment criteria, requiring personnel to have served in the army. As result, 40 Arab employees were fired. After previous injunctions were issued, Israel Railway attempted to legitimatize its wrongful act in “creative” ways.
The ongoing Israel Railway saga reflects the narrowness of mind in respect to the integration of Arab citizens in Israel’s economy and society. Arab workers employed as safety personnel were fired. On the other hand, Arabs whose job it is to clean the train cars are still employed.
The Arabs are justifiably fed up with being those who only clean the train cars, literally and figuratively. They are no longer willing to be second-class passengers. True equality between Arab and Jewish citizens will be realized only once we allow Arab Israelis to join us Jews in the driver’s seat and play an equal part in the employment market, as well is in decision-making and the formulation of a joint path, on all levels – ranging from government, through civil service and government companies, and the private sector as well.
In practice, we are very far from achieving employment equality. When an Arab citizen who was safeguarding trains is being fired, the message conveyed to him is clear and blatant: We, Jews, simply don’t trust you.
The time has come to ask ourselves whether we trust Arab citizens or not. Everyone has a personal answer that relates to his moral worldview and of course to the national conflict (and this should not be denied.) However, the State of Israel and various public institutions must not maintain policy premised on distrust of one fifth of our citizens.
We must draw the clear line between personal feelings and a practical policy adopted by the establishment. The ongoing discrimination will not only serve to further erode Jewish-Arab relations in Israel. It also reinforces and perpetuates discrimination that underlines the Declaration of Independence’s vision, which calls for the State of Israel to maintain complete social and political equality for all its citizens, with no regard to religion, ethnicity, or gender.
Second-class citizens
How did the hand of parties to this move not shake? Ranging from those who added the army service requirement, which is merely a euphemism for not wanting Arabs on the job, to those who decided to fire workers only because they’re Arab and not because they’re unsuitable employees. Didn’t the move arouse a certain historical connection among those involved?
After all, there were always excellent reasons given for the dismissal of minority group members, and there were always those who warned about the danger inherent in employing them at certain jobs. For me, the historical bell rings very loudly. Do Israel Railway officials hear it ring as well?
At this time, only six percent of public service employees are Arab. Only half a percent of government company workers are Arab. This is reality – half a percent compared to the 20% Arab share in Israel’s population.
These figures attest to ongoing and deep discrimination in the employment market. Its effect goes beyond the economic realm of minimizing the possibilities of making a living, which are important matters in and of themselves. What we have here is a major social issue.
Arab citizens know that their employment opportunities are limited only because they are Arab. They encounter this reality when they try to secure a job in public service or in the private sector. Many serious and talented Arab academicians who are hired for prestigious positions abroad are rejected here for reasons of racism and exclusion. Large sections of the employment market are blocked to them and they rightfully feel as though they are second-class citizens.
We need a serious move by all Israeli sectors in order to ameliorate this twisted reality. Israel Railway’s racist decision must be annulled at once. Not only because it’s illegal, but also because it pushes us towards deeper discrimination. Full equality needs to be the supreme interest of all residents of this country, both Jews and Arabs.
Ron Gerlitz is the co-executive of Sikkui, The Association for Advancement of Civic Equality in Israel
