The Druze should receive everything that the Jewish towns receive, without any questions. The Arab moslem and christian towns should receive nothing. Their leadership has aligned itself with Hezbollah and Syria. They have sown the wind and should now reap the whirlwind.

I understand, no one expected Arab villlages to be bombed, but Druze serve in IDF, so it easy to guess they would be bombed sooner or later. Hope it's result of mistake, no discrimination as this loon from "Peace now" think.

all they need.Protect them The others that scream "death to the Jews" let them take their chances. I feel bad that Druze and Beduin that I served with in the army are not protected.We owe them a great debt and should give them what they need now and in the future.

I am not happy to hear that the Druze in Israeli are treated like this at all, they have done so much for the state of Israeli. Yes, the Druze originally are arabs, but many have moved to the western world, Arab Druze are going to become a minority eventually, Druze speak hebrew and are part of Israeli culture. In any case they are Israeli, they serve in the army, and should be getting more state help. Druze aren't treated as equals, . But I still have faith in the Jewish community and hope they address this issue and many other issues facing the Druze minority.

I assume the Iraeli Government did not expect the Druze to be targeted. Israel should really do it's best to protect the Druze because they are the only ones who are defending the state of israel (other than the jews). However the druze faith is strong among the druze. if someone's life is to end then God will take it wherever they are. God is the ONLY protector. God be with you.

The Arabs & Druze don't live in settlements. We are the settlers here. On the Hebrew site it doesn't call them settlements, it's a weird translation.

Who is building houses in Israel? Mostly Arabs. So they have to know what they are doing and what the purpose of the reinforced room. If they don’t feel like building the same in their towns and villages it’s their responsibility. But the bomb shelters in highly populated areas have to be a must for everybody. Also as the sirens can be doing two things at a time: security protection and teaching someone a lesson that even the bomb didn’t fall on your head this time it could fall anytime on Jewish and Arab. Everybody should have equal rights in being protected and informed. And maybe the right information can make a difference for some Anti-Israelis whose mind is stronger then a brain washing machine of the religious fanatics? It looks like Arab population is ready to be killed by Hezbollah just to make Israelis look bad. Yesterday in the news I heard that one woman married to Arab in Lebanon left the country to seek a shelter to her native England alone leaving behind her kids and her husband. Why alone? Do their lives mean nothing for her? What a strange decision for mother? Or maybe streaked religious laws stopped her of taking the kids?

Arabs and Druze should be equally protected as Jews. No question about this. However exactly as with jewish communities the investments in protection are in proportion with expected risk. Isreally authorities just didn't expect that arab and druze communities will be attacted by Hizbullah. The fact that it did happen shows once more how crazy they are with their hatred. Now all necessary should be done to provide them equal protection.

I apologize for my naivete, but who built these villages? The Israelis? In a country known for war, shouldn't shelters have been in the original plan, or is it now up to us to go in and dig them something? I don't mean to sound cruel, but...

God bless all Israelis - Jews and non-Jews, Arabs and non-Arabs. You are all in our hearts.

I feel very badly for anyone hurt by the indiscrimate rocket attacks launched by Hizbullah. However, it should be noted that Israeli building codes REQUIRE a fortified room in every structure and a shelter per certain space. Throughout Israel, it is up to the LOCAL MUNICIPALITY or council (in this case, the mayor of Nazareth) to ensure that such important regulations are being upheld. He also needs to take some responsibility for the lack of preparedness in his town, given the clarity of these regulations. As for the sirens, I feel this to be a government oversight, perhaps due to their belief that Druze and Arab villages would not be targeted. In either case, now that they've been proven wrong, the issue definitely needs to be addressed. As can be seen from homefront command's immediate meeting with the mayor of Nazareth, steps are being take in this direction (which would bely Oppenheimer's claim of flagrant racism).

Am I missing something? All Israeli citizens learn Hebrew and speak it. I'm sure all the Arabs watch the TV, radio, newspapers and know what is going on around them, and logic would say that a missile can just as easily come down on an Arab town as an Israeli one. So where were the Arab leaders til now? Why did they not approach the Home Front command? Maybe just maybe the leaders are too busy in the Knesset objecting to the war, than to worry about their own brethren. This does not take away from seemingly discrimation, but the Arabs can and should look after themselves, rather than just wait until something happens and blame the Jews.

What a devious and silly article. To insinuate that Israel is racist because its Arabs allegedly have no shelters or cellars in their homes. Arab villages have local authorities who are 100% elected by Arab citizens. And they build their own houses. If Arab villages and houses have no shelters, (and I'm not sure this is true) they have only themselves and their Arab municipalities to blame. They are probably too preoccupied in their hate and glee to see Jews bombed. And they think if they are hit they are shaheeds anyhow.

Israel Arabs should enjoy equal rights but also equal OBLIGATIONS as citizens of the State of Israel including loyalty to Israel and integration into Israeli society and respect Israel's Hebrew history and current Hebrew cultural norm. The Druze population is far more loyal and integrated which is the reason that they are more respected in Israel than Israeli Arabs who often identify with Israel's enemies. The Nazareth Sheikh Abdel Salam Manasra attacked not Hezballah but Israel for Hazballahs terror attack which killed 2 Arab kids in Nazareth. Mr Manasra is attacking Israel's existence and spreads antisemitic lies. If the Israeli government won't deal with anti-Israeli inciters like Mr Manasra soon, extremists like him will need protection not from Hezballah but from the angry Israeli public who is fed up with traitors and fifth column elements. http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1153291959426&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

The law states that following the Gulf War, all houses and apartments, public and private buildings must have a built-in shelter room. Previous to this for each X number of families in an area, there needed to be built a public shelter, as per law. He who ignores building codes is then shelterless. And this is the government's fault? I do feel badly for families and children that are going through this horror, but tell it like it is, please. This is not a prejudiced issue, it's an issue of who built by the law and who circumvented the law.

Qassams are hitting Ashkelon on a regular basis and not one siren to be heard yet. I assume that the government must also be anti-Semitic because they do not seem to care about Jews here. But wait, I see that the author is with Peace Now - which means that he will take every opportunity to slam Israel for every perceived mistake. Imagine, if you can, the outrage within the Arab community if the government tried to make them build bomb shelters for all of their houses, both old and new. What would happen? The Arabs would be outraged and we would see the lovely Peace Now activists protesting and Mr Yariv writing a scathing article about yet another instance of oppressing the Arabs needlessly by the big, bad Jewish Israel. Whatever.

Of all the insults, this just about takes the cake. In the middle of a very ferocious war, this guy comes out with a tirade against his govt and people, which will only worsen the situation (and it can get much worse). Peace Now and Americans for Peace Now, are, to be blunt, a bunch of morons..but even worse dangerous. They give aid and comfort ot our (Jewish) enemies, while hiding behind their "Jewishness". It's like Jews for Jesus wearing Jewish religious garb when attempting to convert Jews. Once a Jew becomes a follower of Christ, he (she) is no longer a Jew. AFter all, Christi did away with the "Law" (the Torah). I suppose that only in a Jewish country during a time of war, can these types survive. They are lucky for that.

Mr Oppenheimer: Are you really so ignorant or do you see a camera and without thinking seize the opportunity to slam Israel - a state that tolerates such vitriol and perfidy ? You've wrongly called your group ' Peace Now.' You should have called it "Hate Now" You're not a patriot -- you're a HATRIOT!

oh, shut up already.

If the arabs don't like being bombed the can always flee to their HOMELAND of jordan.They ran away in 1948 they can runaway in 2006. Why should they get preferential treatment? As soon as arabs learn to take responsibility for themselves everyone will be better off!

First: may Gd protect ALL of the citizens of Israel from these murderers: Jew and Druze and Arab and other, and may Gd protect ALL of the friends and visitors in Israel as well. Second: I am sure that for the most part, everyone (Arabs, Druze, Jews, Israeli government) assumed that Arab armies would try to avoid hurting the non-Jews. Not so much racism as naivete: all of the above believed enemy propaganda -- which is stupid. Third: I read somewhere that since 1991, all new dwellings are required by law to have fortified rooms/bomb shelters. I believe that is true in Arab as well as Jewish areas. But in older ones, it was OPTIONAL. Fourth: If someone is shooting rockets at the mixed-population city of Haifa, then nobody is safe. Nobody should have to tell you to protect your kids. Fifth: The Arab Israeli press should have been asking the home front command what they should tell Arabs. Sixth: And yes, the home front command should have been broadcasting info on national TV in all 3 official languages of the state of Israel. But were the Arabs watching Israeli TV or al Jazeera? Seventh: The Israeli government should publicly commit NOW to build bomb shelters in all of the towns and villages that are now in the line of fire for the first time. Jewish and Arab and Druze.

This guy sounds like the "race-baiters" here in the United States. Blacks and Hispanics, especially those under Liberal Democratr care--can do no wrong. Stab someone in the community, and If apprehended, the policeman who arrests them is "Racist". If you try to get them to live better, you are "racist", and don't understand their culture.

Arab and Druze study with us in our universities and are often in the top of the class. Does one need a siren to know to take cover when one hears katushas or knows that the whole country is being bombed? Perhaps Arab communities thought they would be immune?

Finally, I never thought i would live to see an article like this. It's sad to read these talkbacks, these messages of hate. Before the establishment of israel, Muslims, Christians, AND JEWS lived peacuflly together in Palestine, they were all considered arab palestians. It's horrible to see what palestine has transformed into by Israeli's who occupy and continuosly attack whats left of the old palestine and it's people.

why does Israel have any sirens to begin with? After all, are there no Jews in Israel who are also intelligent that they need sirens? You must know that Arabs live in Haifa. Are these rockets so smart that they steer away from Arabs? What it is and what it has always been is Israel's racist indifference to its Arab citizens. When they're already considered a demogrpahic threat, does Israel really care about their lives. Come now!

Whwn? Tell this to the Jewish victims of slaughter in Hebron and Jerusalem riots. Actually, Jews were victimized in every place they were too weak to defend themselve. Your lies have been exposed long ago.

Since there is a "Peace Now", where is SALAAM Now? Where is a Muslim/Arab peace group that demonstrates against Islamic Jihad, Hamass, Hezbullah, PLO, PFLP and the rest of the alphabet soup of Arab anti-Israel groups? I have never heard of an Arab/Muslim grassroots Peace organization. I bet there isn't a SALAAM Now. Why is that the case? Is it because Arabs/Muslims are united in their hatred of Jews, Christians, Hindus, Bahais, Buddhists? Is it because Arabs/Muslims believe that the Middle East must only be Arab/Muslim? Just as Europe is no longer all white, all Christian, the Middle East has never been, and will never be all Arab, all Muslim. BTW Yariv, the photographer who took your picture must really dislike you. You need a new Headshot.

the author is right. He has got a point and such behaviour of the israeli authorities just reveal blindness . War brings people togheter and if arabs had the sense they were being attack by their fellow arabs , that would increase their allegiance to the jewish state because they would realize if the zionist entity were to be destroy they would suffer too.

Well I doubt Israel actually thought Hizbollah would bomb their fellow brothers in Israel. Just shows are dumb they are really. Out of all the cities to bomb Nazereth and to bomb the Druze, when there are Druze in Lebanon too. What exactly are Hizbollah thinking???

What gives with me Jews anyway, why are we so determined to slaughter one another? This moron activist for Peace Now (or as one poster put it, hate now-my sentiments are Peace Now, War Later, has more than a few followers. There are media commentors in the States who, over the years, expressed subtle anti-Semitic and anti-Israel sentiments, but, cleverly, hid their bias by allowing for an occasional pro-Israel personality (Kissinger, Netanyahu). But this latest warfare has really allowed US to see through their perfidy. Statements like, what next Syria, or why isn't America communicating with the Syrians--are really designed to embarrass the US. Perhaps Israel should have better treason and sedition laws during these times? Hezbollah is clearly at fault..yet few real protests in the world comminity. What this says is, "Israel youd better ALWAYS be prepared, it's your neck". And I mean neck.