Opinion  Sever Plocker
Arabs are poorer
Sever Plocker
Published: 05.09.07, 14:00
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33 Talkbacks for this article
1. Thats the whole point- lots of food in saudi arabia - eat !
ANDREW ,   MAIMI,FL   (09.05.07)
2. The real picture
Moshavnik ,   Israel   (09.05.07)
Sever, tell the truth how many Arab villages have you been in? How many Arab tradesmen have you had business with. As someone who has extensive dealings in the Arab sector I can tell you that a substantial part of their income is unreported and under the table and therfore not showing up in the statistics. I go into Arab villages and I see many large beautiful homes that I would be glad to live in. Most of the public areas are eyesores but that is due to the priorotoes of the municipalities.
3. Maybe the Arabs should move to a 'better' country
meir weinstein ,   toronto, canada   (09.05.07)
The Arab Leadership in Israel has taken a position to fight against the Jewish State. Therefore, the Arabs should be made to understand that they have no future in Israel.
4. Ask the Saudi's to help.
MARK ,   USA   (09.05.07)
The Saudis created a peace plan. They need a plan to fight poverty. I think they may have money to help the Arabs out.
5. (3) Excellent suggestion, Meir.
Joseph P. ,   Jerusalem   (09.05.07)
6. same on both sides of the fence
rj ,   ramat gan   (09.05.07)
just shows that the arabs on teh west bank and gaza are not teh only arabs that are lazy and idle...they are the same breed on both sides of the fence..
7. to all
(09.05.07)
the sad truth is that if these israeli arabs lived in any of the arab countries they would have been long dead from starvation. you should see how arab farmers and poor live in egypt, jordan, syria, lebanon. it is disgusting. israeli situation is the garden of eden compared to the above countries. not only that the arabs starve in these countries, they are also repressed, looked down upon, discriminated against, and treated very severily. i was there and i saw it!
8. Multiple wives, kids
marya ,   sacramento, USA   (09.05.07)
Let Arab men cease marrying multiple wives and carrying on like dogs in heat. They aren't working or making much money and the thing to do is to find another 15 year old to marry? Yeah, that's a no brainer.
9. Employment opportunities
Clive ,   Karmiel,Israel   (09.05.07)
There are many wealthy Arabs, yes, and they tend to flaunt it so they are the ones that you see, however there are very many poor ones who you do not see. I think that the situation is mostly due to unequal employment opportunities. The situation is getting better, but only slowly. It is almost impossible for Arabs to get jobs in the Electric company, Bezeq,Egged, Army and many government ministries. These make up a large number of well paid jobs not open to Arabs. They are not open to Arabs due mainly to unfounded mistrust, causing a viscous circle of mistrust and resentment. Perhaps there are a few good people out there brave enough to break the circle. We can only hope!
10. looking at these talkbacks
Gazan ,   Gaza, Palestine   (09.05.07)
shows the racist nature of this state called Israel... maybe if Palestinians came from Darfur it would be a different story
11. cry me a river...
kutuzov ,   new york   (09.05.07)
let me get this straight... you are poor yet you have 5-6 kids. Hmmm... what a shocker!!! Once again, its obviously Israel's fault for nor subsidizing these poor Arab families with adequate welfare checks. Poor Arabs... tsk tsk tsk.
12. Blinded by hate...!!!
Rami ,   Nazareth, Israel   (09.05.07)
It is amazing how the majority of jewish posters are becoming more like their Muslims counterpart, blinded by hate to the point where they loose common sense. Israeli-Arabs live in Israel, so you compare them the rest of the Israeli population not Egypt or Jordan. It is in Israel’s best interest to address the poverty issue in the Arab sector and not ignore it. Both sides have to work hard to eliminate poverty. The government should create more jobs and provide more economic opportunities in the Arab sector. Awareness campaign should be lunched in the Muslim community to encourage them to have fewer children and encourage more Muslim women to go out and work.
13. You are aware they want to kill you
Mordechai   (09.05.07)
The Israeli Arab politicians have decided to focus their efforts on destroying Israel not building their communities. Few Arabs are actually poor as they refuse to report their income to the Zionist state and the State refuses to enforce its tax laws on them. But even if this was true why would it be anything to worry about. Let them elect a leadership that wants to work with the Jewish state, join coalitions and build themselves up.
14. EDUCATION WON'T RESOLVE THE SUPREMIST SELF IMAGE arubs HAVE
MOSHE ,   US   (09.05.07)
IT IS UNFORTUNATE THAT SO MANY JEWS CAN NOT ACCEPT THAT EACH RACE OF PEOPLES IS DIFFERENT. I REALIZE THAT WE THOUGHT WE LEARNED OTHERWISE FROM THE HOLOCAUST. WE THOUGHT THAT THE GERMAN ARIAN SUPREMACY & SELF AGGRANDIZEMENT WAS WRONG & YES IT WAS. HOWEVER, EACH RACE OF PEOPLE IS DIFFERENT. WE WOULD NEVER HAVE DONE TO OTHERS WHAT THE GERMANS DID TO US, NOR WHAT THE mooslums DO TO OTHERS SUCH AS OURSELVES IN ISRAEL & THE CHRISTIANS MOST NOTEABLY IN DARFUR. BUT ALL RACES ARE DIFFERENT. WHY IS IT THAT JEWS ARE GIVEN MORE NOBEL PEACE PRIZES IN MEDICINE & SCIENCE THAN IS OUR PROPORTIONATE PERCENTAGE OF EARTHLY POPULATION. THE REASON IS THAT WE ARE MORE H-SHEM LIKE THAN OTHER PEOPLE & MORE PEACE SEEKING & OF MORE SERVICE BENEFICIAL TO MANKIND. THE ONLY WAY THAT WE CAN HAVE PEACE & REASONABLE SECURITY IN ISRAEL IS TO KICK arubs OUT. THEY WILL NEVER GIVE US PEACE WITHOUT THEIR DRAMATIC CHANGE
15. Arab TERROR is the root cause of the poverty
Malcolm   (09.05.07)
16. to racist talkbakers- in your dreams
rami   (09.05.07)
they will remain a thorn in your throat untill their rights are acheived or untill those who came from moscow and poland go back involuntarily....even if after 500 years, whichever comes first.
17. More Arab Children in Poverty
Rod ,   Fargo N.Dakota   (09.05.07)
Tell them to stop having so many children ,thats the way they plan on destroying Israel. Also besides the Druse ,Circcassian[who are not arabs] and a few Bedouin,let the city and town arabs join the IDF,THEY'LL HAVE A LATER START ON HAVING KIDS
18. Arabs should be given money...To Leave
Jew ,   Jerusalem   (09.05.07)
That will solve Israel's internal security problems, and the Arabs poverty problem. Then we can get on to being a true, Jewish democracy and start the path to fulfilling our destiny as a strong, Jewish Nation.
19. The problem is that Arab poverty and birth rates go hand and
NB ,   TA   (09.05.07)
and as long as the Arab sector remains so poor and unintegrated the demographic explosion in the Arab sector will continue threatening to make the jewish majority in this country a history.
20. 1. get a job 2. don't have 5 kids prior to #1
aaron ,   working in ra'anana   (09.05.07)
21. Reward Work
Moshe Ben Ari ,   Los Angeles, CA   (09.06.07)
The goal is to not only set a target of increased employment among both in the haredi and Arab sector and to decrease their reliance on stipends without work- but to counteract low wages, also reward work through a system like the Earned Income Tax Credit in the US where poor workers either pay no tax or indeed get mony from the government (which refunds the substanital sales and social security tax they pay) in order to lift them above the poverty line. This is America's biggest anti-poverty program (not welfare or what is now called Temporary Assistance to Needy Families). I am not familiar with Child Allowances/Tax Credits in Israel, I know that EITC doesn't help you if more than a certain number of kids. Combined with reforms in the educational sector along the lines of the Tafnit program that has implented among poor Jews and Bedouin and has had great success, this is a dual strategy to increase employment, increase skills, and improve growth and decrease poverty in Israel. Education ---> less kids/ability to raise them without dependence on the state. Increasing employment and wages ---> more ability to afford education.
22. Wow, what a nice croud
Goy ,   Tel Aviv   (09.06.07)
There is an article here about Israelis trying to get German citizenship. One should take a look at all the oy-va-voying and the they-are-going-back-to-the-Nazis whining in the talkback-section. Taking a look at the comments here, I am asking myself if some of you people really think there is a distinction between anti-semitism (truly disgusting behaviour) and "simple" racism (a virtue, as it seems - at least when it comes down to a Jew racially abusing an Arab). You are fantastic, people.
23. Poverty
Rivka ,   Jerusalem   (09.06.07)
The reason the percentage of Arab poor has gone up, is that their percentage in the Israeli population has gone up. Simple math!!!!
24. More leftie drivel
freejay ,   Israel   (09.06.07)
The arabs are not as poor as they make out. Most of the money they make is under the table and Mr Plocker conveniently forgot to mention this. Also they have their whole families live in one big house so the average income reported is very decieving. Go to any arab market, village etc, and you will see most of the women are fat !!!!!! Definately not starving like this fake leftie contrived report!
25. #12 Rami, You're Right
Aharon   (09.06.07)
Don't worry, not all of us have gone mad. I think it's disgraceful that the government so blatantly discriminates against our Arab citizens and then wonders why they don't like the country. I don't dellude myself into thinking that solving the economic difficulties of the Arab sector will cause all the hatred to subside, but it's the first necessary step (not to mention it would have a positive effect on Israel's economy).
26. #16 RAMI, YOU ARE RIGHT, BUT IT IS THE ARABS THAT MUST GO
David ,   Jerusalem, Israel   (09.06.07)
Back to Saudi Arabia, Syria, Egypt. Let these arabs go back to their countries of origin and let the arab nations take care of them. Racist is arabs forbidding sale of land to Jews. Racist is the government not allowing Jews to live in any part of our country. Racist are arabs that consider Jews and all others lower forms of humans that need to be enslaved.
27. poor in Israel
John ,   paso robles,ca.us   (09.06.07)
#12-Rami-You are right on the issue.
28. To Aharon # 25: your comments gives me hope.. thanks
Rami ,   Nazareth, Israel   (09.06.07)
29. Israeli Arabs and the Ultra-Orthodox...
DL ,   San Francisco, CA   (09.06.07)
A major factor that often goes unnoticed in these discussions is the fact that the key to high-paying jobs in Israel is serving in the military. That Ultra-Orthodox Jews and Israeli Arabs are the two poorest groups in Israel should therefore come as no surprise, seeing as members of both groups by and large refuse to serve and their job prospects are thus limited in Israel. I had an Arab roommate in college (half Assyrian and half Palestinian) who remarked to me that "the only poor Palestinians are the ones still living in Palestine." Poverty and Israeli Arabs has nothing to do with racial inferiority and nothing to do with the number of children they have, it has everything to do with the very same factor that keeps the Ultra-Orthodox poor- refusal to serve. I suppose it can be broken down to this simple statement: You scratch Israeli society on the back, Israeli society will scratch you on the back... If you don't want to scratch Israeli society on the back, you don't have to, but don't complain when you don't reap the rewards of those who do scratch Israeli society on the back.
30. to David # 26: Radicalization does not solve problems..
Rami ,   Nazareth, Israel   (09.06.07)
Forcing people to leave their homeland is never a solution. I understand that many in the muslim world look at christian and jews as dhimi, but since when the backward muslims are the example to follow? two wrongs don't make it right..
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