Opinion
They want to finish us off
Yoaz Hendel
Published: 02.04.10, 14:13
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1. Yoaz Hendel & the Arabs
Elana ,   Tel Aviv   (04.02.10)
Short and Sweet. Gets right to the point. Superb piece.
2. Arab citizens of Israel
Sarah B ,   U.S.A. / Israel   (04.02.10)
... rather famously bite the hand that feeds them. But they are citizens of Israel, they are subject to Israeli statutes concerning sedition and treason, and those who would aid and abet an enemy sworn to the destruction of the State of Israel and the extermination and/or expulsion of the Jewish people should be tried for treason. In Israel, treason is a capital offense. One or two executions of sentence, and the Arabs will either settle down or make their way to another country more to their liking. Either works for me.
3. Mr. Hendel, We, our homes, our land were/are here before you
Amir   (04.02.10)
4. The facts speak for themselves
Israel's Arabs   (04.02.10)
While a majority of the land was owned by Arabs when the country was founded, most property has since been expropriated. Only 2.5 percent remains under Arab ownership - even though Arabs comprise 20 percent of the population. Since the founding of the state, more than 1,200 Jewish towns have been established, while no new Arab towns have - save those created by Bedouin in both the North and South. Another example is a comparison of the towns of Omer and Tel Sheva in the south. In 2004, there were 6,000 residents in Jewish-populated Omer with a territory of 17,000 dunams, while in Arab Tel Sheva there were 10,000 residents in only 4,000 dunams - 2.8 dunams per person compared to 0.4. And this is nothing compared to the difference between Taibeh and Kochav Yair. As time goes on, the amount of land allocated to Arab citizens only shrinks, due to expropriation and Israel's reticence to expand areas under Arab jurisdiction. These gaps are evident when comparing neighboring Arab and Jewish towns. As on all such days marked by the Arab population of Israel, discussions on Land Day revolve around the question of Arab citizens' place in Israeli society and also on our insistence on commemorating Nakba Day, Land Day and the riots of October 2000 every year. On Land Day, we protest against the widening policies of Judaization and the harsh inequalities in land distribution and residential expansion. In such a reality, it is easy to attack Arabs in Israel with accusations of populism. The least we can do is demonstrate and remember year after year this injustice, because we have a right to this land and we will not surrender that right. We have rights not just in this land, but also rights over this land. This is a historic axiom. Even if the generation that experienced the events of Land Day in 1976 does not get to see the desired change, our message will be passed to all future generations as they mark Land Day each year. On every March 30, we must ask this question: what has changed since 1976? And what advances (or regressions) has the state made toward our equality?
5. ARABS ,LIKE MOST RATIONAL AND
LAWRENCE ,   SAFED ISRAEL   (04.02.10)
Logical people,respect only force.Being kind to them only encourages them to murder us ,heaven forbid.
6. WELL SAID MR. HENDEL
LAWRENCE ,   SAFED ISRAEL   (04.02.10)
'tis good to know that not all Israeli Jews are delusional fools.You have your head screwed on.
7. Very one sided radicalized view
Rami of Nazareth ,   Israel   (04.02.10)
The fact of the matter is, the majority of Israeli arabs want ot live in peace with our country men the jews in this wonderful country called Israel. Don't take my word for it, the shabak can attest to this. It's true there are some radical, they are on both sides but do not represent majority..
8. Well said.
Gee ,   Zikron Yaakov   (04.02.10)
This too can be applied to the leftists in Tel Aviv as well.
9. The Naked Truth
Bill Foonman ,   Jacksonville USA   (04.02.10)
At the end of the day - Israeli citizens or not - they are still Arabs and would turn on Israel in a heartbeat if Israel ever looked as if it might lose a war agains other Arabs.
10. Damn true, Bravo!
Ricardo Macher ,   Karnei Shomron IL   (04.02.10)
11. Really?
OP ,   Belfast   (04.02.10)
You deny the Palestinians their fundamental rights, engage in inexcusable persecution of them and now you take offence at their grievances - makes no sense.
12. to #9: naked from the truth bill
Rami of Nazareth ,   Israel   (04.02.10)
Not only the majority of Israeli-Arabs see their future in Israel. Many of us server in the IDF and die defending the jewish state. You sound like someone whose only source of info about Israeli-Arabs is radical jewish media
13. To: No. 11
Sarah B ,   U.S.A. / Israel   (04.02.10)
Predictably, you are talking out of an orifice most people reserve for other uses. The Palestinians that live in Israel have full right of citizenship, but few of the obligations (military service, for example). It is not a question of "grievances," it is a question of how they express such "grievances." Peaceful demonstration is one thing (although Arabs rarely demonstrate peacefully). There are laws against sedition, and laws against treason, and the citizens of Israel -- whatever their ethnic origin and whatever their faith -- are expected to obey the law. The Arabs in Israel enjoy a very good standard of living, they have access to a quality of health care that is among the highest in the world. For all their agitation for an independent Palestinian state, how many Israeli Arabs do you think actually went to the Palestine Authority to contribute to building one? I'll tell you: not one. Not a single, blessed one. They don't want to build a Palestinian state, they want to destroy the State of Israel. That "ambition" is going to become very costly to them. One final point: I note for the record that despite years of terror and violence, and years of popular protest, the six counties remain part of the Crown. You could not dislodge them. The Palestinians cannot dislodge Israel, and have come away the worse for wear every time they have tried.
14. Israeli arrogance again
Mikesailor ,   Miami, FL   (04.02.10)
According to the writer, the Israeli Arabs should be happy with their Jewish overlords and he can't inderstandf why they are not haapy with their situation, The writer, and most Israelis apparently are too dense to understand that when you treat a minority as less deserving of human and political rights than imported Jews, you cannot expect them to kiss your feet and declare that all is well. The racism endemic in Zionism" i.e.. the declaration that Jews have more politial and legal rights than non-Jews is massively stupid yet is shared by all Israeli apololgists.
15. #12 Seeing is believing
Yosi   (04.02.10)
When i see Arabs protesting the extremist ones that are holding banners and pictures of the leaders of the organizations that attack their country (Israel), i will believe you....You know there are Jews protesting the extremist ones.
16. To: No. 4
Sarah B ,   U.S.A. / Israel   (04.02.10)
Don't lie. At the time of the founding of the modern state, the Jews owned by far and away the majority of land, having for the most part purchased it from absentee Ottoman landlords starting with the First Aliyah. In fact, until the Jews came and cleared the swamps and pushed back the desert and made that desolate, sparsely populated land lush and fertile, the land was considered uninhabitable. Less than a handful of Arabs owned property; they tenant farmed those tiny areas that were arable. You've come to believe your own myth. But that doesn't make the myth true; it just makes you delusional.
17. to #13 Sarah, read my post in #12
Rami of Nazareth ,   Israel   (04.02.10)
Instead of acting like Hamas and hating for the sake of hating. First check the facts about Israeli-arabs comming from the shabak. otherwise i feel sorry for people like u wether jews or muslims..
18. #17 a sad day
Israel Israeli ,   Tel Aviv   (04.02.10)
There is no reason that Jews and Arabs cannot live in peace. Sadly, in addition to foreign elements who are inciting the Israeli/Arab war, Israel was ruled by a corrupt Junta that made money by selling a fake peace. A whole generation of Israeli Arabs were turned into fanatic enemies by a Jewish education minister who decided it was a good idea to teach that Israel's creation was a disaster. As always, it will be the innocent who suffer.
19. big surprise ,the arabs celebrating moscow murders
hal tripp ,   la paz, bolivia   (04.02.10)
the mullahs in gaza were giving out candies today after prayers celebrating the 40 dead in moscow by their chechen cousins,all the arab papers in israel and the arab world kept the bombings towards the end of their papers and we're supposed to make peace with the arabs, god help us
20. To: No. 17
Sarah B ,   U.S.A. / Israel   (04.02.10)
Empty words. Exactly when are you planning to stand up and be counted? When are you planning to stand up and say, very publicly, that Israel has been good for both Jews and Arabs? When are you planning to stand up and say that the only reason that there are Arab Christians in Lebanon is because Israel intervened and put a stop to the slaughter of the Maronite Christians by Palestinian Moslems? When are you planning to stand up and say that you would rather live in Israel than in any other Arab country (of which there are 21)? When are you planning to stand up and say that Israel has afforded its Arab population greater opportunity for education and a normal life than even those oil-soaked Arab states? When are you going to stand up and say that the Jews are the best friend that the Palestinians have EVER had? You know all this to be true. In any event, unless and until, Rami, your words posted on YNet are meaningless. If you do not stand with us -- openly so, even in defiance of the Arab street -- then you are against us, and no friend of ours. It's really all that simple.
21. to #14
(04.02.10)
there's a growing notion in the US by the muslim communities that islamophobia is an illegal feeling (instinct). that americans have no right to fear muslims and profile them with bomb belt searches... what would happen if muslims in FLORIDA (where u live) start chanting 'death to America' while holding a portrait of bin laden? would you ALLOW your government to sit on its ass or would you DEMAND they protect you?!?!? regardless of the rooot of the conflict - you would want them dealt with wouldn't you? so that you can live your civilized lifestyle again IMMEDIATELY. Israeli citizens, civilized in their lifestyles as well, are constantly running to bomb shelters franticly, to avoid losing the remainder of their live because of some extreme fundamentalist. regardless of what the terrorist says, you would want him/her as far away from your Miami home as possible wouldn't you? now if you had to filter out the good ones from the murderous ones, how would you do that in Miami?!?! take a poll and ask 'would you like to kill me?' HOW?!?!? dont forget...FLORIDA was occupied and then annexed by the US back in the day from the NATIVE AMERICAN. think about it.
22. Yoaz is a voice in the wilderness
m   (04.02.10)
Most media supports and promotes Arab sedition and Jewish comitting suicide. When will you open your eyes, Israel? I hope it's not going to be too late.
23. Mr. Hendel expressed my feelings too.
anatoly ,   San Jose, USA   (04.02.10)
24. FANTASTIC ARTICLE BY MR. HENDEL
LAWRENCE ,   SAFED ISRAEL   (04.02.10)
The best article I have read for a long time,and sadly so true.
25. Sarah: Not much difference between u and hamas
Rami of Nazareth ,   Israel   (04.02.10)
both of u have radical views based on hatred and stereotypes. Half the things u mentioned in post (#20) are not even true. As far as Israeli-Arabs are concerned, in the same breath u condems the radicals u have to acknowledge the moderates and not ignore the fact that many serve in the iDF and even die defending the jewish state. If u read my posts I condemn radicalisim on both sides, i have not seen u condemning jewish terrorism..
26. to # 18: it's not as bad..
Rami of Nazareth ,   Israel   (04.02.10)
regardlessof all the negative publicity that u see in the israeli media. The fact is majority of israeli arabs are loyal to this country and this is where they see their future..living in harmony with the jewish majority. If we don't agree with some israeli policies it does not mean we hate jews.
27. #20 I stand with Rami
Logic ,   Israel   (04.03.10)
His posts over the years are an example of moderation and friendship. Unfortunately, you have not been following what he's been saying all along.
28. Mr Amir ...
Yitzhak Goldstein ,   Tel Aviv   (04.03.10)
...we, our homes, our land were/are here before you even *existed*.
29. May I ask "Rami of Nazareth": Why do the Muslim-Arabs
Jehudah Ben-Israel ,   Qatzrin, Israel   (04.03.10)
refuse to accept Israel's right to be, to exist as the nation-state of the Jewish people? And, why do they refuse to accept a peace agreement with Israel as the "end of the conflict". Aren't these two points indicative of their true long-term goal: To achieve in stages what they couldn't in full scale wars, e.g. 1948, 1967, 1973, the total annihilation of the state of Israel and the erasing of any trace in it of any Jewish existence...?? And why do you refuse to accept Israel being the nation-state of the Jewish people, based on decisions of both the League of Nations and the United Nations as well as based on the universally accepted right of all peoples to national self-determination and independence...??
30. #16 Sarah B
Truthseeker ,   USA   (04.03.10)
Keep on dreaming if you think that it was the Jews "that made the deserts bloom." Certainly Jews made a great contribution but they were not the first to do so.. In 1945 & 1946 the British mandate surveyed land use in Palestine. If you dare, click on this link and see that Palestinians had made much of the land bloom with barley, melons, grapes etc. long before the Jews arrived enmasse. http://alethonews.wordpress.com/2010/03/24/tell-me-again-who-made-the-desert-bloom/ On one thing you are correct. When Israel became a state Jews did own (or rather control) the majority of the land because many of the rightful owners had been driven off by the Palmach and Haganah. And please do not demean yourself by saying that the Arabs of Palestine left on their own accord. There is plenty of evidence that is just a canard.
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