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68% of Arab-Israelis prefer to live in Israel
Ahiya Raved
Published: 06.06.12, 23:12
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36 Talkbacks for this article
1. Why wouldn't they? Who wouldn't want to live...
William ,   Israel   (06.06.12)
in a country they can rally against while at the same time enjoying the best lifestyle in the Middle East and receive nice benefits? That's why Leftists keep showing up to violently protest against Israel. It's a summer camp.
2. The most damning sentence in the article
William ,   Israel   (06.06.12)
"Some 80% of Arabs living in Israel blame Jews for the Nakba, but 60% of them are resigned to Israel as a state with a Jewish majority"...(while ignoring the Arab massacres on Jews for 28 years prior, and their attempt at genocide in 1948) In other words, Israeli Arabs are upset at Jews for winning the war and creating a successful State and equal society in which Arabs partake in and benefit from. How's that for convoluted logic?
3. Right
Paul ,   South Africa   (06.06.12)
Like arabs tell the truth on an Israeli based survey. Give me a break will ya.
4. It is unfair here
Gee ,   Zikron Yaakov   (06.06.12)
The Arabs do not pay their share of property taxes, nor do they do anywhere near as much national service as the Haredim do, so yes it is unfair. Unfair if you are Jewish instead of Arab.
5. So when the population of Israeli Arabs
Stefan ,   US   (06.06.12)
reaches 50% of the total population, then what?
6. #5, then at 50% we convert to islam
Yossef   (06.07.12)
7. above
moishe   (06.07.12)
32% of Israel Arabs are just plain stupid or rabid antisemites!
8. Agree with all,
James ,   USA   (06.07.12)
Especially the fact that they are 2nd class citizen. Arab-Israel citizens are prohibted from buying state land. Sale is only permitted to Jews. They are denied government jobs (there a few tokens), They can serve in the military. Arab village (in israel) get shorted in aid, schools, infrastucture.
9. Israel is, by historic, ethical and legal rights, the...
Jehudah Ben-Israel ,   Qatzrin, Israel   (06.07.12)
....nation-state of a people, of the Jewish people. 1. Historically, Eretz Israel (Land of Israel) is where the Hebrew/Israeli/Jewish people evolved, some 4,000 years ago, and it has been the cradle of this people's civilization, i.e. Judaism. Jews have lived continuously in Eretz Israel all of these years, despite all odds, and have never considered any other land as their homeland. 2. Ethically, Israel is the expression of the universally accepted right of all peoples, the right of national self-determination and independence, as it has been exercised by the Jewish people. 3. Legally, Israel is here based on the San Remo conference decisions, 1920; the League of Nations decisions, 1922; and based on the United Nations Charter, Article 80, 1945, which adopted the League of Nations decisions of 1922 and etched them as irrevocable ones. Let us hope ALL Arabs, within and without Israel, begin to accept and internalize it.
10. WHO WOULDN'T WANT TO LIVE IN A COUNTRY WITH JOBS
abdalla ,   plantation   (06.07.12)
AND FREEDOM!!. LETS HET THIS ONE STATE ROLLING!
11. Poll should have specified age of respondents
Tracy W   (06.07.12)
Probably younger Arabs hold the most extremist views.
12. James
Habib Seliman ,   New York, USA   (06.07.12)
That sounds a lot better than we got coming from Iraq, after living there since the time of Rav. Abraham. To Israel we came with nothing and helped rebuild our nation into a modern nation with democratic values, an economy based on home grown and developed science & technology, and despite all the issues we face and encounter daily `we will ultimately find a solution. That is why they want to live amongst us. There is no other place in the region like Israel.
13. James #8 so many lies in such a short statement
Gee ,   Zikron Yaakov   (06.07.12)
Yes Arab-Israeli citizens are prohibited from buying state land - so are Jewish-Israeli citizens. The State does not sell any land so that is half correct. Arabs have a higher percentage of government jobs than the percentage of the population. Outright lie right there. The only place that they face an issue is those positions that REQUIRE prior service since less than 2% of the Arabs do any sort of National Service. Don't like Veteran's benefits, then you better get rid of them in America and see how well that goes over, especially since <1% of Americans now serve. Schools and infrastructure are funded by property tax monies just like in America. Guess what happens in communities that don't pay those taxes? Got a clue? Why should the rest of the country suffer because one group refuses to pay those taxes? Are you going to change the way America does it's business as well? Or is your moronic bile just reserved for Israel?
14. Getting full benefits means you become full citizens.....
Equal MEANS EQUAL ,   Israel   (06.07.12)
ie: you contribute and support the survival of the state not work to undermine and destroy it. Things might get much better for them if they sign this agreement and MEAN IT. Can you imagine someone getting US citizenship and receiving full benefits while at the same time teaching your kids hatred for America and hoping they grow up to be terrorists?
15. #8, land
Howard Immanuelson ,   US   (06.07.12)
James, you don't know the first thing about what you're talking about. No one is allowed to buy government land, Jew or Arab. Singling out Arabs as not being able to buy govt land simply shows your ignorance of the matter. Nor are they denied government jobs. For Pete's sake, they have a strong representation in the Knesset and even sit on the Supreme Court. Many of these same Arab villages boycott elections and so they aren't well represented. Boo hoo!
16. Israel is developed bacause it has a Jewish majority!
"not fair"   (06.07.12)
The Israeli Arabs can't hold the stick on both sides. The only reason Israel is not like its backward Arab neighbors is because it's not an Arab country. If the Israeli Arabs want Israel to continue being a prosperous, developed country, they should hope (like we Jews) that it continues to be a country with a Jewish majority. Regarding the "not fair" thing. The UN voted in 1947 on a 2 state solution for former British Palestine - an Arab state and a Jewish state. The Arabs refused to accept a Jewish state then, and it seems that more than 60 years later the Arabs inside Israel still don't think that the Jews have a right for a country of their own. So the Palestinians have a right for a state of their own, but the Jews don't? Talk about unfair!
17. This is absolutely not true!
Oren   (06.07.12)
Every citizen of Israel can buy state land. This is the law; if there was a law which says otherwise then it would have been canceled by the supreme court. Arabs are also well immersed in government jobs; in fact, there are more Arabs in gov. jobs in Israel than blacks in gov jobs in the USA.... They ran to the very top- Israel has Arab MP, Arab judges (including supreme court), councils, etc. Arab villages DO NOT get shorted in aid; they get less aid as the gov. gives the local authority money w.r.t. the amount of money they've managed to raise by collecting tax (this is proportional to the rate not the sum). The Arab local auth. just seem to have a strange tendency not to collect any taxes... I think that your response relies on ignorance; I believe you have read all these nonsense on some extreme leftist website. I suggest you to overcome your bias and try to diversify your reading, so you'll might become less ignorant!
18. Inevitable Solution Population Exchange
GoOurSeparateWays ,   Jerualem Israel   (06.07.12)
Eventually most know there will have to be a "virtual exchange " of populations Arab "Israelis" will become Palestinians linked to that entitity and Jews living in Judea and Samaria will be annexed to Israel perhaps eventually Arab "Israelis" will eventually become Jordanians They will vote no longer in the Knesset but in their own parliment be it Palestinian or Jordanian but eventually we have to go our separate ways best for both peoples. No other solution
19. #8-look at reality
Andi ,   Israel   (06.07.12)
Arb towns are generally much larger than Jewish towns of a similar population because they just expand out and don't live in multistory apartment blocks. If they are short of land, and it doesn't lokk like it, they should start building upwards. Moreover all the young people start studying and working 3 yrs earlier than Jews as they don't do national service- a huge advantage over Jews. Many live in the family homes as parents just build an extra floor for the married couple therefore they have no housing expenses, and property, the most expensive item in anyone's life, is much cheaper in Arab towns. They can also move about freely in the West Bank towns,shopping, where things are about half the price of Israel I am in favour of equality for all, and although in some areas Arabs are wrongly discriminated against, their lot is not that bad at all and indeed balances out with certain advantages.
20. Ask me
Israeli taxpayer   (06.07.12)
I don't think it's fair that Arab citizens don't do any national service and that Arab regional council's don't collect local taxes so that the population at large has to bail them out.
21. "53 %don't think it's fair" They may leave !
trump   (06.07.12)
22. ask them if they would like to live under assad or israel
Galut ia ,   Selah   (06.07.12)
willing to bet Israel would win hands down.... Assad regime puts little value on lives of those that resist....
23. I dont believe a word they told the questioner..All TAKIYA.
Alan ,   SA   (06.07.12)
They want the Jews out and then enjoy the mess they would make of such a beautiful and successful country
24. They're not stupid!!
Jew ,   Israel   (06.07.12)
They can see the difference in living in Israel or living in most Arab countries!! You don't have to be a genius to see which is the better place.
25. #5 It won't happen
Menachem ,   Israel   (06.07.12)
because Arab and Jewish birth rates in Israel are quickly converging due to dramatic decline in Moslem Arab birth rates. The proportion of Arabs in Israel will in fact decline due to continued Jewish aliya and the political separation of the 300.000 non-citizen Arabs around Jerusalem who are not part of Israeli society. What will you do when the latinos reach 50% of the US population?
26. "Unfair" with one tiny Jewish nation-state?
Eyal ,   Jewish homeland   (06.07.12)
Is it fair with 22 Arab practically Juden-frei states which cover an area larger than the US? Arab extremists as well as radical Jews who oppose the existence of the Jewish nation-state of Israel should be expelled at once.
27. Questions MISSING
Tim ,   Brighton   (06.07.12)
How many Israeli Arabs would like to serve in the IDF or do some sort of National Service? How many feel that serving in the IDF or doing some sort of National Service would help social cohesion and bind Israel society closer in unity of purpose? How many feel that serving in the IDF or doing some sort of National Service would help improve their technical and life skills? Enhance their abilities to work as a team, to communicate, to lead, to empathise, to think creatively...... How many value Israel (warts faults and all) with its DEMOCRATIC values WORTH PRESERVING AND FIGHTING FOR How many feel FREE to practice their religion WITHOUT HINDRANCE with the full protection of the law? How many feel Ahmadinejad and his Hezbollah cohorts an existential threat to Israel, the Gulf, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan..indeed peace and stability in the entire region?
28. Just Wondering
Ibrahim ,   Jerusalem   (06.07.12)
All Arab Israelis would live in Israel, because they don't want to leave their ancestors land. But if the professor asked the question to Arab Israelis, would you prefer to stay in your land and house and live under Palestinian Government or Israeli Government, 90% will say Palestinian. The only reason they said they want to live in ISrael, because they do not want to leave their homes, as for the Islamist taking over, I would like to remind you that over 60% of Arab Israelis are conservative and Religious, and this can be noticed through the cities they live in....
29. As an arab living in Jerusalem
Arab Tax Payer ,   Jerusalem   (06.07.12)
I believe its not fair I am paying like Israeli tax payers same amount, and even in some situation more for arnona. And I don't get 10% of the service an Israeli neighborhood would get, just like an example Beit Hanina and Pesgat Zeiv or Navi Yacov.
30. if I was an arab I would also prefer Israel to Egypt, Syria
zionist forever   (06.07.12)
Wanting to live in Israel doesn't make them loyal it just means they prefer the lifestyle. If the options are the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, Hezbollah in Lebanon, Assad in Syria and all the rest of the whacko and sometimes oppressive arab leaders I think if I was an arab Israel would be my choice of places to live as well. The fact that the arab parties have 10 Knesset seats and the fact that the majority of them believe Israel is responsible for the Nakba is proof that there is still a very large fifth column who cannot be trusted and if they could hold a revolution to bring about an end to Israel's status as a jewish state they support it. When these arabs stop defining themselves as palestinian Israelis and start celebrating Yom Hatzmaut rather than mourning on Nakba Day then maybe we can say things are changing and the arabs are seeing sense. All this poll shows is the arabs prefer Israel to the oppression of the arab world so lets not get to excited about its results just yet.
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