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Israel recognises 'Aramaics' as separate ethnic group
Reuters
Published: 11.11.14, 00:50
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1. Technically speaking ....
Sarah B ,   U.S.A. / Israel   (11.11.14)
... Druze are Arabs. But they are for the extraordinary part intensely loyal to the State of Israel. They make some of the finest soldiers that Israel can claim. The Circassians are Moslem, but they are not Arab. They, too, are intensely loyal to the State of Israel and serve proudly in the IDF. The majority of Arabs in Israel are Moslem, but a significant percentage are Christian. They tend, for the most part, to be better assimilated, better educated and more sophisticated than their Moslem counterparts and while they are exempt from military service, a surprising number volunteer, both in active combat roles and in national service. The Bedouin, while they do adhere to a highly tribal culture and do constitute a major criminal segment of Israeli society, those that swear allegiance to Israel produce some of the best and most loyal soldiers that Israel can hope for. Honor is important. (And permit me to admit, that as a silly sixteen year old who decided to take off on her own in the Negev and promptly got lost, it was Bedouin trackers that found me. Turns out that just the way the Inuit in Alaska have twenty-seven words for snow, Bedouin people have at least as many words for sand.) But I digress. It is interesting to note that while the ersatz "palestine" authority has been in existence for going on two decades, not a single Arab has opted to pull up stakes and go help build a thriving ersatz "palestinian" state. Obviously, they all prefer being Israeli. For good reason. My point here, however, is that the classification of "Arab" is overly broad. They don't all believe alike; they don't all have like affiliations and they are very, very different people. And, it is plainly evident that those who reside in Israel wish to remain in Israel. To quote Alice in Wonderland, curioser and curioser. They don't seem at all interested in living under ersatz "palestinian" rule. Why do you suppose that is? Finally -- Aramaic is a language. A better way to categorize Aramaic speakers is to call them Maronites. And they come from Lebanon. Not Israel.
2. Ethnic identity is secondary to National identity.
Michael ,   California, USA   (11.11.14)
Aramaic people are willing to serve Israel through obeying country's laws, paying taxes, speaking Hebrew, its language, through being loyal and patriotic. Therefore they are Israelis in every meaning of the word.
3. Sarah B. #1
Robert HaymondT ,   Teko'a, Israel   (11.11.14)
Thanks for this bit of educational detail. Useful!
4. #2,your understanding of Israel is as an intellectual midget
Steve Benassi ,   Silver Bay, MN USA   (11.11.14)
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