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Photo: Reuters
Arab Israeli MK Ahmed Tibi
Photo: Reuters

MK: Arab Israelis should get foreign aid

A fifth of the foreign aid collected by Israel each year should be allocated to the Israeli-Arabs, MK Ahmad Tibi says

A fifth of the foreign aid collected by Israel each year should be allocated to the Israeli-Arabs, MK Ahmad Tibi (Hadash-Ta`al ) said Thursday, expressing his displeasure with the fact that the entire sum is invested in projects for the Jewish sector.

 

“Foreign aid is given to Israel as a state and not to the Jews only. But it never reaches Arab Israelis,” Tibi told a crowd of 40 foreign representatives at a gathering in Nazareth organized by Mossawa, The Advocacy Center for Arab Citizens in Israel.

 

The meeting was attended by a number of MKs and Israeli-Arab public figures.

 

Tibi urged his foreign guests to make sure their countries press Israel to divert 20 percent of their donations to Arabs living within the borders of the Jewish State.

 

He proposed building a university and a hospital in Nazareth from funds intercepted by Israel in the form of financial assistance from the U.S. and the EU.

 

“I proposed that a fifth of each aid package donated to Israel be ‘colored’ in the colors of the Israeli-Arab sector,” Tibi told Ynet.

 

Emphasizing the success of his efforts and the importance of the issue, Tibi evoked a series of meetings he had held last year with American representatives, who promised to consider the proposal.

 

“There are initial signs that our demands are being attended to. Weeks ago American officials raised the issue with representatives of the Israeli government. As someone who initiated the idea, I will make sure the subject develops,” he said.

 

'My main struggle is inside Israel'

 

A number of representatives from European and African countries expressed interest in the proposal and requested meetings with Tibi to hear more about its details.

 

“Israel receives USD 360 million in civilian aid each year from the Unites States, in addition to economic aid packages granted by the EU – a body caring for human rights,” Tibi said.

 

Last week, Qatar announced plans to donate USD 6 million to build a stadium in Sakhnin, a move that was partly achieved through Tibi’s courting of princes from the Arab kingdom.

 

“My main struggle is inside Israel, yet in conjunction I will work with foreign countries to ensure Israel adopts a more equal social agenda. Israel is not fulfilling its duties towards its Arab citizens. Its policies are discriminatory. I am trying to narrow the gaps between Arabs and Jews through work within the system and outside of it,” Tibi explained.

 

Some 20 percent of Israel’s 6.2 million citizens are Arabs.

 


פרסום ראשון: 10.20.05, 18:01
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