A member of the Israeli cabinet says Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu needs to begin serious talks with Palestinians about a two-state solution, but also has to take measures to ensure Israeli-Arabs enjoy the same rights as other Israelis. Avishay Braverman, Israel’s Minister of Minority Affairs, told a news conference in New York that the current situation in Israel is unsustainable, and the window of opportunity for a two-state solution is slowly closing. Braverman is a Labor party representative in the Netanyahu coalition government.
Israeli Arabs represent over 20% of the population and have one of the highest birth rates in country but are often excluded fom Israel’s economic growth, with nearly half the population living in poverty and depending on a comparatively weak social infrastrucure. Braverman says no Prime Minister since Itzack Rabin has successfully reached out to this population, but that the issue can no longer be ignored. “This issue is not only just, it is also wise. Its not only good for the Arabs, its good for the Jews, so you do not have 20% of the people as adversaries.”
Likud party leader and Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman has over the past year proposed several higly controversial measures concerning Arab citizenship in Israel, one which would require Arabs to take a loyalty oath to the State, but Braverman says the measures would never be accepted and accused Lieberman of damaging the delicate relationship between Israeli Jews and Arabs in order to pander to his political constituency.
Braverman says that contrary to popular belief, the most recent polls and studies show that the majority of Israel’s Arabs want to be citizens and participate in the state, but that Arab-Israeli leaders and Israel’s political parties have refused to engage with each other on the issue for the last decade.
Braverman says he is working on several programs to combat Arab economic inequality within Israel, but admits that addressing the social integration issue has proven to be much more difficult and requires “creative” solutions. Exchange programs between Arab and Israeli students have been successful in promoting integration in some communities but they remain unfeasible in others because of the persisting mistrust and lack of communication. ” The dilemma is that the Jews do not know the Arabs. Many of them think when they see something in the news about traitors, that many of them are Fifth Column or terrorist.”
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu met with President Obama last week and Braverman says he is pleased they had a positive meeting, but now expects the Prime Minister and Palestinian Leader Mahmud Abbas to begin direct negotiations in the next few months. “Both have to step up to the plate. Right now there is a positive climate, but climate is insufficient and actions are called for”
Wednesday, July 14, 2010 at 2:14PM
GOP Clashes With Efforts To Boost Economy, Say Senators
By Sarah Mamula - Talk Radio News Service
Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) and Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) expressed outrage over the GOP’s hesitation to work towards bipartisanship to help issues currently facing the nation. At a press congerence, Stabenow referred to data charts showing that more than 80% of Republicans voted against bills such as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the Unemployment Insurance Extension and the health care reform bill.
“Bottom line, we are in a situation,” said Stabenow, “If we … had, frankly, more willingness to work across the aisle in the interest of the American people…we would be even farther along,” said Stabenow when speaking about the slow growth of the economy.
On Wednesday, the senators spoke about Congressional achievements since President Obama took office, but stressed the difficulties with Republican opposition to policy reforms.
“One of our colleagues said the entire Republican strategy on health insurance reform was not to help make good policy, but to make it President Obama’s Waterloo, to break this President,” said Menendez, referring to South Carolina Senator Jim DeMint (R).
Menendez went on to say that Republicans have not been working to help create jobs for communities, but have working against Democrats for “political gain” with the fall elections rapidly approaching.
“It’s undeniable that the jobs situation has improved dramatically since President Obama inherited the Bush recession…Democrats have shown the leadership and done the heavy lifting necessary to implement policies that spur recovery,” said Menendez.
“Republicans have a clear record of opposing job creation legislation,” added Menendez, calling their agenda “job-killing.”
The senators hope for more Republicans to reach across party lines in the coming months to enact legislation to boost recovery, but they were not optimistic.
“They have shown no signs of seeing the light,” said Menendez. Voting against legislation is “a strategy meant more to increase their [Republicans] size in the Senate than it is to create the number of jobs necessary for our families.”