Tuesday
Apr072009
Knesset Member: Israel is racist
Tuesday, April 7, 2009 at 6:13PM
Random beatings of Palestinian-Israeli's not being investigated by police and recent mass lay-offs of train workers for employees who never served in the military, have resulted in a a Palestinian-Israeli member of Israel's parliament calling the country racist.
“Our main demand is equality, full equality in the framework of full citizenship of the Palestinian people,” said Jamal Zahalka, a member of the Israeli Knesset.
The Palestinian minority – 20 percent of Israel’s population – is often one that goes undocumented because the West is more concerned in the political outcome than the human cost, said Aida Touma-Sleiman, director of Women Against Violence, an organization that advocates Palestinian women’s rights.
“This kind of racism is slipping and going from the institutional level into the public level into the ordinary people,” said Touma-Sleiman, adding that the last 10 years have brought to power strong right-wing politicians in the government who have strong inclinations against unity between Palestinians and Israel.
“If Israel wants to establish a true democracy their is no way to escape the fact of dealing with the Palestinian minority within Israel,” said Touma-Sleiman.
“Our main demand is equality, full equality in the framework of full citizenship of the Palestinian people,” said Jamal Zahalka, a member of the Israeli Knesset.
The Palestinian minority – 20 percent of Israel’s population – is often one that goes undocumented because the West is more concerned in the political outcome than the human cost, said Aida Touma-Sleiman, director of Women Against Violence, an organization that advocates Palestinian women’s rights.
“This kind of racism is slipping and going from the institutional level into the public level into the ordinary people,” said Touma-Sleiman, adding that the last 10 years have brought to power strong right-wing politicians in the government who have strong inclinations against unity between Palestinians and Israel.
“If Israel wants to establish a true democracy their is no way to escape the fact of dealing with the Palestinian minority within Israel,” said Touma-Sleiman.
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