Israeli Minister Says Government Needs To Move Fast On Two State Solution
Wednesday, July 14, 2010 at 1:03PM
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”
Israeli President Shouted Down By Protesters
Israeli President Shimon Peres spoke today in favor of peace in the Middle East, but some in the audience likely couldn’t hear his call, as protesters within the room shouted him down. Three eruptions of protesters in the audience were stopped by police. The protesters shouted from tabletops and waved signs saying “stop the occupation” and “free gaza.” This all transpired at the Washington DC Convention Center, at a conference led by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.
Peres spoke of his commitment to the peace process, saying that one of the big challenges they all faced was to “disconnect religion from terror”, so extremists are not killing in the name of a higher power.
“History is on the side of peace... history’s on our side,” Peres said. He continued that the extremists leading Iran “are on the wrong side of history.” Peres acknowledged that most Iranians are good people whom he respects, but pointed his finger at extremists like Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as being the problem.
“Iran is not threatened by anybody,” Peres said, and continued that Iran’s new missile programs are unnecessary. He said that Iran’s missile development and nuclear program are a threat to Israel “and the global community at large.”
Peres said that he trusts President Obama to make meaningful bilateral negotiations, and to contribute significantly to the peace process.