ПОЛИТИКА В ОТНОШЕНИИ АРАБСКОГО ЭТНИЧЕСКОГО МЕНЬШИНСТВА В ГОСУДАРСТВЕ ИЗРАИЛЬ

Abstract

Узы, связывающие израильских арабов с арабским миром и в частности с палестинцами, придают израильским арабам статус «враждебного меньшинства». Отношения между арабами и евреями можно охарактеризовать как формальные, асимметричные и ведущие к отчуждению и трениям. Проблема урегулирования отношений между евреями и арабами в Израиле остается серьезным испытанием для израильской демократии ; Israeli Arabs account for 20 percent of the population in Israel. The Arabs of Israel were given citizenship, but this did not mean that they enjoyed truly equal rights. For eighteen years they lived under conditions of martial law and, as a result, their freedom of movement was severely curtailed. The position of Israeli Arabs is disadvantaged in the labour market, educational system and democratic values. The Arabs of Israel do not serve in the armed forces. Since in Israel military service has become an admission-ticket to society, the non-service of the Arabs effectively bars them from access to positions of influence. Nevertheless the Arabs of Israel have seen significant improvement in their standard of living; it is estimated that their average salary is equivalent to 75 per cent 239 of the average salary in the Jewish sector. The relationship of Arab citizens to the State of Israel is often fraught with tension and can be regarded in the context of relations between minority populations and state authorities elsewhere in the world. Arab citizens consider themselves to be indigenous people. The increasing population of Arabs within Israel, and the majority status they hold in two major geographic regions are perceived by Israelis as a "demographic bomb". Many Israeli leaders often noted that if the percentage of Arab citizens rose above its current level, Israel would not be able to maintain a Jewish demographic majority. Peace and equality are the two concepts, which have always headed the list of preferences of the Arabs of Israel. It was reckoned that the two were bound together, since a significant proportion of the causes of inequality were rooted in the security situation. The Six Day War marked a dramatic turning point in the lives of Israel's Arab citizens. For the first time since Israel's establishment, Arab citizens had contact with Palestinians in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. This, along with the lifting of military rule, led to increased political activism among the Arab citizens. The first intifada has helped to establish a new identity for Israeli Arabs, as Palestinian citizens of Israel. But both two intifadas show that problems faced by Israeli Arabs could not be separated from the wider Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The outcome was that today the majority of Israeli Arabs identify themselves as Palestinians by nationality and Israeli by citizenship. Within the Arab communities there have been new developments in recent years. The Islamist movement has gained strength. Some young leaders seek cultural autonomy for Arabs of Israel, while the demand to present Israel as the state of all citizens is heard with increasing frequency among various circles of the Israeli Arabs. Not only Israeli Arabs, but also Jewish Human rights groups and increasing numbers of Israelis and Jews are calling for the State of Israel to be a democratic state for all of its citizens regardless of religion and race. They believed that building healthy Jewish-Arab relations is essential to strengthening Israel's democratic society