A disturbing article was published in the 10.24.12
edition of the Israeli newspaper, Haaretz – Most
Israeli Jews would support apartheid regime in Israel. We should note that this was sent to us by one of the people who works
at Sabeel, human rights attorney Gerard Horton, who works on the issue of the treatment of children in
Israel's military "justice" system.
Arab MKs: Israeli Jews' support of apartheid is not surprising
Arab lawmaker Jamal Zahalka says the survey symbolizes 'the end of hypocrisy' and that the 'Israeli regime isn't a carbon copy of South Africa's apartheid, but it is certainly from the same family.'
Arab Knesset members and organizations
operating in Israel's Arab community were not surprised by the survey
results showing that most Israeli Jews favor denying Palestinians the
right to vote if Israel were to annex the West Bank, or by the backing
for discrimination against Israel's Arab citizens.
The article was reporting on a recent survey of 503 Israelis which included the following results:
· 74% favour separate roads for Israeli settlers in the West Bank.
· 69% objects to giving 2.5 million Palestinians the right to vote if Israel annexes the West Bank.
· 58% of the Jewish public already believes Israel practices apartheid against the Palestinians.
·
49% want the state to treat
Jews better than Palestinians.
·
47% want part of Israel’s
Palestinian population transferred to the Palestinian Authority.
·
42% don’t want to
live in the same building as Palestinians.
·
42% don’t want their
children in the same class as Palestinians.
· 33% wants a law barring
Israeli Palestinians (20% of Israel’s population) from voting in the
Knesset.
These attitudes will soon lead to
disaster for both Palestinians and Israeli Jews if left unchecked. These
attitudes also help to explain why the Israeli state believes it is appropriate
to prosecute Palestinian children from the West Bank in military courts, whilst
Israeli settler children are processed through civilian juvenile courts, with
far greater rights and protections, for the same offense.
I believe the situation is critical and urgent action is
required if disaster is to be averted.
International Advocacy Officer - Lawyer
Defence for Children International – Palestine Section
