'The Status of Palestinian Citizens in Israel'

[Aidoneus]

don't ordinarly post editorials, but I'll make another exception to that now..

The Status of Palestinian Citizens in Israel
Written Statement, Pax Christi International, 16 February 2004
WRITTEN STATEMENT FOR THE UN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION

Pax Christi International wishes to draw attention to the situation of Palestinian citizens inside Israel within the borders of 1948. The focus of the Arab- Israeli conflict is mostly on Palestinians of the Occupied Territories and to a lesser degree on those Palestinians who live inside Israel. In essence, their situation has many similarities with the situation of Palestinians in the Occupied Territories.1

Pax Christi has submitted numerous interventions regarding the deteriorating human rights situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories since the beginning of the Al-Aqsa Intifada. The Intifada and Israel's reaction to it have also had a great impact on the situation of Palestinians citizens in Israel, as the world witnessed during the suppression of demonstrations in Israel in October 2000, leaving 13 people dead; the Israeli public discourse on "transfer"; the "demographic threat" and the public perception of Palestinians inside Israel as being a "fifth column"2.

--snip--

Background

The Palestinians in Israel are descendants of the people that did not leave during the years of the establishment of the state of Israel and during the 1948 war between Israel and its Arab neighbours.4 Palestinian citizens of Israel comprise approximately one million persons, about 20% of Israel's total population of about 6 million5. They numbered at that time approximately 150.000, of which about 25% became internal refugees (Internally Displaced Persons). This group now numbers about 250.000. Geographically the Palestinian Israelis live in Arab villages and cities in Galilee, in the so-called "Arab Triangle", in the Negev Desert and in mixed Arab-Jewish cities such as Haifa, Akka, Lydda, Ramla and Jaffa.
The majority of Palestinian citizens are Sunni Muslims; about 10% are Christian and 10% are members of the Druze community. The Bedouin, Sunni Muslims for the most part, account for about 12% of Palestinians in Israel.6

The cultural and political identity of Palestinian citizens put under major pressure by the Israeli state, and expressions of collective identity are regarded as subversive. At the same time Palestinian citizens, Arabs living in Israel have often met with distrust within the Arab world.

Occasionally the Israeli state plays on the religious and ethnic differences of its Palestinian citizens. A well-known case is that of the Druze, who are the only non-Jewish group that can enlist in the army and thus enjoy far more privileges than other groups7, though still less than Jews on the average. Druze recruits most often perform combat duties in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

Inequality under the Law

The status of Palestinians in Israel as a Jewish state is problematic. From 1948 until 1966 the Palestinians in Israel lived under military rule and in fact under military occupation. Palestinians faced restrictions on the freedom of movement, restrictions on the freedom of press and opinion and legal confiscation of land and property. Under military law Palestinians faced the possibility of deportations, illegal detentions without trial, curfews, house arrests etc. The end of military rule in 1966 did not end this legal and institutional discrimination.

--snip--

HTML version: http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article2424.shtml
original PDF: http://www.paxchristi.net/PDF/ME11E04.pdf

it goes on to studies of more recent events, but that's the background..

[madrchsod]

1. there are very few christians left

in the land where christ was born. the palestinian christians are leaving the area in ever increasing numbers and when they are gone there will be no one christians left...

[JasonDeter]

2. I almost blew peanut butter out my nose

when I read a quote by arafat saying, "I am a Christian!" I heard Louis Farrakan (sp) the racist say he was a Christian. Today, one must clarify what they mean by 'Christian' to have any validity.

[Les Claypool]

3. Thanks for posting...