Israeli Arabs

Israeli Arabs, Arab Israelis, Palestinians inside or internal refugees designate the Palestinians holding citizenship Israel. The Jewish populations from Arab countries , sometimes referred to as "Arab Jews" are not counted among the Israeli Arabs, although these refugees and their descendants are often also Arabic.

During the War of 1948, some Palestinians have refused to leave their homes or fled the fighting to areas located within what is now Israel. At the end of the war, they were admitted to Israeli citizenship.

Israeli Arabs make up about 15% of the population (or 19.5%, about 1.35 million people, including East Jerusalem in the statistics ^{History of the populations}

The majority of Israeli Arabs (including 170,000 Bedouins ) are descendants of the 150,000 Arabs who remained within the borders of the Jewish state after the 1948 war in Palestine and the Palestinians of Wadi Ara region when this region was given to Israel under the armistice agreements between Israel and Jordan to 1,949. 200 000 Arabs more of Gaza and West Bank were allowed to immigrate to Israel under family reunification and were granted Israeli citizenship.

Finally, the number of Palestinians living illegally in Israel was estimated around 170 000 in 2004 .

Diversity of Populations

Among Israeli Arabs, citizens define themselves in very different ways according to their sensitivity to Arab nationalism, Palestinian, their relationship to the territory of Palestine pre-1948, to Israeli citizenship and their ties with the State of Israel . These sensitivities also vary according to their religious identity (Muslim or Christian). These citizens bring forward one or more of these elements when they are defined: Israeli Arabs or Palestinian Arabs, or Palestinians, Israelis or Palestinians, of Israel or Christians or Israeli Arab-Palestinian ...

From a religious standpoint, Muslims, including Bedouins , are 82% of Israeli Arabs with about 9% of Druze and 9% of Christians , according to the Israeli Bureau of Statistics (May 2003).

Muslim Arabs

Non-Bedouin Muslim Arabs comprise about 70% of the Israeli Arab population. They live mostly in the north and East Jerusalem , even if they are also present in towns in southern Israel. These people are not forced to serve the national army and little volunteer. It is in this population that found the greatest number of citizens calling themselves Palestinians , Israeli Palestinians or as often.

Israeli Muslims as a whole have the birth rate the highest of the Israeli people: 4 children per woman (2.7 for Jews against Israeli) . This implies that a child of 4 who is a Muslim born in Israel and that this population is very young (42% under 15 years compared to the figure of 26% in the Jewish population). The average age of Muslim Israelis is 18 years against 30 years for Israeli Jews. 3% of Muslims aged over 65, against 12% for Israeli Jews.

The projections estimate that the Muslim population will represent more than 2 million Israeli citizens, or 24-26% in the next 15 years. She will represent 85% of Israeli Arabs by 2020, up 3 percentage points more than in 2005 .

However, since 2000 the Israeli Muslim population is experiencing a sharp slowdown. The fertility rate, stable at 4.7 throughout the 1990s , fell to 4.3 in 2004 and reached only 4 in 2005 , while the number of children born to Muslim mother of 5 has dropped dramatically, 6% over the previous year . The same phenomenon has affected Druze and Christian Arabs in the 1990s and their fertility rate is now lower than that of Jews. This should lead to revised population projections. The change is primarily the consequence of the higher level of education of young Muslim women who are more likely to work.

The growth of this Muslim population is not without debate in Israeli politics. ^Dr. Wahid Abd Al-Magid, editor of Al-Ahram's Arab Strategic Report predicts that "... The Arabs of 1948 (ie Israeli Arabs) could become the majority in Israel by 2035 and probably will in 2048." This type of analysis and projections has led some Israeli politicians to propose a land swap with the West Bank to ensure that the majority of the population is Jewish in Israel. One of the plans proposed to involve the Arab population of Wadi-Ara (west of the green line ) to a future Palestinian Arab state in exchange for major Jewish settlement blocs in the West Bank . However, some critics of the proposals considered insufficient because they would fall by only about 2% the percentage of Israeli Arabs in the total population] </ ref>.

Moreover, it would raise the problem of returning refugees: Arabs expelled by Israel (in 1948 and after). This problem is very real in Jaffa.

Bedouin

The term " Bedouin "or" Badawi "in Arabic means a group of ethnic groups, originally nomadic, living in desert areas of Sahara West to Middle East. Some (fellahin) have settled and worked the land. The largest community of Bedouins in Israel is the city of Rahat. The Israeli government encouraged the Bedouin to settle in certain cities in particular, but many live in unrecognized villages, despite the wishes of the official authorities and the reduced availability of social services .

The Bedouin are allowed in the Israeli army on the principle of voluntarism, but only 4% of these people volunteered.

Arab Christians

The Christian Arab citizens of Israel are about 9% of the Israeli Arab population and live mostly in the north, Nazareth is the largest Christian Arab town in Israel. Christians active in politics and Israeli civilian. A judge of the Supreme Court of Israel is a Christian.

Druze

The Druze are an ethnic group found primarily in Israel, Syria and Lebanon. The Israeli Druze live mainly in northern countries, including Al-Karmel Daliyat near Haifa. Druze towns also exist in the heights of the Golan Heights , territory claimed by Syria.

The majority of the Druze themselves as Israeli and must do their military service, at the request of their community leaders. The Druze in Israel, unlike their fellow Syrians, refuse to be called Muslims. Some of them even refuse to be identified with the Arabs, claiming that they share with them the Arabic language. However, Druze personalities like Salman Natur , and Jamal Mu'addi define themselves as Palestinian Arabs.

Geographic distribution

71% of the Arab population living in 116 localities in Israel, usually large Arab majority. Only nine of these communities have the status of cities. 40% of Israeli Muslims (or 400,000 people) live in communities north of the country, with strong Arab majority. 24% of Arabs live in cities with a Jewish majority, mainly Jerusalem , Haifa , Tel Aviv - Jaffa , Acre , Lod , Ramla , Ma'alot-Tarshiha and Nazerat Illit. 4% of Arabs live in Bedouin communities in the Negev and 1% live in areas that are inhabited almost entirely by Jews.

Business life

The percentage of active people among Israeli Arabs is estimated at 39% against 57% for the rest of the population. It presents the disparities between the active participation of men (60%, but characterized by an early entry into the world of work and little job after 45 years) and active women who are much less active in the labor market (17% against 55% for Israeli Jews). Disparities among ethnic groups, genders and age groups can be explained by personal preferences, social pressures, lack of opportunities and differences in education (especially for older). The Arabs have been hardest hit by the recent recession experienced by the country. In 1989 , 68% of Arab men were active (against 62% for Jewish men) whereas the employment rate is now 60% for both communities. The main sectors of the Arabs are building for men (25%) and education for women (38%).

Arabs on average earn 69% of the earnings of Israeli Jews. The average hourly earnings were Israeli Arabs from 29.5 NIS in 2003. The average hourly earnings of women (30.3 NIS) was higher than men (29.3 NIS), which is particularly remarkable, but due to the fact that women are mainly active in public functions as the education.

Income of Israeli Arabs are divided between their average wages (76% against 77% for Jews) and allowances (20% against 11% for Jews). Their main expenses are food (housing is the main expense of Jewish homes). These differences are explained by lower incomes and the fact that Arabs are more likely to own their homes (87% against 68% among Jews).

The main data on the economic development of Israeli Arabs since 1949 is its transformation from an agricultural population in a larger population working in industry. Several milestones have marked the economic development of these populations. Until 1967 , the Arabs are proletarian. In 1967, economic development is encouraged and Arab bourgeoisie appears. Since the 1980s , Arab communities have developed their particular industrial potential.

Health

Improvements in living conditions, education and care have reduced the infant mortality rate of Israeli Arabs has increased from 32 per thousand births in 1970 to 8.6 per thousand in 2000. Among Arabs, Muslims have the highest infant mortality highest, 9.1 per 1000 against 46.1 per thousand in 1961 . Among Christians, the rate rose from 42.1 in 1961 to 6.7 in 1996. Among the Druze it dropped from 50.4 to 8.9 deaths per thousand births.

The life expectancy of these populations has increased 27 years since 1948. The main causes of death are heart disease and cancer. Nearly half of Arab men smoke, and about 14% were diagnosed with diabetes in 2000 .

In Budget 2002 , the Israeli Minister of Health has allocated 1.6 million shekels to Arab communities, among the 277 million of the budget allocated to the development of health services .

Education

The number of years of schooling of Israeli Arab children increased between 1961 and 1996, from 1.2 to 10.4 years. The level of education of Israeli Arabs is relatively lower than that of Israeli Jews, which has an impact on wage levels.

Human Rights Watch pointed in a report dating from 2001 , inequalities between Arab and Jewish schools and lower government investment in the education of Arab children. Classes were on average, still according to the report, 20% busiest among the Arabs .

Legal status and policy

Israeli Arabs are full citizens of the State of Israel, with equal protection before the law and the same rights as their fellow citizens. Arabic is the official language of the state. However, contrary to Jewish citizens, they are not conscripted into the Israeli army but they can serve voluntarily.

Integration

Of personal achievements are signs point integration of Israeli Arabs:

• Nine Israeli Arabs sit in parliament, in the ^17thKnesset (out of 120 MPs).
• On 3 March 1999 , Abdel Rahman Zuabi was the first Arab serving in the Supreme Court. He was also appointed Vice-President of the Nazareth District Court. During his appointment, Justice Minister Tzahi Hanegbi said the appointment of Zuabi was a sign of successful integration of the Arab community in the country's life.
• An Arab judge, Salim Jubran , headquarters permanently to the Supreme Court of Israel since May 2004. He is originally from Haifa and born into a Christian family with roots Maronite Lebanese. He is recognized for its expertise in criminal law and history of being tough to face sex crimes or drug-related.
• The government of Ariel Sharon had, in 2001, an Arab minister, Salah Tarif and Oscar Abu Razaq was appointed Director General of the Ministry of Interior in March 2005.
• Other personalities have achieved fame in Israel as the novelist Emile Habibi , directors Elia Suleiman and Hany Abu-Assad , the actress Hiam Abbass , the actress and singer Mira Awad , actor Yousef Sweid and some players of football.
• In 1999, an Arab woman became Miss Israel for the first time in history. She said Israel fully. The election of Rana Raslan, a native of Haifa, made headlines in Israel and worldwide.
• Since April 2006 , an Arab Muslim 20 years has won a reality TV show of the Israeli ^, .
• In January 2005 , Azmi Nassar, an Israeli Arab, became the coach selection Palestinian Football Association for two years .
• Late February 2007 , the Druze MP Majalli Wahaba , Deputy Acting President Dalia Itzik and Vice-President of the Knesset , has inherited the job for a week due to travel from the President to the United States. It was the first member of the Arab minority in Israel to hold this position .

Other anti-Israeli positions are also heard:

• In December 2005 , an Arab member of Knesset, Azmi Bishara , said at a meeting in Lebanon that Israeli Arabs were "like all Arabs, but with Israeli citizenship, which was imposed on them ... Give us back Palestine and take the democracy with you. It does not interest us , ynetnews.com, December 18, 2005. "Bishara has been critical of Israeli democracy, which he is not made for all citizens, but for some privileged groups.
• In February 2006 , another Arab member of Knesset, Ahmed Tibi , called for the establishment of an Islamic caliphate on what he called "Arab and Muslim land" and dismissed the "Israelization" of Arabs Israel .

Furthermore, evidence exists on the difficulties of integration of Israeli Arabs and if before the law all Israeli citizens are equal in effect discrimination occurs particularly in the possibility of living in a Jewish community.

Political organization

Discrimination

• 2000 : Stop the Israeli Supreme Court concerning the family Adel and Iman Kaadan, Israeli Arabs who wanted to buy land in a solely Jewish community, Katzir. A lawyer, Dan Yakir, a member of the Association for Civil Rights in Israel. The Court held that the discrimination made by Katzir is unconstitutional .

Law on Citizenship

Involvement in the Israeli-Palestinian

In October 2000 , at the beginning of the second Intifada , 12 Israeli Arabs killed by Israeli police during the repression of various events.

On 27 January 2008 , the Attorney General of the State of Israel announced the permanent abandonment of prosecutions against police officers who had killed the Arab demonstrators in 2000 . Ahmed Tibi, an Israeli Arab lawmaker, said later the army radio: "It is unacceptable that police assassins shoot with impunity on citizens without being prosecuted. This is further evidence of discrimination suffered by the Arab population. "

In its report released in September 2003 , after two and a half years of work, the commission chaired by Justice Theodore Orr, had inflicted a stinging rebuke to the Israeli police, lawsuits claim without specific . She had linked the violence in October 2000 in solidarity with the Palestinians to "the inability of the various Israeli governments to treat fairly the Arab minority."

Beginning in July 2006 , at the heart of the Summer Rain operation in the Gaza Strip , the Israeli Arab lawmaker Wassil Taha (Balad) advise the Palestinians on the site Islamoline to kidnap a soldier and to stop attacks against civilians.

He confirms this statement to the Israeli press and cause disapproval of other members of the Knesset. Yoel Hasson, the member shall file a complaint against Taha same. Others propose to withdraw its nationality Israeli Arab member of the exchange or cons Gilad Shalit.

See also

Bibliography

• Rosenthal, Donna. The Israelis. Free Press, 2003. ( ISBN 0743270355 )

Sources

• Feron, Valerie, Palestine (s): Tears, Paris, Editions du Felin, 2001. ( ISBN 2866453913 )
• Kodmani-Darwish, Bassma, The Palestinian Diaspora, Paris: Presses Universitaires de France, 1997. ( ISBN 2130484867 )
• Schenk, Bernadette Druze Identity in the Middle East, in Salibi, Kamal, ed, The Druze: Realities and Perceptions, London, Druze Heritage Foundation, 2005
• Orgad, Liav (PhD), IDC, Hertzlia, Internationalizing the Issue of Israeli Arabs, Maariv, 19 March 2006, page 7.
• Dembik, Marteu Christopher and Elizabeth, Sciences-Po Paris, the Arab community in Israel, between integration and recognition, Averroes Journal, Spring 2009

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