Figure 1.-- |
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Isareli society is quite complex, consisting of many national and relogious communities. There are many different Jeish groups, often assoiciated with religious and immigrant factors. Some of the most important are: Ashkenazim, Mizahim, immigrants (especially Russian and Ethiopian), Haredim, religious-Zionsts, and secular Jews. There are are also wide religious differences. There is also a substantial Arab population, including Muslims, Druze, and Christians. Perhaps the greast danger to the Israeli Airforce today is that Israel is a bottle neck in the bird migrations between Europe and asia and africa. One key institution in the socilization process is the Army. [Rosenthal] Israel is virtually the only democratic state in the Middle East. Ironiclly it is one of the few states in which Palestinians or for that matter Muslims can vote in open democtatic elections. Readers have complained to us that Israel is an Aparthaid state in which Palestinians are oppressed and have no legal rights. Thus we have decided to look a modern Israel, the various ethnic and religious communities, the political, legal, and social system. Of course this is a major undertaking and will take some time. Here we encourage reders to add what ever insights they may have.
Israel is an immigrant society with a diverse population. Isareli society is quite complex, consisting of many national and relogious communities. There are many different Jewish groups, often assoiciated with religious and immigrant factors. Some of the most important are: Ashkenazim, Mizahim, immigrants (especially Russian and Ethiopian), Haredim, religious-Zionsts, and secular Jews. There are are also wide religious differences. There is also a substantial Arab population, including Muslims, Druze, and Christians. About 1.3 million of its citizens are Arabs belonging to various religious and ethnic groups. Arab Isrealis have lower incomes than the Isreali average. It is probably fair to say that the government has not invested equally in the Arab communities. Even so, Arab-Israelis have a standard of living higher than the Arabs in neighboring states and the Middle Eastern average. Isreali Arabs are full citizens who can vote and be elected to public office. (The only other Arabs able to vote in free elections are Palestinians in the occupied territorirs and Iraquis.) Isreali Arabs have the right to worship, assemble and speak freely without fear of intimidation or oppression. Tgey have access to an independent judicuary. A case can be made for the freest Arabs in the Middle East living in Israel.
Perhaps the greast danger to the Israeli Airforce today is that Israel is a bottle neck in the bird migrations between Europe and asia and africa. One key institution in the socilization process is the Army. [Rosenthal]
Israel is virtually the only democratic state in the Middle East. Ironiclly it is one of the few states in which Palestinians or for that matter Muslims can vote in open democtatic elections.
Readers have complained to us that Israel is an Aparthaid state in which Palestinians are oppressed and have no legal rights.
We want to look at various social institutions in Israel. The school system is an especially important institution go consider. The health care system is another institution we want to look at. We notice an article about an Israeli hospital. "... the doctors, nurses and receptionists were a mixture of Jews and Arabs. They worked together, they laughed together, they were kind to all the patients. And the patients, too, were a mixture of Jews and Arabs, men, women and children.
It confirmed my own personal experience of nearly four years ago when I spent more than a month at Hadassah Mount Scopus hospital in Jerusalem. It was exactly the same there.
Anyone who talks about Israel being an apartheid state must come and look at humanity in practice in hospitals and clinics. It's inconceivable to think of anything remotely like this having been allowed in apartheid South Africa."
The Muslim world have accused Isreal of racism. This is a topic we would like to investigate. The rational for for the Muslim charges seems to be primarily that Israel has occupied the West Bank and at one time Gaza. We don't know of any openly racist policies persued by Israel which have integrated Jews from all over the world, including Ethiopia, into Isreali society. I do not know a great deal about the Isreali media to assess racil bias or how race issues are dealt with in Isreali schools. On the other hand race hated appears to be widespead in Aran, Iranuan, and other Muslim media. We note imagery thatt is similar to that used by the NAZIs. We also note vile racist statements in Muslim textbooks, including Palestinian textbooks which are in part financed by European countries.
There is a vocal Isreali peace movement that has been particularly critical of the occupation of the West Bank and other areas. This is primarily a movement within the Isreali left. They represent a minority of Isrealis, but they have the right to express their ideas and challrnge the government in various fora. These groups include Peace Now, and Gush Shalom. The Machsomwatch movement reports on incidents at checkpoints. There is the "Breaking the Silence" group, IDF soldiers who protest against the occupation. Another group is Betselem.
There are also refuseniks. There is a substantial list of other groups protesting the occupation. There are no comparable movements within the Palestinian community. There is, for example, no Palestinian "Shahid watch" reporting on suicide bombers killing innocent civilians.
Pogrund, Benjamin. "Not Apartheid: A Jerusalem story" Zionism & Israel News Archive (March 13, 2007).
Rosenthal, Donna. The Israelis: Ordinary People in an Extrodinary Land (Free Press, 2003), 466p. This is rather a popular, but insightful description of Isralei society.
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