Israelis Debate Mandatory Arab Participation in National Service

[Lipush]

Israeli lawmakers are continuing to debate the pros and cons of mandatory participation and integration of Israeli Arabs into the National Service program.

Israeli Arab Knesset Member Jamal Zahalka (Balad party) for years has attended foreign Arab functions and on occasion represented the Palestinian Authority rather than Israel, whose taxpayers support his salary and whose government he serves. Zahalka recently called on his constituency to oppose any plan to legislate Israeli Arab integration into national service.

Deputy Transportation Minister and MK Tzipi Hotovely (Likud), however, condemned Zahalka for his attitude, saying, “For years Israeli Arabs have been benefitting from state health support, education and social security without contributing to share the burden.

“The time has come for them to realize there will be no more taking advantage of the citizens of Israel without participating in national responsibilities.”

The issue is one that taps more than just the matter of “sharing the burden,” however. Israeli Arab legislators such as Zahalka have come under increasingly tight scrutiny in recent years as they escalate aggressive rhetoric against the nation in whose parliament they serve. A number have traveled outside the country to hostile enemy nations, in fact, and met with Arab leaders and terrorists committed to the destruction of the State of Israel.

Israelis Debate Arabs in National Service - Defense/Security - News - Israel National News

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For someone who always calls Israel "nation of racists", Zahalka has some nerve. How are Israelis supposed to treat you as equals if you don't bother to carry everydaylife burdens such as national service?

You want equal rights? share equal duties.

Why are you Mr. Zahalka, so desperate to make the people you say you speak for- parasites- on our society?

 

[Kondor3]

National Service can take on many forms.

In the shoes of the Israelis, I would not trust Arab-Muslim-Israelis serving next to me with a gun.

Maybe they can be drafted to help complete and maintain various building projects.

Roads...

Helping to complete the West Bank Barrier Wall...

Stuff like that...

 

[Lipush]

National service is supposed to be un-political unviolent service, that is why many religious people choose it.

It's volunteering to help sick children, women in delivery, elders in need, and many other things which help civilians.

Mr Zahalke is a hypocrite. He constantly whines about how bad we are to the Arabs, and how we incriminate them, but he is the same one to tell the Arabs not to take any part in community, forces them to stand out instead of blending in.

So he's the last one to speak

 

[José]

In the shoes of the Israelis, I would not trust Arab-Muslim-Israelis serving next to me with a gun.

and rightly so...

The fact that Arabs in Israel are a fifth column is standard fare.

 

[José]

In reality, this is not a "Jewish democratic state" but a "Jewish demographic state". Demography overcomes democracy in all fields of action. An Arab citizen feels at every turn, since childhood, that he has no part in the state, that he is, at most, a tolerated resident. In every government office, police station or place of work, even in the Knesset, he is treated differently from a Jew, even in times of quiet.

A Jewish Demographic State | Uri Avnery

 

[Kondor3]

In the shoes of the Israelis, I would not trust Arab-Muslim-Israelis serving next to me with a gun.

and rightly so...

The fact that Arabs in Israel are a fifth column is standard fare.

And, of course, in this context, Standard Fare probably has a solid basis in reality.

 

[Lipush]

In reality, this is not a "Jewish democratic state" but a "Jewish demographic state". Demography overcomes democracy in all fields of action. An Arab citizen feels at every turn, since childhood, that he has no part in the state, that he is, at most, a tolerated resident. In every government office, police station or place of work, even in the Knesset, he is treated differently from a Jew, even in times of quiet.

A Jewish Demographic State | Uri Avnery

Oh please.

Arabs can vote exactly like Jews.

There are Arab cops, judges, lawyers, soldiers, officers, doctors, exactly like Jews.

Arabs can be ELECTED exactly like Jews.

Arabs are devored in work places MORE THAN JEWS.

Arabs get the protection of minister of religions MORE THAN JEWS.

As a Jew, I don't get any special treatment in universities or academic studies' instetutions for being a southerner under-fire residents, unlike Arabs, who get primary scores and benefits, for simply being ARABS.

So don't come with alligator tears.

Arabs live in Israel better than they live in ANY ARAB COUNTRY, where they are slaughtered for protesting the leaderships.

AT LEAST they can stop with the WHINING!

 

[MHunterB]

Since when is Uri Avnery somehow more qualified than Lipush or any other Israeli to know how Arab Muslim or Christian *citizens* of Israel feel?

 

[MHunterB]

In the shoes of the Israelis, I would not trust Arab-Muslim-Israelis serving next to me with a gun.

and rightly so...

The fact that Arabs in Israel are a fifth column is standard fare.

Of course since this involves NON-military service, that idea is irrelevant. Although it seems to me there've been more instances in the US military where service members who were Muslim attacked other US troops with lethal force, than what I've heard of within the Israeli forces. I just don't know how frequent such 'in-service' attacks are compared to those which don't explicitly involve religious differences......???

 

[Book of Jeremiah]

Since when is Uri Avnery somehow more qualified than Lipush or any other Israeli to know how Arab Muslim or Christian *citizens* of Israel feel?

Marge, who is Uri exactly and how influential is he concerning the future politics of Israel? Do you know?

-Jeri

 

[Coyote]

Israeli lawmakers are continuing to debate the pros and cons of mandatory participation and integration of Israeli Arabs into the National Service program.

Israeli Arab Knesset Member Jamal Zahalka (Balad party) for years has attended foreign Arab functions and on occasion represented the Palestinian Authority rather than Israel, whose taxpayers support his salary and whose government he serves. Zahalka recently called on his constituency to oppose any plan to legislate Israeli Arab integration into national service.

Deputy Transportation Minister and MK Tzipi Hotovely (Likud), however, condemned Zahalka for his attitude, saying, “For years Israeli Arabs have been benefitting from state health support, education and social security without contributing to share the burden.

“The time has come for them to realize there will be no more taking advantage of the citizens of Israel without participating in national responsibilities.”

The issue is one that taps more than just the matter of “sharing the burden,” however. Israeli Arab legislators such as Zahalka have come under increasingly tight scrutiny in recent years as they escalate aggressive rhetoric against the nation in whose parliament they serve. A number have traveled outside the country to hostile enemy nations, in fact, and met with Arab leaders and terrorists committed to the destruction of the State of Israel.

Israelis Debate Arabs in National Service - Defense/Security - News - Israel National News

-----------

For someone who always calls Israel "nation of racists", Zahalka has some nerve. How are Israelis supposed to treat you as equals if you don't bother to carry everydaylife burdens such as national service?

You want equal rights? share equal duties.

Why are you Mr. Zahalka, so desperate to make the people you say you speak for- parasites- on our society?

There's a bit that's left unsaid here and that is that if you don't participate in national service many higher level jobs and promotional opportunities are closed to you.

So they are NOT treated as equals are they?

Will this apply to the religious orthodox who also are exempt but take full advantage of state health support, education and social security?

Personally - I think it should be a requirement across the board.

 

[Coyote]

National Service can take on many forms.

In the shoes of the Israelis, I would not trust Arab-Muslim-Israelis serving next to me with a gun.

Maybe they can be drafted to help complete and maintain various building projects.

Roads...

Helping to complete the West Bank Barrier Wall...

Stuff like that...

Many already do, particularly among the Druze.

 

[Coyote]

National service is supposed to be un-political unviolent service, that is why many religious people choose it.

It's volunteering to help sick children, women in delivery, elders in need, and many other things which help civilians.

Mr Zahalke is a hypocrite. He constantly whines about how bad we are to the Arabs, and how we incriminate them, but he is the same one to tell the Arabs not to take any part in community, forces them to stand out instead of blending in.

So he's the last one to speak

I just realized I responded without reading this post Lipush.

Is National Service different than military?

Are the ultra religious and Arabs both exempt from having to do it?

I was thinking it was all the same - clearly it isn't ...

 

[Kondor3]

In reality, this is not a "Jewish democratic state" but a "Jewish demographic state". Demography overcomes democracy in all fields of action. An Arab citizen feels at every turn, since childhood, that he has no part in the state, that he is, at most, a tolerated resident. In every government office, police station or place of work, even in the Knesset, he is treated differently from a Jew, even in times of quiet.

A Jewish Demographic State | Uri Avnery

In response, tell the Arabs to look up the word Dhimmi, and then ask them how it feels, now that the shoe is on the other foot?

 

[ForeverYoung436]

National service is supposed to be un-political unviolent service, that is why many religious people choose it.

It's volunteering to help sick children, women in delivery, elders in need, and many other things which help civilians.

Mr Zahalke is a hypocrite. He constantly whines about how bad we are to the Arabs, and how we incriminate them, but he is the same one to tell the Arabs not to take any part in community, forces them to stand out instead of blending in.

So he's the last one to speak

I just realized I responded without reading this post Lipush.

Is National Service different than military?

Are the ultra religious and Arabs both exempt from having to do it?

I was thinking it was all the same - clearly it isn't ...

It's been a long time since I lived in Israel and Lipush knows more than me. I think the ultra-religious are exempt, for the time being, though that might change very soon. Some modern-Orthodox women do national service instead of the army. Arabs, aside from the Druze, are pretty much exempt. Is it still that way Lipush?

 

[Coyote]

National service is supposed to be un-political unviolent service, that is why many religious people choose it.

It's volunteering to help sick children, women in delivery, elders in need, and many other things which help civilians.

Mr Zahalke is a hypocrite. He constantly whines about how bad we are to the Arabs, and how we incriminate them, but he is the same one to tell the Arabs not to take any part in community, forces them to stand out instead of blending in.

So he's the last one to speak

I just realized I responded without reading this post Lipush.

Is National Service different than military?

Are the ultra religious and Arabs both exempt from having to do it?

I was thinking it was all the same - clearly it isn't ...

It's been a long time since I lived in Israel and Lipush knows more than me. I think the ultra-religious are exempt, for the time being, though that might change very soon. Some modern-Orthodox women do national service instead of the army. Arabs, aside from the Druze, are pretty much exempt. Is it still that way Lipush?

I believe the Druze, as Arabs are exempt but many choose to serve - they can always choose to serve and many do.

I have heard the religious exemption is a divisive issue in Israel as well.

 

[Kondor3]

I, for one, was thinking of National Service as an overarching label for any form of committed, long-term service to the country - with a Military and a Non-Military arm of such a Service - but, apparently, in the case of Israel, this refers specifically to a Civilian Service Corps of some kind.

 

[RoccoR]

et al,

I think it is important that the Israelis debate this. Especially relative to public and national service of Arabs (Islamic) in the Intelligence, Security, and Military Services (ISMSs).

It is not a matter of discrimination. I've seen this elsewhere. The dilemma of placing "Brand X" up against their own kind. Remember the "Chieu Hoi" Program? We should also remember MAJ Nidal Malik Hasan (US Army - and the Texas Incident) and SGT Hasan Karim Akbar (US Army - Camp Pennsylvania, Kuwait).

It is the risk you take by attempting to assimilate "Brand X" into a life or death situation that requires absolute loyalty. The Israelis must make a choice. Both Hasan and Akbar were in the "All Volunteer Army" (not mandatory service).

The Israelis have to be very careful.

I think the Arabs have the better end of the deal.

Most Respectfully,
R

 

[Hossfly]

Israeli lawmakers are continuing to debate the pros and cons of mandatory participation and integration of Israeli Arabs into the National Service program.

Israeli Arab Knesset Member Jamal Zahalka (Balad party) for years has attended foreign Arab functions and on occasion represented the Palestinian Authority rather than Israel, whose taxpayers support his salary and whose government he serves. Zahalka recently called on his constituency to oppose any plan to legislate Israeli Arab integration into national service.

Deputy Transportation Minister and MK Tzipi Hotovely (Likud), however, condemned Zahalka for his attitude, saying, “For years Israeli Arabs have been benefitting from state health support, education and social security without contributing to share the burden.

“The time has come for them to realize there will be no more taking advantage of the citizens of Israel without participating in national responsibilities.”

The issue is one that taps more than just the matter of “sharing the burden,” however. Israeli Arab legislators such as Zahalka have come under increasingly tight scrutiny in recent years as they escalate aggressive rhetoric against the nation in whose parliament they serve. A number have traveled outside the country to hostile enemy nations, in fact, and met with Arab leaders and terrorists committed to the destruction of the State of Israel.

Israelis Debate Arabs in National Service - Defense/Security - News - Israel National News

-----------

For someone who always calls Israel "nation of racists", Zahalka has some nerve. How are Israelis supposed to treat you as equals if you don't bother to carry everydaylife burdens such as national service?

You want equal rights? share equal duties.

Why are you Mr. Zahalka, so desperate to make the people you say you speak for- parasites- on our society?

This reminded me of an article I read the other day..........

Druze celebrate 40 years of IDF combat service
ISRAELI FRONTLINE: Druze celebrate 40 years of IDF combat service

 

[Lipush]

Since when is Uri Avnery somehow more qualified than Lipush or any other Israeli to know how Arab Muslim or Christian *citizens* of Israel feel?

Marge, who is Uri exactly and how influential is he concerning the future politics of Israel? Do you know?

-Jeri

Uri Avnery is a far-left activist who used to serve in the Knesset. He was known for his very problematic opinions.

He believed that ALL Palestinians should returned to Israel, called for a dialogue with Hamas (And release of terrorists with blood on their hands. When Islamic Jihad and Hamas terrorists were released, they thanked him publically), took place in violent riots against Israeli soldiers.

Even leftist in their masses see Avnery as the far-radical left, and many of the 'sane' leftist always emphasize their disagreement with his 'traitor' ideologies.