While the relationship between Israel and its Arab citizens has been spotless ever since the founding of the state in 1948, the past two years have proved that this unexplained relationship cannot continue as it is. .
In the past, the Arab population was content to be a quiet region. Today, however, many members of the community want to have a real say in the country’s decision-making process, despite being painfully aware that Israel is primarily a Jewish state.
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Police forces fight protesters at an anti-violence demonstration in Um al-Fahem
(Photo: Police PR)
This move in the Arab region means that Israel needs to rethink the framework on which the state’s relationship with the Arab population is based.
First, Israel must abandon past paradigms – such as the notion that Israeli Arabs are in fact an internal enemy – that not only provided a lasting solution of consistency, but that ‘it caused the radicalization of relations between Arabs and judges.
A social treaty in which an Arab region allows entry into state authority in exchange for essential protections and rights in the prevailing climate.
The Arab population is becoming increasingly difficult for three main reasons:
1. The rising tide of violence and crime in predominantly Arab communities
2. The frustration with Arab political parties that have stuck to agendas and slogans in the past that make it difficult for community members to integrate and influence
3. How harsh was the Jewish political establishment in terms of Arab citizenship
The aforementioned treaty must ensure that an Arab region has full civil rights, such as representation in government institutions and freedom of opportunity, in exchange for full civil obligations.
Young Arabs can be brought into a number of civil services, including the police – a move that would strengthen the connection with the state and resolve the divide many feel. At least a third of 18-24 year olds in the sector are not working or studying.
More importantly, the treaty must include the legal status of Israeli Arab citizens. A possible solution is a formal recognition of Arab citizens as a minority group, including the ability to implement regional autonomy in culture and education.
This solution would enable Arab society to fully integrate into Israeli society, in exchange for abandoning all attempts to change the identity of the state, something that has been an obstacle to its the introduction of normal relations between the two sections of society.
And while the next government will have many strategic issues, relations with the Arab region need to be normalized because of the volatile situation prevalent among that population.
Staying on the current course or avoiding the current issues altogether could escalate the situation to dangerous levels.
Both societies need to understand that, despite deep animation, we must all change our behavior toward each other and the attitudes of the other, for the sake of peace and prosperity for all of us.
Michael Milshtein heads the Palestinian Studies Forum at the Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies at Tel Aviv University