Globe and Mail: Anti-Arab sentiment swells among youth in aftermath of Gaza war

[laststeamtrain]

Anti-Arab sentiment swells among youth in aftermath of Gaza war



PATRICK MARTIN

From Monday's Globe and Mail

January 26, 2009 at 5:07 AM EST

JERUSALEM — When the leader of Israel's religious-Zionist Meimad Party recently addressed a meeting of 800 high-school students in a Tel Aviv suburb, his words on the virtue of Israeli democracy for all its citizens were drowned out by student chants of "Death to the Arabs."

Not since the days of the now-illegal Kach party, and Baruch Goldstein killing 29 Muslims at prayer in Hebron in 1994, has Rabbi Michael Melchior heard such anti-Arab sentiment.

But that sentiment is swelling, and the controversial former cabinet minister Avigdor Lieberman and his Yisrael Beitenu party are riding the wave. They have emerged as the biggest political winners from the recent war on Gaza. Their unequivocal anti-Arab policies have never been more popular.

It was Mr. Lieberman who led the recent campaign to have Israel's two Arab political parties banned from next month's Knesset election. He argued that their public criticism of Israel's assault on Hamas in Gaza constituted a disloyalty to the country as a Jewish and Zionist state.

Mr. Lieberman has long argued that all Arab Israelis should be made to swear an oath of loyalty to the country and, if they don't, they should lose their citizenship.

The country's highest court ruled in favour of the Arab parties, but not before the Knesset's central elections committee voted in favour of the ban. Even representatives of the mainstream Likud, Kadima and Labour parties cast ballots supporting the ban.

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http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090126.wisrael26/BNStory/International/home

[regnaD kciN]

1. Maybe they can require Israeli Arabs wear a yellow star-and-crescent on their clothing at all times?

:puke:

[Idealism]

2. Impossible, only Israel is allowed a persecution complex under international law

[Scurrilous]

3. Gaza op fallout: Customers shun Arab restaurants

Some of Israel's best-liked Arab cuisine hubs have been standing empty since war in Gaza started. 'Jews have nothing to fear, we embrace everyone,' says one restaurant owner

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3663186,00.html

<snip>

"Prominent Arab cuisine restaurants, which are usually very popular with Israeli Jews, suffered a devastating blow in the past month after costumers stopped visiting in light of the IDF's offensive in Gaza and rising tensions between Jews and Arabs within the country.

"During the war we recorded a 80-90% drop in the number of Jews who came here to dine," said Dokhol Safadi, chef and owner of the mythical Diana restaurant in Nazareth. "I can understand them," he added, "unfortunately it wasn't very pleasant for them to come here during this time. Even now, after the war has ended, we have about half the amount of costumers we were used to."

The Gaza operation, coupled with the financial recession, forced Safadi to close down his restaurant this week, although a new and more lavish branch of Diana in the city remains open.

"It's important for me to tell the Jews that they have nothing to fear. We embrace everyone, Jews and Arabs. nothing g here has changed – this is still the same old Nazareth," he concluded."

<snip>

"Another well-liked spot for Mideastern gourmet, Elbabor, located at the entrance to Umm al-Fahm in Wadi Ara, has also felt the war's painful effect on business. In the first 10 days of the war the situation was very bad – nearly a complete boycott, said owner Husam Abbas. However, this Saturday things showed a slight improvement, with drop in the number of visitors reaching only 30%.

Arab-owned shops and restaurants in Jaffa have been standing virtually empty since the fighting in Gaza began, Ayini Kathtat, a waiter at the famous hummus hub Ali Caravan, said that many regular customers have simply stopped coming, and that some passersby taut and even curse the workers."

[Vegasaurus]

4. But some people don't want those Arabs being "slaves" to the greedy Israelis

Feeding them? Wiping up the table?

That's almost like slave labor!

It is probably better (to these people) for the restaurants to be empty, rather than be slaving after Israelis.