Israel Matzav

New Arab city to be built in Israel

In a story that has largely been ignored by the media in Israel and elsewhere, members of Knesset from across the political spectrum signed onto a bill Tuesday that would build Israel's first new Arab city since 1948.

The bill, penned by MK Hanna Swaid of Hadash, was signed by 18 MKs including Reuven Rivlin (Likud), Shai Hermesh (Kadima), and David Azoulay (Shas), and other MKs from the Labor, Meretz, the United Arab List and Balad.

The city would be Israel's first new Arab community since the founding of the state in 1948, with the exception of settlements in the Negev that were built to house Bedouins.

The bill stipulates that the town will be founded with a residential and commercial area, with advanced civil services to accommodate the Arab population. Also, the city would be open to residence for all citizens of Israel without acceptance or membership committee approval needed.

I'm okay with this with one condition: that the residents of that town be subject to the same laws and rules as citizens in every other city and town in Israel, i.e. that they stop trying to throw the Jews into the sea in favor of a 'Palestinian' state.

Ever the ingrate, Arafat's former advisor Ahmed Tibi, who was chosen to head discussions with Prime Minister Olmert's office on behalf of Israel's Arab community, had this to say:

The founding of an Arab city is of urgent need. We must make decisions on the matter in order to aid those who are in distress in the Arab sector. What seems revolutionary in Israel, is something completely normal in democratic countries.

Someone needs to ask MK Tibi when there was last a Jewish city built in an Arab or Islamic country, whether by a government or privately.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 1:04 PM