An Israeli-Arab Spring? 1.6 mn Palestinian-Israelis are Marginalized, Angry and Defiant

Emile Nakhleh ponders An Israeli-Arab Spring? 1.6 mn Palestinian-Israelis are Marginalized, Angry and Defiant.

As Israel moves to exclude Palestinian parties from parliament,

As Israeli politics moves to the right and the state becomes more Jewish and less pluralistic and inclusive, the Palestinian community, which constitutes over one-fifth of the population, feels more marginalised and alienated.

In response to endemic budgetary, economic, political, and social discrimination, the Arab community is becoming assertive, more Palestinian, and more confrontational. Calls for equality, justice, and an end to systemic discrimination by “Israeli Arab” civil society activists are now more vocal and confrontational.

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The Arabs within Israel are now increasingly viewing themselves as an indigenous population rather “Israeli Arab”:

Recent events clearly demonstrate that the Arabs in Israel are no longer a quiescent, cultural minority but an “indigenous national” minority deserving full citizenship rights regarding resources, collective rights, and representation on formal state bodies.

Nakhleh is pessimistic about a peaceful solution:

If violence and continued discrimination are part of Israel’s long-term strategy against its Arab minority to force Arab emigration, it is unlikely that the government would implement tangible initiatives to improve the condition of the Arab minority.

Accordingly, communal violence in Israel would increase, creating negative ramifications for regional peace and stability and for U.S. interests in the eastern Mediterranean.

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Let's call Israel's policies for what they are: genocide. The State of Israel aims for the removal of all indigenous populations from its illegally acquired territories.

That people could think that either Israel or the US would be embarrassed by such a description are sorely mistaken. The US was built through genocide as was any settler society (including Australia). One does not reject the foundations without severely affecting the stability of the whole structure.

It is up to workers to educate themselves on these matters and confront the horrific origins of the current Capitalist society and their place in it. It also means that workers will have to confront their own compliance with and benefiting from this state of affairs.

Guilt and shame can be major road-blocks to reconciliation and redemption.