Salman Masalcha, an amazing writer, woke me up this morning with his piece in Haaretz “Israel’s Apartheid doesn’t stop at the West Bank” because he begins by recalling the ideals of democracy in Israel’s Declaration of Independence, and noting how far Israel has fallen from the ideals of democracy. I admire Salman Masalcha, but I must add that there was a reason Israel could not fulfill it’s ideals of democracy in 1948. The Arabs declared war on the State of Israel. This declaration has never officially been rescinded (except for Egypt and Jordan) and never negotiated. Although it is true that there are innumerable difficulties and cultural divides, the basis for the discrimation of Israel is mistrust that is not entirely baseless.
On the other hand, I have mentioned again and again, I think – and with great pleasure – the increasing numbers of Arabs in managerial positions and other positions of importance and responsibility in my neighborhood. A frequently played radio commercial that begins with a dialogue between an employer and a prospective employee has the interviewee answering the question of his background with “I’m Arab. Is that a problem for you?” to which the employer responds, “Heaven Forbid.” But, as the announcer soon tells us, he doesn’t get the job. We are reminded that it is illegal to discriminate. The fact of the commercial itself indicates that there is a problem, and that we’re dealing with it. So, with great respect, I totally disagree with the word Apartheid attached to Israel.
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