Feb 11, 2014
Why shivyon bnetel does not include the Arabs
For the first time, I actually heard a real response to the question/accusation about how can the new law being passed really be about "shivyon bnetel" when it does not deal with the women who serve less or not at all, nor with the situation of the Arab community that does not serve (for the most part).
Mordechai Lavi was interviewing MK Ofer Shelach (Yesh Atid) on Radio Kol Berama, and the topic was the law being worked and voted on. Lavi asked Shelach, as the question often comes up, how can this be shivyon, equality, when the law does not deal with the Arab sector at all.
Shelach's response was really the first time I heard a real response on the issue. Shelach said that the question that is raised about the Arabs is not a true question and is just used as a way to attack the law. Shelach said that asking the question is an insult to the haredi community - not because it is bad to be an Arab and the question compares the Haredim to Arabs, but because the Arab community has a different issue - they identify, for the most part, with the Palestinian people. They are Israelis, but they also identify with the Palestinians.
With them, Shelach says, there can be no shivyon, no equality. they can't be given the responsibility of serving, because they see themselves, at least in some part, as Palestinians. Comparing the Haredim to the Arabs who are largely in conflict with the State, is an insult to the Haredim.
I find that to be an interesting response. It does not really answer the question completely, because even though Ofer Shelach and Yesh Atid recognize that the Arabs cannot be expected to serve, it does not explain why they cannot do some sort of national or civil service, especially in their own communities.
It does reflect interestingly on how some people view the Israeli Arabs - not really trustworthy at the end of the day, in conflict with the State. That is surprising from Yesh Atid, especially after they originally said they would first deal with the Haredim when working on this law and then they would get to the Arabs - this shows that they don't believe there is an equitable solution for the Arabs.
Mordechai Lavi was interviewing MK Ofer Shelach (Yesh Atid) on Radio Kol Berama, and the topic was the law being worked and voted on. Lavi asked Shelach, as the question often comes up, how can this be shivyon, equality, when the law does not deal with the Arab sector at all.
Shelach's response was really the first time I heard a real response on the issue. Shelach said that the question that is raised about the Arabs is not a true question and is just used as a way to attack the law. Shelach said that asking the question is an insult to the haredi community - not because it is bad to be an Arab and the question compares the Haredim to Arabs, but because the Arab community has a different issue - they identify, for the most part, with the Palestinian people. They are Israelis, but they also identify with the Palestinians.
With them, Shelach says, there can be no shivyon, no equality. they can't be given the responsibility of serving, because they see themselves, at least in some part, as Palestinians. Comparing the Haredim to the Arabs who are largely in conflict with the State, is an insult to the Haredim.
I find that to be an interesting response. It does not really answer the question completely, because even though Ofer Shelach and Yesh Atid recognize that the Arabs cannot be expected to serve, it does not explain why they cannot do some sort of national or civil service, especially in their own communities.
It does reflect interestingly on how some people view the Israeli Arabs - not really trustworthy at the end of the day, in conflict with the State. That is surprising from Yesh Atid, especially after they originally said they would first deal with the Haredim when working on this law and then they would get to the Arabs - this shows that they don't believe there is an equitable solution for the Arabs.
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This really underscores how clueless the Yesh Atid people are, in that they do not realize that most hareidim do not identify themselves as Israelis either. They view "Israelis" as a modern, secular, anti-Torah construct, and view themselves as Jews who live in Eretz Yisrael.
ReplyDeleteI second Yehoshua's take as well. Shelach is merely a condescending racist like the rest of his party, yes, we can generalize. The Arabs can still serve national service in their communities which will nonetheless build identity with the state and law.
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