segregated communities

Art on the Separation Barrier in Bethlehem (photo: James Chen)

Israel policy myth #2: Separation between Jews and Arabs is not racist

Racist attitudes against Arabs are widespread in Israel. Numerous official policies segregate and separate Jews from Palestinians, with a vastly discriminatory effect and intent. Justifications alluding to security needs, or alleging that separation is based on citizenship rather than ethnic origin, do not withstand close scrutiny. One of the most acrimonious controversies surrounding Israeli policy…

By Roi Maor June 22, 2011

The state of Israel wants to build Harish into a town that will "Judaize" a Palestinian area inside Israel (photo: Wikipedia)

Israel builds town to ensure “the Arabs won’t rear their heads”

The State of Israel is building a town in the country’s north. Its purpose: to make sure “the Arabs won’t rear their heads” and to “put them in proportion.” Anybody objecting to this goal should “go live with the Palestinians” and is “harming Israel’s security.” Last week, the Knesset passed a bill that legalizes “acceptance…

By Roi Maor March 28, 2011

Where can Palestinian Israeli live? Protest against house demolition, Lod, Israel, 28/12/2010 (Photo: Activestills/ via Flickr)

Knesset passes segregation law

The Knesset passed a segregation bill today. Palestinian Israelis are not allowed to live in Jewish localities built on land confiscated from them. Government policy also makes sure they cannot build on the little private land that was left in their ownership. How long can Jewish Israelis continue pretending that Palestinians do not exist? In…

By Roi Maor March 22, 2011

Latest

Knesset to pass “separate but equal” communities bill

The new law will allow Jewish communities, built on state land, to reject non-Jews who wish to purchase properties within them. Needless to say, no such settlements are built for Arabs Dr. Nimrod Luz Perceiving ourselves as true liberals and humanists is a nice image we like to see reflected in the mirror. Some of…

By +972 Magazine March 21, 2011

Segregation law: Continuity and change

The Israeli establishment is in the midst of a pushback against efforts to change long-standing racist and suppressive practices. The increasing assertiveness of Palestinians demands for fairness and equality is met by increasingly explicit racism by Israeli elites. This is why long-held practices are being formally enshrined, rhetoric is becoming more blunt, and differences between…

By Roi Maor October 30, 2010

Introducing ethnic segregation: the Q’aadan curse

How and why Zionist discrimination against non-Jews is made legal Our story begins with a middle class couple, who wanted to build themselves a house in a country settlement. The time was the early 1990s, and the couple was facing one major problem. ‘Aadel and ‘Iman Q’aadan were not, as their names attest, good Jews.…

By Yossi Gurvitz October 28, 2010