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Jews and Arabs walking in the Old City, Jerusalem
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| By Israel Insider staff and partners March 14, 2007 |
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An annual survey of relations between Jews and Arabs in Israel shows that the chasm of distrust between Arabs and Jews in Israel is expanding. 1,423 Jewish and Arab Israelis were polled on a number of issues dealing with the increasing coldness between Jews and Arabs in a survey conducted by Prof. Sami Smooha of the University of Haifa.
Published in Ha'aretz on Monday, the results for the 2006 survey reveal that 68.4 percent of Israeli Jews fear that their Arab countrymen will one day rebel against the state.
An even large number -- 83.1 percent -- say that Israeli Arabs pose a security risk to the nation because of their support for Palestinian terrorism and nationalistic goals.
Sixty-three percent of Jewish respondents said they no longer feel safe entering Israeli Arab towns.
80 percent of the respondents believe that future border agreements must ensure that Israel will maintain its Jewish majority.
On the flip side of the coin, 62 percent of Israeli Arabs fear that Israel will cede the main areas where they live to a future Palestinian Arab state, or that they will one day be expelled from the Jewish state.
However, almost three-quarters of Israel Arabs fear violence from Israeli authorities (73.8 percent) and an almost equal number fear the same from Israeli civilians (71.5 percent).
Giving substance to the Jewish fears, Israel's Ma'ariv newspaper reported on Tuesday that Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) Director Yuval Diskin told Prime Minister Ehud Olmert earlier this week that the nation's Arab minority is becoming increasingly radicalized.
"Israeli Arabs are identifying more and more with terrorist organizations backed by Iran," and now pose a "strategic danger" to the Jewish state, said Diskin.
Diskin suggested remedying the situation by improving the living conditions of Israeli Arabs.
Widespread corruption and crime in Israeli Arab towns often cause them to fall far below the quality of life enjoyed in Jewish towns.
The few Arab towns that adhere to the rule of law and live in concert with the state -- such as the town of Abu Ghosh outside Jerusalem -- enjoy a quality of life unprecedented in the Arab Middle East.
Jerusalem Newswire contributed to this article. |
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