The Arabs in Israel (Paperback)

Almost twenty percent of Israelis are not Jewish. They are citizens of Israel, but they are Palestinians - people who stayed in the area when Israel was created in 1948. And though they are citizens, they have long been victims of state-endorsed prejudice and share, with Palestinians living in occupied territories, a history of discrimination and marginalisation at Israel's hands. For most in the West, Israel today is seen as a democracy, a state where every citizen has the right to vote. The Arabs in Israel describes, with clear incisive writing, the context of the harsh discrimination against Arab Israelis and documents the campaign, which accompanied the very formation of the state of Israel, that was designed to increase the indigenous Arabs' affiliation and loyalty to the new state, while undermining and, ultimately, destroying their Arab Palestinian identity. The Arabs in Israel is a milestone in political literature written about Arabs in Israel, providing an analysis both theoretically rich and compelling in its immediacy. It gives readers valuable insight into the lives of Israel's Arab Palestinian population and its attempts to strengthen an Arab community in Israel. The author offers innovative, provocative new ideas and proposals to advance regional peace. A must read for those interested in the complex problems facing Middle East diplomacy.