New Arab Party Says Real Arab-Israelis Not Represented

Arutz Sheva ^ | 1/11/12 | Tamar Yonah

[Eleutheria5]

Aatef Karinaoui says that the current Arab elected officials in the Knesset do not truly represent the Arab-Israeli public and spend most of their time bashing Israel instead. Karinaoui, a Arab Muslim Bedouin from the southern city of Rahat hopes that his new party will make a difference. The party, tenatively called El Amal Lat’gir, translated from Arabic as Hope for Change, will run in the upcoming January 22nd national elections.

Karinaoui's views were exposed in an interview with Israeli based journalist Philippe Assouline. Assouline spoke to Israel National Radio about his eye-opening conversation with the Muslim politician. For the full interview click here.

Audio

"I had been trying to write about Arab supporters of Israel within the State and I was led to this man," Assouline said. "He wants to run as an Arab who is pro-Israel in terms of both foreign policy and domestic policy."

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[Eleutheria5]

My life insurance? Mutual of Omaha. Why?

[Steely Tom]

Let me guess: a “real” Arab-Israeli is an Arab that wants to kill all the Jewish Israelis.

[Eleutheria5]

You guessed wrong. Read the article.

[DoughtyOne]

Arab population in Israel: 1,535,573
20.3% of Israeli population

over 278,000 in East Jerusalem
and the Golan Heights (2010)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arab_citizens_of_Israel

Seems to me that the Arabs in Israel live a fairly decent life. You don’t often hear of them causing problems.

I’m not certain that there isn’t a more moderate group in Israel, that would represent the Israeli/Arab contingent better than current Israeli/Arab leaders.

To be certain, Israel probable knows the leaders of these groups, and know if they are trying to game the system or not.

If anyone could lead to a more moderate Islam in the region, it would probably be the folks who live in Israel, having tasted the good life, and would like to see a more moderate future for the region.

And then again, the Israeli authorities may rightly see this as smoke and mirrors. It will be interesting to watch play out.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks Eleutheria5. Great comment btw.

I seem to recall that Arafat had all the Arab moderates in the 1970s systematically eliminated, the good old fashioned way. Arafat’s getting the Rock Hudson treatment in Hell now, but this guy’s only hope is in arming himself and his supporters, and shooting first.

[1010RD]

This is good news and I hope they succeed. It is modernity, Western technology and Western culture that have improved the life of the Arabs not Islam.

[SJackson]

Middle East and terrorism, occasional political and Jewish issues Ping List. High Volume

If you’d like to be on or off, please FR mail me.

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A nice development, not that Israel needs more political parties