Minister for Social Equality Gila Gamliel (Likud) has called for a more inclusive attitude on the part of the government towards Israel's Arab population. In the wake of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's remarks following the lethal shooting attack in Tel Aviv to the effect that greater law enforcement was required in the Arab community, which drew criticism of him for generalizing about Israeli Arabs, Gamliel said in an interview with Radio 103 FM this morning that calmer discourse was required.
"We need to talk more calmly, to understand that Israel's Arab citizens are not terrorists, and to say so unequivocally," Gamliel said, "There are bad apples that must be dealt with in the harshest possible way, but most of the Arab population in Israel wants to live here decently."
Gamliel spoke about the Israeli government's plan for investing NIS 15 billion in the Arab sector, and said that this was what would give hope to Israel's Arabs. "The plan I promoted together with the minister of finance - these are plans that will provide a comprehensive response, and that is in the interests of Israeli society as a whole. We need to give the minority among us full equality of opportunity, and unfortunately we are a long way from that. The NIS 15 billion plan will narrow the gaps.
"In many Arab communities in Israel there is no law enforcement, not even a police station or Arab police officers who could be a model. These are things that need to be implemented. In my plan there is a solution to illegal construction, but it also gives a response to the problems, such as high density and high rise construction, encouragement for Arab women to go out to work, dealing with the sewage system, culture, sports facilities. Today, the picture is a gloomy one."
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on January 4, 2016
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