CHAPTER 1
Togetherness in Israel “It is a sin for a man to delude his neighbor; it is a crime to delude himself.” In 1973, to commemorate the twenty-fifth anniversary of the br State of Israel, the government issued a pamphlet titled Arabs in br Israel. The introduction to the pamphlet reads as follows: The Israeli ArabsSince the creation of the State of Israel its minority br population has grown from 150,000 to 400,000. During the br 25 years of statehood remarkable accomplishments in many br fields have been achieved by this minority. The principle of equal rights for the Arabs of Israel, pro- br claimed in the Declaration of Independence, has indeed been re- br alized. The minorities enjoy religious freedom, full voting br rights and the right of founding political organizations, br both nationally and locally. The educational system has developed considerably. br The number of students and pupils has grown from 10,000 br on the eve of the foundation of the State, to 125,000 today. br 10,000 students attend secondary schools, and more than br 1,000 study at institutes of higher learning. The Arab village has changed its face since the cre- br ation of the State. In the framework of two five-year plans br basic services were established: roads, water, electricity, br schools, health centers and other institutions of public in- br terest. The completion of these services marked the begin- br ning of the industrialization of the Arab village. Factories br and workshops, which also employ Arab women, were br opened; modern, mechanized agricultural systems were in- br troduced, which enable a more efficient and intensive ex- br ploitation and thus a higher yield. 45,000 (11,250 acres) br dunams are now being irrigated by artificial means, as br 11
|
||||||||||||||