Israeli elections a victory for social justice
but concerns raised about arab minority
3rd April 2006

The New Israel Fund, the leading voice for progressive civil society in Israel, today expressed satisfaction that social and economic justice issues played a prominent role in the Israeli elections. “The success of Kadima is being hailed as a vote for disengagement from more territory,” said Alan Bolchover, New Israel Fund Chief Executive. “What is equally interesting is the success of Labour – which put socio-economic equity at the top of its agenda – and the astonishing appearance of the Pensioners’ Party, which represents the concern and fear of Israel’s senior citizens about their diminishing benefits.”

“With one in every three Israeli children living in poverty and with the largest income gap between rich and poor of any developed nation outside the U.S., it’s not surprising that this election returned to a look at social issues. Our grantees, who represent underprivileged Israelis ranging from single mothers to the unemployed to Mizrachim and Ethiopian immigrants, have worked hard to make sure that social issues were visible and important in this election cycle, and we congratulate them.”

Tempering the New Israel Fund’s satisfaction with how social justice issues played out, however, is increasing concern over the alienation of Israel’s Arab citizens. As important, the rise of Avigdor Lieberman’s Yisroel Beitanu party, which proposes “transfer” of areas with significant Israeli Arab population to the Palestinian Authority in exchange for large settlement blocs on the West Bank, sends a very frightening message to Israel’s 1.2 million Arab citizens.

“Even serious consideration of Lieberman’s ‘transfer’ policy sends the message that Israel cannot succeed as a democratic, multicultural society.”

“This is not the vision of Israel’s founders – nor, of our prophets and religious tradition. Jewish values demand generosity to the ‘strangers within our gates,’ and Israeli Arabs are not strangers but full-fledged citizens who have lived on this land for generations and cannot be treated as pawns on a chessboard. New Israel Fund will continue to assert all Israeli citizens’ rights to participate fully in a fair and equitable democracy.”

For more information about the New Israel Fund, please contact Alan Bolchover on 020 77242266 or visit www.newisraelfund.org.uk