Politicians across Israel’s political spectrum condemned anti-Arab discrimination following the decision of the mayor of the city of Ashkelon, Itamar Shimoni, to dismiss Arab workers from construction projects in schools and kindergartens.
Shimoni announced that he would terminate construction of bomb/rocket shelters at any kindergarten where Arab workers were employed and also order the posting of armed guards outside kindergartens near building sites that employ Arab construction workers.
“There can be no discrimination against Israeli Arabs. We must not generalize about an entire public due to a small and violent minority,’’ Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. ‘’The vast majority of Israel’s Arab citizens are law-abiding and whoever breaks the law – we will take determined and vigorous action against him.’’
He added : ‘’In the framework of the draft nationality law that I will submit to the Cabinet on Sunday, we will enshrine the full equality before the law of every citizen regardless of religion, race or sex alongside ensuring Israel’s identity as the national state of the Jewish People; there is no contradiction between the two and I will not allow these two basic principles to be undermined.”
Israel’s President Reuven Rivlin also spoke out against the move by Shimoni and said that “the mobilization of the political system against the decision is a determined message to ourselves and to the world.”
“This is real proof that even while enduring murderous terrorism we do not compromise on our most important values,” he added.
Economy Minister Naftali Bennett, leader of the Jewish Home party, said “Ninety-nine percent of Israeli Arabs are loyal and want to integrate. There is a tiny minority that uses violence and causes terrorism, and we must crack down on that, but [we must] also integrate and bring closer the vast majority of Israeli Arabs. This is a key to our future here.”
The decision was also condemned by Finance Minister Yair Lapid, Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon, and many other politicians from all sides.
Justice Minister Tzipi Livni ordered the Attorney-General to investigate Shimoni, while the Interior Ministry wrote to him to declare that his actions were illegal and that the workers must be reinstated. The Economy Ministry stressed that firing workers based on their race or ethnicity is a breach of Israel’s Equal Opportunities Act.
The mayor of Jerusalem, Nir Barkat, likened Ashkelon’s anti-Arab move to 1930s Germany.
Barkat called Shimoni’s move “the wrong decision” and “irresponsible.” “You can’t outlaw an entire public, as was done in Nazi Germany 70 years ago.”
“I can’t but think of where we were 70 years ago in Europe,” Barkat said. “We mustn’t generalize like the generalization against Jews then. Here in Jerusalem we have tens of thousands of Arab workers.”
Barkat said that Israel “must make a very clear distinction” between terrorists and the general population. He pointed out that the sister of one of the terrorists from this week’s attack in Har Nof is an outstanding City Hall employee who’s worked for the Jerusalem government for over 10 years.
The mayor called for strict punishment of “bad people.” He added that he had discussed the possibility of stripping citizenship of terrorists’ families with the Prime Minister and cabinet, as well as more stringent punishment against inciters and rioters.
He called on Jerusalem businesses to continue to employ Arab workers, commending the synagogue of Har Nof, where five people where killed by two Palestinian terrorists, for its “morality,” and “dignity and wisdom” in holding onto its Arab employee in the wake of Tuesday’s deadly attack in which four worshippers and a policeman were killed.
Barkat said in an interview with Israel Radio on Friday that there is no alternative to a unified Jerusalem and his senior advisor for foreign affairs and media, Brachie Sprung, stressed in a meeting with a group of visiting European journalists, that the mayor is serving all parts of the city, Jewish, Muslim and Christian alike. ‘’He insists on the need for all Jerusalem residents to learn to live together,’’ she said. ‘’We have also been building houses and schools in East Jerusalem for the Arab population. Their life is improving.’’
The mayor has released a new security plan for the capital. 130 new police cruisers will be deployed to the city, with an additional 30 cruisers introduced in order to protect schools and kindergartens.
With the new cruisers, police will be able to reach any educational institution within two minutes, according to a statement released by the mayor’s office.
Schools will also see the addition of hundreds of security cameras, and city kindergartens will receive 215 new security guards.
Four surveillance balloons have been deployed around the city as well.
“Bringing back security to the city is our most important mission,” said Barkat who met with leaders of East Jerusalem neighborhoods in an attempt to calm tensions in the wake of recent clashes between Palestinian protesters and Israeli security forces.
Barkat reassured leaders that he was committed to maintaining the status quo on the Temple Mount, saying “we will not allow either side to disturb the peace and worship.”
Jerusalem has a population of around 800,000 of which one third are Muslims and two-third are Jews.