Israeli Arab rights center calls to forbid talk of transfer

The report's authors accused authorities, primarily the police and legal system, for being responsible for the climate of violence and racism against Arab citizens. This responsibility ranges from direct actions such as illegal and unjustified police shootings of Arab citizens to a tendency for the police and courts to relate forgivingly to displays of racism against Arabs by private citizens and public figures, the report says.

At a Jerusalem press conference, Mossawa leaders called for enforcement of existing laws against racism, incitement and violence.

Against the background of increasingly frequent calls from political figures to transfer Arab citizens from Israel, notably Transportation Minister Avigdor Lieberman (National Religious Party) plan for "separation of the nations," Mossawa called for the legislation of a new law making illegal public discussions on transfer.

Mossawa said the report is based on the Israeli law against racism and incitement and is modeled on the recent report on anti-Semitism released by European human rights organizations.

A significant portion of the Mossawa report deals with statements by public figures against Arab citizens, including those make by Finance Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Israel's "demographic problem" is caused by Arab citizens. Other comments cited in the report included Public Security Minister Tzachi Hanegbi's call for Jewish residents of the Negev region to "take clubs" and expel Bedouin thieves and Deputy Defense Minister Ze'ev Boim's statement early in the year that the connection between Arabs and terrorism is a "genetic or cultural flaw."

According to the report, lessons have not been learned following the October 2000 riots in which 13 Arabs were killed by police gunfire in the nation's north. Mossawa calls for the implementation of the Or Commission report's findings published last September.

The report reveals that since October 2000, another 16 Arab citizens were killed in various incidents by gunfire from police and security forces.

An Haaretz check revealed one of the deaths was of a criminal who was not killed "by security forces' gunfire," as was written in the report. The individual was actually killed in a motorcycle accident while being chased by police.

There is a lack of information regarding a small number of other deaths cited in the Mossawa report.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/434087.html