History dispels democratic Israel narrative

DOES any country other than Israel apply the term “present absentees” to a part of their population?

- ELMA ROSS

During the Nakba, Israel succeeded in destroying more than 500 Palestinian villages, killing 15 000 Palestinians (including children), and driving 750 000 Palestinian refugees into places like Gaza and Lebanon.

By 1950, roughly a third of those expelled from their homes in what became Israel, had not been allowed to return to their homes, even though many held their title deeds.

In an attempt to look democratic, the Israeli Palestinians (now also known as Arab Israelis) have been allowed to vote for members of the Knesset since 1949. However, considering that 70% of the Palestinians were gone due to the Nakba, the minority vote of those who managed to stay doesn't make a difference to their reality.

Despite the image of equalisation that Israel wants to create, the Palestinian Israelis live in the worst funded areas, get the lowest-funded education, and live under military law, while Israelis live under civilian law.

Job reservation means that Jews get the best options. Even medical doctors from the Israeli Arab population had to hand over their jobs to Jews who entered from Russia in the early 1990s.