News Brief

(IsraelNN.com) Leaders among cities of Arabs enjoying Israeli citizenship have systematically rejected celebrations of the State of Israel's 60th anniversary, with only one community agreeing to take part in recognition of Israel's special day.  Arabs refer to the creation of the Jewish state in 1948 as the "nakba" – catastrophe.

Israeli Public Security Minister Avi Dichter called on Arabs to reconsider, saying that they will celebrate Israel's 70th and 80th anniversaries. He also told a crowd in Shfaram – the only town of Arabs with Israeli citizenship that will participate in the festivities – that "whoever speaks for 60 years about the 'catastrophe' befalling them will suffer a real catastrophe in the end."