Israeli Arabs have a higher quality of life and have more potential for their future than any other Arabs in the Middle East, according to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.
From the very moment of its inception, Netanyahu noted Sunday morning, the tiny State of Israel has worked hard to try and establish peace with its Arab neighbors -- and with the Arabs living within its midst.
He pointed out in his opening remarks to the Cabinet on Sunday that Israel's Declaration of Independence 63 years ago promised equality of rights for all its citizens, regardless of religion, race or gender.
“We extended our hand in peace to our Arab neighbors and promised equality, progress and partnership to Israel's Arab citizens.
“When one looks at the region today,” Netanyahu said, “Israeli Arabs are the only Arabs in the Middle East and North Africa that enjoy democratic rights, equality and civil rights.”
The government, he said, also planned to vote Sunday on a NIS 350 million plan to develop and strengthen the Bedouin communities in northern Israel.
In addition, he reminded, the government had recently approved a NIS 680 million plan to develop the Druze and Circassian sectors.
Together with an NIS 800 million five-year plan approved a year ago for the development of the minorities population, Netanyahu pointed out, the government had chosen to invest some NIS 2 billion in these sectors.
“I regret that there are extremists among Israeli Arabs and in neighboring countries who have turned the day on which the State of Israel was established, the day on which the Israeli democracy was established, into a day of incitement, violence and rage,” he said.
“There is no place for this, for denying the existence of the State of Israel. No to extremism and no to violence. The opposite [of what they say,ed.] is true.”