PRIME Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob raised, at the UN General Assembly recently, the issue of ‘apartheid’ in the West Bank.
The territory remains under Israeli military administration although run by the Palestine Authority (PA).
The government in Tel Aviv collects taxes in the West Bank for the PA but sometimes allegedly delays handing them over, ostensibly if there are perceived “security” threats.
‘Apartheid’ may be a reference to the Arabs in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip being unable to enter Israel freely.
The Israeli military vacated the Gaza Strip, run by Hamas, decades ago.
Arabs in Israel
About 20% of the population in Israel is Arab, both Christian and Muslim.
The Arabs have 15 seats in the 120-seat Israeli Parliament, and one of the three Arab political parties is represented in the Israeli government which has a razor-thin majority.
Except for an unusual flare-up recently, when both sides publicly indulged in fisticuffs over reportedly rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip, generally there has been peace between Arab and Jew in Israel.
The Arabs in Israel would be united and stronger, given Jewish political disunity, if all their parties are represented in government, no matter which Jewish party rules.
The errant Arab parties have demanded, as a pre-condition, the end of Israeli military administration of the West Bank.
They continue to vilify the Arab lawmakers in the Israeli Government.
In fact, the Arabs in Israel have no locus standi on the Gaza Strip and West Bank which they avoid like the plague, for want of a better term.
The statistics tell the story about life for Arabs in Israel.
For example, about 40% of the pharmacists in Israel are Arabs.
Arabs also appear to be well represented in all walks of life including the civil service, teaching, universities, judiciary, police, armed forces and intelligence services. Many towns in Israel have Arab mayors.
‘Apartheid’ isn’t an issue as many people in the West Bank commute daily to work in Israel and seek specialist medical treatment.
The Tel Aviv Government cannot do without such ‘immigrant’ manpower.
The real issue in part of the Biblical Holy Lands – Israel, West Bank and Gaza Strip – remains the Israeli Government not having a partner for peace on the other side i.e. the people in the West Bank.
Malaysia isn’t on the same page as the Arab world on Israel and stands ‘isolated’, driven by domestic Malay politics.
There’s also grave disconnect between the Borneo Territories and Malay in Malaya on the Middle East.
Putrajaya may be closer to the Hamas position which allegedly wants to ‘drive all Jew into the sea’. The Arab world generally may be closer to Israel than to Malaysia.
Visiting Arabs have expressed shock and horror over the vilification – harking back to an allegedly ‘distorted’ past – of Jew and Israel in the Malay media.
Most Malay, Arabs believe, have ‘never met a Jew’.
The Arabs don’t understand the level of hate among Malay for Jew and Israel.
It’s all about domestic Malay politics under the guise of the ‘suffering of the people in Palestine’.
The Palestinian Ambassador recently charged that except in one case, money collected by local NGO for Palestine was not handed over.
Hamas wants Israel, as a Jewish state, dismantled and a one-state solution.
Otherwise, theocracy aside, Israel may be the only democracy in the Middle East, and subscribing to the rule of law, the basis of the Constitution or Basic Law. – Oct 4, 2021.
Joe Fernandez is a longtime Borneo watcher and a regular FocusM contributor.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
Pic credit: Council of Foreign Relations
