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realities about the democ-
racy of Israel and its treat-
ment of the Arabs on the
basis of equality are pre-
sented in the FLAME appeal
for honorable and just
treatment of the subject. It is
presented for recognition
everywhere by everybody as
follows:
• Israel is a democratic
country — an open, plural-
istic and egalitarian socie-
ty. Different religions,
cultures, and social tradi-
tions co-exist. Protection of
such diversity is embedded
in Israel's traditions and
confirmed by the govern-
ment. Seventeen percent of
the total population
(700,000) people are non-
Jews, most of them Arabs,
and some Druze. Like all
other Israeli citizens, they
have full rights to vote and
to hold elective office. Both
Arabs and Druze hold
seats in the Knesset, the
Israeli parliament. Every
Knesset, since the foun-
ding of the state in 1948,
has had Arab and Druze
members. All transactions
in the Knesset are
simultaneously translated
into Arabic, and Arab
members may address the
Knesset in Arabic.
• It is official policy of the
Israeli government to
foster the language,
culture, and traditions of
the Arab minority, in the
educational system and in
daily life. Arabic is an of-
ficial language in Israel,
together with Hebrew.
Israel's Arabic press is the
most vibrant and indepen-
dent of any country in the
region: there are more
than 20 Arab periodicals.
They publish what they
please, subject only to the
same military censorship
as Jewish publications.
There are daily TV and
radio programs in Arabic.
Arabic is taught in Jewish
secondary schools. Israeli
universities are renowned
centers of learning in the
history and literature of
the Arab Middle East.
• Education and literacy
of the Arab population in
Israel is as high and pro-
bably higher than in any
Arab country. The literacy
rate among Israeli Arabs is
95 percent, virtually the
same as for Israeli Jews.
There are some 700 Arab
educational institutions in
grael, with about 200,000
students — 17 times as
many as in 1948, when the
State of Israel was created.
Ninety percent of Arab
children attend school,
probably the highest ratio
of any Arab population

anywhere. Israeli univer-
sities and technical institu-
tions are freely available to
the Arabs. About 3,000
Arab students attend such
schools.
• All religious com-
munities in Israel enjoy the
full protection of the State.
Israeli Arabs — Moslems,
as well as many Christian
denominations — are free
to exercise their faiths, to
observe their own weekly
day of rest and holidays,
and to administer their
own internal affairs. Each
community has its own
religious councils and
courts, and has full
jurisdiction over religious
affairs, including matters
of personal status, such as
marriage and divorce. The
holy sites of all religions
are administered by their
own authorities and pro-
tected by the government.
• In contrast to the non-
Israeli Arab world, Arab
women in Israel enjoy the
same status as men. Israeli
law grants women equal
rights, including the right
to vote and to be elected to
public office, prohibits
polygamy and child mar-
riage, and has thus vastly
changed the status of
women to far above that of
any country in the region.
Israeli health standards
are by far the highest in the
Middle East. Israeli health
institutions are freely open
to all Arabs, on the same
basis as they are to Jews.
• There is, however, one
difference between the
"rights" of Arabs and Jews
in Israel. Israeli and Druze
men are required to do
three years of military ser-
vice and then serve one
month every year until
they are 50. Arabs are ex-
empted from military duty
and are not required to
perform any compensating
civilian service. Since the
surrounding Arab states,
with the recent exception
of Egypt, are the avowed
enemies of Israel and are
dedicated to its destruc-
tion, this exemption is
granted by the Israeli
Government to its Arab
citizens, so as to spare
them conflicts of loyalty
and conscience.
Of course, we join with
these facts an appeal for a
sense of justice. With grati-
tude to FLAME, we urge
that it have fullest support
by Jews everywhere in the
circulating of liber-
tarianism. It is our hope that
it will have full circulation
as a human commitment.
This is a duty in the interest
of peace and truth. Li

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THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

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