This is particularly disturbing. --MW
Many Israeli teens against rights for Arabs, poll indicates
Copyright 1998 Nando.net
Copyright 1998 Reuters
JERUSALEM (January 21, 1998 7:01 p.m. EST http://www.nando.net) - Almost
half of the Jewish teens in Israel believe Arab citizens should be
denied at least some civil rights, according to a poll commissioned by
education officials.
The poll, made available to Reuters on Wednesday, showed that 19 percent
of the 400 teens surveyed believed Arabs should be expelled from Israel
because they endangered its security. And a total of 18 percent say
Arabs should be denied some of their rights because they do not serve in
the Israeli army, and 7 percent contend that Arabs do not deserve equal
rights in Israel.
Under law, Israeli Arabs are not required to serve in the army of the
Jewish state.
A third of those who said Arabs should be expelled from Israel were
religious Jews, according to the Geocartography poll carried out earlier
this month and commissioned by the education committee of the Union of
Local Authorities.
Shmuel Abuav, head of the education committee, said the poll results
were troubling.
"If almost half Jewish youth in Israel believe that Arabs should be
denied rights as citizens of Israel, it means the gap between the two
communities is still very wide," Abuav said in a statement issued along
with the poll.
Israeli Arabs make up almost 25 percent of Israel's population and often
complain of discrimination.
The poll had a margin of error of 4.8 percent.
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