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| Israeli Arab diplomat curb mooted | |
| (1 day later) | |
| Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman has proposed a new regulation that would prevent most Israeli Arabs from becoming career diplomats. | Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman has proposed a new regulation that would prevent most Israeli Arabs from becoming career diplomats. |
| He said that only those who complete military or national service should be eligible for foreign ministry training. | |
| This would exclude most Arab citizens, who do not serve in the army, as well as ultra-Orthodox Jews, who are exempted from conscription. | This would exclude most Arab citizens, who do not serve in the army, as well as ultra-Orthodox Jews, who are exempted from conscription. |
| Mr Lieberman said he would propose a law to parliament, if necessary. | Mr Lieberman said he would propose a law to parliament, if necessary. |
| Current Israeli law guarantees all citizens equal access to the civil service. | Current Israeli law guarantees all citizens equal access to the civil service. |
| Anyone who wants to represent the country [Israel] in the outside world must take part in our obligations Avigdor Lieberman Q&A: Israeli Arabs Israeli Arabs struggle for land | Anyone who wants to represent the country [Israel] in the outside world must take part in our obligations Avigdor Lieberman Q&A: Israeli Arabs Israeli Arabs struggle for land |
| More than five Israeli Arabs, Muslims and Christians, currently work as diplomats in the foreign ministry, the Israeli Haaretz newspaper reported. | More than five Israeli Arabs, Muslims and Christians, currently work as diplomats in the foreign ministry, the Israeli Haaretz newspaper reported. |
| Mr Lieberman's proposal came at a foreign ministry administrative meeting. | Mr Lieberman's proposal came at a foreign ministry administrative meeting. |
| Israeli Arabs, who make up about a fifth of Israel's population, roughly 1.45 million people, are of Palestinian Arab descent. | Israeli Arabs, who make up about a fifth of Israel's population, roughly 1.45 million people, are of Palestinian Arab descent. |
| During the war that surrounded the creation of the state of Israel in 1948, hundreds of thousands of Arabs were forced from or fled their homes. | During the war that surrounded the creation of the state of Israel in 1948, hundreds of thousands of Arabs were forced from or fled their homes. |
| Those who remained within what became Israel, and their descendents, have been granted citizenship and are known as Israeli Arabs. | Those who remained within what became Israel, and their descendents, have been granted citizenship and are known as Israeli Arabs. |
| Israeli Arabs are citizens of Israel - although their "civic duty" differs as they are exempt from compulsory military service, although Druze and some Bedouin Arabs serve in the military. | |
| But Israeli Arabs frequently describe themselves as "second-class citizens" and say they face institutional and social discrimination. | But Israeli Arabs frequently describe themselves as "second-class citizens" and say they face institutional and social discrimination. |
| A programme of voluntary, non-military national service is open to all Israeli citizens, but has seen only limited participation from Israeli Arabs. | |
| Mr Lieberman, a hard-line nationalist, has previously tried to sponsor laws requiring Israeli Arabs to swear allegiance to Israel as a Jewish state and to ban Israeli Arabs from marking the Nakba - the Palestinian "catastrophe" of 1948. | Mr Lieberman, a hard-line nationalist, has previously tried to sponsor laws requiring Israeli Arabs to swear allegiance to Israel as a Jewish state and to ban Israeli Arabs from marking the Nakba - the Palestinian "catastrophe" of 1948. |
| These measures have not been enacted, though laws stopping state funding for organisations and activities that reject the existence of Israel as a Jewish state have. | These measures have not been enacted, though laws stopping state funding for organisations and activities that reject the existence of Israel as a Jewish state have. |