Joint List MK expresses concern over Pew poll results on Arabs

Joint (Arab) List MK Yousef Jabarin reacts to the publication of a Pew study which found that 79% of Jewish Israeli citizens believe Jews should get preferential treatment over Arab citizens, and 48% said they were in favor of expelling Arabs from country.

“The results of the survey should make anyone who holds shared life between Jews and Arabs in Israel dear lose sleep,” he says. “The transfer of civilians, for whatever reason, is a crime against humanity, and I’m disturbed to see that half of the Jewish respondents support such a move.”

“I call on all the country’s leaders to come to their senses and change their discourse toward Arab citizens – from a discourse of incitement, hatred and division to a respectful dialogue that promotes coexistence between Jews and Arabs and refers to Arab citizens as citizens with equal rights and equal status.”

The poll, with 5,601 in-person interviews of Israeli adults, conducted between October 2014 and May 2015 and published earlier today, also found that Israeli Jews increasingly believe the West Bank settlements help, rather than hurt, Israel’s security – and most (61%) believe Israel was given by God to the Jewish people.