ISRAELI ARABS: GOI NOT AT FAULT FOR ALL PROBLEMS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TEL AVIV 004538

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/21/2015
TAGS: ECON PGOV PREL IS ISRAELI SOCIETY
SUBJECT: ISRAELI ARABS: GOI NOT AT FAULT FOR ALL PROBLEMS

REF: TEL AVIV 4066

Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Gene A. Cretz for reasons 1.4 (b
) and (d).


1. (C) SUMMARY: Leaders in Israel's Bedouin and Israeli-Arab
communities acknowledge that not all of their problems can
blamed on government policies and programs. Leadership and
good governance are needed within these communities if they
are to overcome current and future challenges. END SUMMARY.

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A DAY WITH THE BEDOUIN
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2. (C) Econoff toured Bedouin villages, a Bedouin high
school, a Bedouin women's association and three mosques under
threat of demolition by the GOI on July 13. This visit and
subsequent discussions with Israeli-Arab activists from the
Negev and Galilee shed light on the growing problems in these
regions, which Bedouin and Israeli-Arab representatives said
are attributable in no small part to corruption, lack of
leadership and "internal oppression."


3. (C) Faisal Sawalha of the Regional Council for the Arab
Unrecognized Villages in the Negev accompanied econoff on a
tour of five Bedouin villages. Sawalha said there are many
problems in the Bedouin community and that the GOI cannot be
blamed for all of them. He said the dismal education system
is one such problem, a failure on the part of the Bedouin.


4. (C) In Rahat, a recognized Bedouin village, econoff
visited the Al-Noor high school, which serves 700 students in
grades nine through twelve. The school is operated by 45
Israeli-Arab teachers. Sawalha said most of the students do
not pass national exams such as the "Bagrut." He said only
40 percent of seniors pass the high school exit exam, a
generous figure which does not reflect the reality that only
ten percent of those students make it to university and only
two or three percent earn a degree, he said.


5. (C) Sawalha touched on the quality of teachers and
administrators, pointing to a lack of qualifications and
favoritism. He said certain positions in the Bedouin school
system are filled with individuals who do not deserve them.
The deputy principal at Rahat was hired in this way, said
Sawalha, noting that the deputy principal only had a high
school diploma. Sawalha said "we must hold ourselves
accountable" and not blame the GOI for all Bedouin ailments.


6. (C) Leaving Rahat, Sawalha and econoff visited three
unrecognized Bedouin villages, Al-Dhiyya, Um Al-Hiran, and
Tel Al-Maleh. Sawalha showed three mosques that are under
the threat of demolition (reftel). He said the GOI must
respect the Bedouin because they are a part of Israeli
society. Sawalha said demolition orders for the mosques
still stand.


7. (U) Econoff ended his visit in the village of Lakia, where
Naama Elsanna, one of the seven managers who operate the
Association for Improvement of Women's Status, talked about
the association, which was founded in 1992. She said 165
Bedouin women work at the center to improve the status and
living conditions of Bedouin women. Several core projects
were initiated to provide income and support: the Desert
Embroidery project, created to provide income; an adult
education program, designed to increase literacy; a
kindergarten facility established to support working women;
and ,finally, a mobile library allocated to improve
children's education.


8. (C) Elsanna told econoff that a recent arson attack that
nearly destroyed the embroidery shop was committed by Bedouin
men who felt threatened by progress and unable to handle the
success of the Bedouin women. She said "jealousy" drove them
to set fire to the shop, which the association has repaired.

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Allegations of Corruption
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9. (C) Iyad Rabi, General Director of the Ahali Center for
Community Development in the Galilee, met with econoff on
July 14. Rabi said there are Israeli Arabs who work with the
GOI against the Israeli-Arab community. These individuals
want power, money and an opportunity for self benefit, not
thinking about what they are doing to their own people, Rabi
said. The GOI offers incentives for cooperation, which range
from election support to certain business deals, said Rabi.
He said that a climate of greed benefits only a few,
primarily those who cooperate with the GOI, and this is the
problem in the Galilee.


10. (C) Commenting on accountability, Rabi said there should
be reporting requirements for Israeli-Arab community leaders
and the GOI detailing of community expenditures. He said
that there were budgetary problems in some local
municipalities in the Galilee because certain elected
officials regularly misuse public funds. Rabi said officials
channel money towards businesses or organizations that will
in turn provide political support.


11. (C) Rabi said NGO objectives and success can be measured
by how they address community needs. Many NGO's are not
helping the Israeli-Arab communities because they are
focusing on their own agenda and budgetary requirements. He
said some have turned NGO's into a money-making venture that
guarantees them a steady salary.

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