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Tel Aviv, Israel - Minister Ignites Firestorm after Calling Cop 'Dirty Arab' |
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Last updated on: Jun 17, 2009 at 08:54 AM
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Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch (Sasson Tiram)
"You really look like an Araboush," a smiling Aharonovitch told an undercover officer he encountered during a tour of a rundown south Tel Aviv neighborhood, near the old central bus station.
The comments were made in full view of media cameras and were clearly picked up by microphones.
Aharonovitch was being briefed on measures taken to combat drugs and crime in the area, and officers on the ground called the undercover officer over to the public security minister for an impromptu meeting.
The comment has drawn fierce criticism from Israeli-Arab leaders.
"Every day Aharonovitch stays in office is another mark of Cain," Deputy Knesset Speaker and United Arab List-Ta'al chairman Ahmed Tibi told Channel 2 News on Tuesday evening.
Tibi said Israel was "taking the form of a Jewish Liebermanesque state." In a statement, Aharonovitch said the term had been used "as slang during a moment of banter," adding that "there was no intention of causing offense to anyone."
The term Araboush has stirred controversy before - in September 2006 a police officer sent out a message on the police beeper system saying that "15,000 Araboush" had attended a rally organized by the Islamic Movement in Umm el-Fahm. The officer was later fired by former public security minister Avi Dichter.
**UPDATE**
Minister Aharonovitch apologized today.
In a statement, Aharonovitch said: "This remark does not reflect my positions or world view and I apologize to anyone who was insulted."
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Read Comments (30) — Post Yours »
1
Jun 16, 2009 at 10:01 PM Anonymous Says:
Its a sad commentary on the dysfunctional parlimentary system in EY that such a racist and am haoretz could be allowed to hold public office.
2
Jun 16, 2009 at 09:45 PM Araboush, Araboush Says:
What is the big deal to say Araboush...
sounds kinda cute...
3
Jun 16, 2009 at 09:41 PM Milhouse Says:
Anything that gets Tibi upset is for the good. If the Arab-rats don't like it they should feel free to leave. It's not their country.
4
Jun 16, 2009 at 10:34 PM Anonymous Says:
“ Anything that gets Tibi upset is for the good. If the Arab-rats don't like it they should feel free to leave. It's not their country. ”
I suspect you share the Arab-hating views of Ahronovitch and are ready to disenfranchise hundreds of thousands of Arab citizens of the Medinah. This is the kind of dreche we have come to expect from those whose only political credentials are racism. If he had made some derogatory comment about your rebbe, I'm sure you would be eurphoric.
5
Jun 16, 2009 at 10:34 PM ZR Says:
And what does the PA call Jews in its media outlets? It calls for the Jews slaughter. It indoctrinates hatred of Jews in its schools and camps.
Israel, by contrast, has Arab MK's, an Arab on the Supreme Court and the only country in the Middle East where Arabs can vote. And Israel is the only country in the Middle East where an Arab can sue the country in the High Court.
6
Jun 16, 2009 at 10:47 PM not your country Says:
“ Anything that gets Tibi upset is for the good. If the Arab-rats don't like it they should feel free to leave. It's not their country. ”
We are in goolus its not your country
7
Jun 16, 2009 at 09:14 PM ZR Says:
And what does Fatah call Jews in its media outlets? It calls for the Jews slaughter. It indoctrinates hatred of Jews in its schools and camps.
Israel, by contrast, has Arab MK's, an Arab on the Supreme Court and the only country in the Middle East where Arabs can vote. And Israel is the only country in the Middle East where an Arab can sue the country in the High Court.
8
Jun 16, 2009 at 09:10 PM yehudala Says:
A wise man said "think before you open that mouth" from my bed to yours good night America!
9
Jun 16, 2009 at 09:07 PM Anonymous Says:
What is wrong with him, no common sense.
10
Jun 16, 2009 at 11:00 PM Milhouse Says:
“ I suspect you share the Arab-hating views of Ahronovitch and are ready to disenfranchise hundreds of thousands of Arab citizens of the Medinah. This is the kind of dreche we have come to expect from those whose only political credentials are racism. If he had made some derogatory comment about your rebbe, I'm sure you would be eurphoric. ”
There is no reason goyim should be citizens of a Jewish state. Tibi was Arafat y"sh's adviser and confederate, so anything that upsets him should be presumed to be good.
11
Jun 16, 2009 at 10:58 PM Anonymous Says:
“ And what does the PA call Jews in its media outlets? It calls for the Jews slaughter. It indoctrinates hatred of Jews in its schools and camps.
Israel, by contrast, has Arab MK's, an Arab on the Supreme Court and the only country in the Middle East where Arabs can vote. And Israel is the only country in the Middle East where an Arab can sue the country in the High Court.
”
And for all the reasons you cite, we should expect a government official in EY to not act like a antisemitic minister in the Syrian or Egyptian goverment. It is obvious that Aharonovitch should not have used such a derogatory term. His pathethic attempt at an appolgy only shows he is unfit for public office.
12
Jun 17, 2009 at 12:02 AM Anonymous Says:
what do they say when the mk's do something wrong against the frum/chareidi population?..........
13
Jun 16, 2009 at 11:56 PM Milhouse Says:
“ We are in goolus its not your country ”
Golus or not, it remains our country and not theirs. Umpenei chato'einu golinu MEI'ARTZEINU. While we were gone nobody had the right to move in; and now that we're back they certainly have no rights there. Hashem said He'd keep it empty for us, and that when it began to flower again אין לך קץ מגולה מזה.
14
Jun 16, 2009 at 11:56 PM David Says:
“ There is no reason goyim should be citizens of a Jewish state. Tibi was Arafat y"sh's adviser and confederate, so anything that upsets him should be presumed to be good. ”
There were ALWAYS non jewish citizens of EY. Going back to tthe days of Tanach, they were always treated equally under the law. Today's non jewish citizens pay taxes and in some cases (Druze, Bedouin) serve in the IDF, they deserve respect and equality, and having an officer of the law refer to them derogatorily is inapropriate, and unnaceptable in a Torah and or modern society.
15
Jun 16, 2009 at 11:28 PM Anonymous Says:
“ And what does the PA call Jews in its media outlets? It calls for the Jews slaughter. It indoctrinates hatred of Jews in its schools and camps.
Israel, by contrast, has Arab MK's, an Arab on the Supreme Court and the only country in the Middle East where Arabs can vote. And Israel is the only country in the Middle East where an Arab can sue the country in the High Court.
”
and that allows us to stupidly throw around racist terms??? this statement could cost yiddeshe lives, and it would be aharonivitch's fault.
16
Jun 17, 2009 at 01:01 AM Remember Jerusalem Says:
WHH
Arabs and Jews trade all sorts of names for each other back and forth in Eretz Yisroel, and yes, of course these names are meant to be as insulting as possible, however, they are also vaguely endearing, please don't scream out that I say this. Semitic culture has a rich literary history of insult, and to apply the Western standard of racism here, simply does not work. Every culture has idiosyncrasies that are difficult to understand by other societies from the outside. And by the way, has anyone been in a police precinct in Brooklyn, and chanced to hear the language the fine upstanding law enforcement officers use? I'm sure it would fail to rise to the standards many of these respondents are demanding from their fellow Jews here in Eretz Yisroel. Arabs and Jews are forced to live together under untenable circumstances. And anyone who thinks "Peace" between them is possible, even between the most secular on both sides, is delusional. Yishmael is a wild man, and his hand is against every man's and every man's hand is against him... In this regard, nothing will ever change. We cannot co-exist.
17
Jun 17, 2009 at 07:00 AM A Maven Says:
“ I suspect you share the Arab-hating views of Ahronovitch and are ready to disenfranchise hundreds of thousands of Arab citizens of the Medinah. This is the kind of dreche we have come to expect from those whose only political credentials are racism. If he had made some derogatory comment about your rebbe, I'm sure you would be eurphoric. ”
But Tibi is allowed to call for the destruction of Israel which is a lot worse then jokingly using the term araboush like you use the term Schwartze!
18
Jun 17, 2009 at 03:24 AM ZR Says:
“ and that allows us to stupidly throw around racist terms??? this statement could cost yiddeshe lives, and it would be aharonivitch's fault. ”
And if these alleged racist terms are so inappropriate in today’s modern world why are you not up in arms by the incitement to slaughter Jews emanating from almost EVERY Arab state? The anti-Semitic incitement coming Saudi Arabia and our “peace partner” Egypt, not to mention the two-faced PA, can make your hair stand on end.
Yet this unceasing incitement is all but ignored by the Israeli and Western Left "Human Rights" organisations.
19
Jun 17, 2009 at 07:53 AM PMO Says:
“ And if these alleged racist terms are so inappropriate in today’s modern world why are you not up in arms by the incitement to slaughter Jews emanating from almost EVERY Arab state? The anti-Semitic incitement coming Saudi Arabia and our “peace partner” Egypt, not to mention the two-faced PA, can make your hair stand on end.
Yet this unceasing incitement is all but ignored by the Israeli and Western Left "Human Rights" organisations.
”
For the most part, it is "fringe" extremist groups that talk this way, not the Arab states themselves. Secondly, if this word is OK to use in E"Y, I guess words like "kike" should be OK here in the US? After all, the US is an xian country...
We should never act like the human filth that uses hatred or racist terminology to refer to anyone else. There are many Arabs who live very peacefully in E"Y and are happy to live in a free and democratic nation. When you use racist terms, you insult them all.
20
Jun 17, 2009 at 07:49 AM Anonymous Says:
He wasn't politically correct but at least he nailed it!
21
Jun 17, 2009 at 08:24 AM FVNMS Says:
I remember it as "Arabchouk", not "Araboush." Frankly I'd call them "Jukim."
22
Jun 17, 2009 at 09:55 AM Anonymous Says:
“ And if these alleged racist terms are so inappropriate in today’s modern world why are you not up in arms by the incitement to slaughter Jews emanating from almost EVERY Arab state? The anti-Semitic incitement coming Saudi Arabia and our “peace partner” Egypt, not to mention the two-faced PA, can make your hair stand on end.
Yet this unceasing incitement is all but ignored by the Israeli and Western Left "Human Rights" organisations.
”
no one is saying that it's ok for arab states to talk about jews the way they do. that still does not make it right when we do it; furthermore, arabs are always looking for reasons to start a pogrom against us. it is pure idiocy to hand it to them on a silver platter! such stupid and irresponsible remarks could cost jewish lives!!!
23
Jun 17, 2009 at 09:10 AM Anonymous Says:
“ Golus or not, it remains our country and not theirs. Umpenei chato'einu golinu MEI'ARTZEINU. While we were gone nobody had the right to move in; and now that we're back they certainly have no rights there. Hashem said He'd keep it empty for us, and that when it began to flower again אין לך קץ מגולה מזה. ”
What does our right to EY have to do with this racist excuse for a government official using such language about ANYONE, jew or arab. We can have some derech eretz that will distinguish us from them. Obviously, you prefer to engage in the slimey gutter language that we would expect from Arab extremists.
24
Jun 17, 2009 at 02:07 PM Milhouse Says:
“ For the most part, it is "fringe" extremist groups that talk this way, not the Arab states themselves. Secondly, if this word is OK to use in E"Y, I guess words like "kike" should be OK here in the US? After all, the US is an xian country...
We should never act like the human filth that uses hatred or racist terminology to refer to anyone else. There are many Arabs who live very peacefully in E"Y and are happy to live in a free and democratic nation. When you use racist terms, you insult them all. ”
So there are Arabs who are not rats. What has that got to do with the ones who are? Why is it wrong to call them what they are?
25
Jun 17, 2009 at 02:06 PM Milhouse Says:
“ and that allows us to stupidly throw around racist terms??? this statement could cost yiddeshe lives, and it would be aharonivitch's fault. ”
There is NO WAY that the statement could cost anyone's life. Anyone who would kill over it didn't really need an excuse, and would have killed over any excuse or none.
26
Jun 17, 2009 at 02:05 PM Milhouse Says:
“ There were ALWAYS non jewish citizens of EY. Going back to tthe days of Tanach, they were always treated equally under the law. Today's non jewish citizens pay taxes and in some cases (Druze, Bedouin) serve in the IDF, they deserve respect and equality, and having an officer of the law refer to them derogatorily is inapropriate, and unnaceptable in a Torah and or modern society. ”
What on earth are you talking about? When were goyim ever citizens of EY? And when were they ever treated equally with yidden? You can't just make stuff up.
27
Jun 17, 2009 at 02:03 PM Milhouse Says:
“ What does our right to EY have to do with this racist excuse for a government official using such language about ANYONE, jew or arab. We can have some derech eretz that will distinguish us from them. Obviously, you prefer to engage in the slimey gutter language that we would expect from Arab extremists. ”
Why don't you try reading the comment before replying to it?
And what's wrong with calling a rat a rat? He said the undercover cop looked like a real sheigetz, which he did.
28
Jun 17, 2009 at 05:47 PM Anonymous Says:
what happened to democracy in Israel? freedom of speech!
29
Jun 17, 2009 at 06:21 PM ZR Says:
“ For the most part, it is "fringe" extremist groups that talk this way, not the Arab states themselves. Secondly, if this word is OK to use in E"Y, I guess words like "kike" should be OK here in the US? After all, the US is an xian country...
We should never act like the human filth that uses hatred or racist terminology to refer to anyone else. There are many Arabs who live very peacefully in E"Y and are happy to live in a free and democratic nation. When you use racist terms, you insult them all. ”
“For the most part, it is "fringe" extremist groups that talk this way, not the Arab states themselves.”
Wrong.
PA Television have sermons on their STATE sponsored TV to quote "kill the Jews wherever you find them." Look it up yourself on Palestinian Media Watch.
These are NOT "fringe" groups. This is state sponsored incitement to genocide.
Same goes for the state controlled Egyptian media with their Protocol of Elders of Zion vicious anti-Semitic series.
30
Jun 18, 2009 at 02:47 AM na nach Says:
it teaches all of us a lesson, 'chashov hadeebir kodem shtotzeanu mpeechu' think b4 u talk, once u say it you are not in charge anymore