The first Arab minister: much ado about nothing

The first Arab minister: much ado about nothing
(this article will be published in the Belgian website: www.uitpers.be)
One month ago the Israeli media and some Arabic and international media picked up the news about the appointment of the “first Arab minister” in the Israeli government with much hubble-bubble. Among what they claimed: things are changed; Israel is not an apartheid state as its enemies slander it, but a genuine democratic state; The Arab citizens are integrating in the governmental institutions; equality is accomplished or in the process to be accomplished. Etc.etc.
Is that really so? Let’s let facts talk for themselves:
Galeb Majadele, the nominated minister, was from his youth activist in a Zionist party (the labor party), most the time in the Histadrut (trade union) and since 2004 as a Kennest member for this party. The history and role of this party in the displacement of the Palestinian people and plundering its properties since 1948 until today is well known. Mr. Majadele never represented the Palestinian people in their struggle for their element rights, he never shared them their protests in the land day, October uprising or the Nakba rememberance, in the opposite, he stood always on the other side.
It’s not necessary to go far away back in the past to prove that. Last year, the direct boss of Mr. Majadele, and the one who appointed him, Ameer Peretz (the minister of defense) together with Prime Minister Olmert launched their war crimes for 33 days in Lebanon. (Not to mention their continuous crimes in Gaza). While the whole world condemned these crimes, among them many Israeli anti war movements, Mr. Majadele continue to be faithful to his boss and supported him the whole way.
Ameer Peretz, who went out defeated and broken from the Lebanese war, and his popularity in his own party reached the bottom, and faced more and more voices calling to him to resign, and he felt the breath of Barak and Ayalon on his nick as competitors for the leadership of the labor Party, appointed Majadele to be a minister in return for recruiting the Arab members of the labor party to support him in his coming competition.
Mr. Majadele lost respect even among his followers inside the labor party, who accused him to be cheap and shameless. When Olmeret appointed Avigdor Liberman, the leader of the racist transfer party Ysrael Betteno, to be his deputy and high minister for strategic threats, the “Arab legion” as they call themselves headed by Knesset member Galeb Majadele and Nadia Heleo threatened to step out from the Party if the Labor party continues to sit in the government with Liberman. But of course after few days they had licked their spit and no one was resigned. And when Opher Pines-Paz, the minister for culture, science and sports, resigned as protest for accepting Liberman in the government, the “First Arab minister”, Majadele jumped to catch the opportunity; while many expected that he should be in solidarity with this minister and at least to refuse to occupy his place.
Majadele is very happy with this title, and he mentions it in every interview with him. In spite the fact that he is not the first Arab minister, before him Ariel Sharon appointed the Arab Druze Saleh Tarif as minister without portfolio. But Majadele like the Israeli institutions don’t recognize the Druze as Arabs.
The humiliations of this doubtful honor didn’t stop until today. When Peretz announced the appointment of Majadele, for 2 weeks Olmert refused to approve it in the government meeting. And he agreed only when Peretz and Majadele abandoned their demand that Majadele takes the place of Opher Pines-Paz as minister of culture, science and sports, and that he accepts to be minister without portfolio for too weeks until the government agrees about a new division of the ministries.
One month already passed, and the minister Majadele got only the minister car and salary, and he still waiting for what to do.
As we say: the mountain was in labor and produced a mouse.