FOR THE RECORD

1. ADALAH: LEGAL VIOLATIONS OF ARAB IN

Violations of the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination: A Response to the Combined Seventh, Eighth and Ninth Periodic Report of Israel Concerning the Implementation of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination*

* This Report was written by Hassan Jabareen, Marwan Dalal, Rina Rosenberg and Suhad Bishara of Adalah. Adalah wishes to thank llan Saban, University, Faculty of Law; Dr. Hatim Kana'neh; Yosef Jabareen; Orna Kohn, Advocate; Association for Civil Rights in Israel; Dr. Hala Hazzan and Muhammed Dahleh, Chairperson of Adalah for presenting this Report to the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. Only the citations have been amended in order to accord with the standard used throughout the Year- book. Footnotes marked by an asterisk have been added by the editor. Reproduced with permission from Adalah. I. Introduction This Report was submitted by Adalah: The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel before the Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination* (CERD), in response to Israel's Report reviewed on 4-5 March 1998. � Adalah's Report is the first submission by an Arab NGO to the Committee, to counter claims and present alternative information to that presented by the State. Today, make up approximately 18% of the population of the State. Arabic is their native language and they belong to three religious communities: Moslem (76%), Christian (15%), and Druze (9%).2 The Arab minority in Israel is historically and cul- turally part of the Palestinian people who currently live in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and the Palestinian Diaspora. After the 1948 war, this part of the Palestinian population remained in their homeland and became citizens of the Israeli State. From 1948-1966, the Arab citizens of Israel lived under a Military Administration, applied only to them, despite the fact that they were declared citizens of the State. Military rnle severely restricted Arabs' fundamental civil liberties. The Israeli authorities also massive- ly confiscated Arab-owned lands and other Arab resources. By 1993, over 80% of the land owned by Arab citizens of the State had been confiscated and placed at the exclusive disposal of Jewish citizens.3 Israel never sought to integrate the Arab citizens, excluding them from public life and the public sphere, while practicing systemic discrimination in all fields. Successive Israeli gov- ernments maintained tight control over the community, attempting to suppress Palestinian identity and divide the community within itself. To that end, the Arab minority is not defmed by the State as a national minority, despite United Nations Resolution 181* calling for such.

* Established pursuant to Section 8 of the International Convention on the Elimination ofAll Forms of Racial Discrimination, Jan. 4, 1969, 660 U.N.T.S. 195. -ed. 1 STATE OF ISRAEL, THE COMBINED SEVENTH, EIGHTH AND NINTH PERIODIC REPORTS OF ISRAEL CON- CERNING IMPLEMENTATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL COVENANT ON THE ELIMINATION OF ALL FORMS OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION. (1997) CERD/C/294/ADD.1 [hereinafter Israel's Report] - ed. 2 See CENTRAL BUREAU OF STATISTICS, THE STATISTICAL ABSTRACT OF ISRAEL, 1996 (1996) in which it is noted that the Arabs in Israel constitute 19.03% of the total population, numbering 1,069.5 (thou- sands) of 5,619 (thousands). This figure includes Arabs who live in East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights, who have residency status but are not citizens of Israel. 3 See IAN LUSTICK, ARABS IN THE JEWISH STATE (1980). * G.A. Res. 181, UN GAOR, 2nd Sess.