Alwaght- Over the past few weeks, with the eruption of clashes between Al-Quds (Jerusalem) Palestinians and the Israeli forces, the case of the Palestinians of 1948, or as the Israeli regime calls them Israeli Arabs, is again catching attention. In the new round of clashes and unrest in the occupied Palestinian territories, the Palestinians of 1948 more than other Palestinians organized protests and challenged the Israeli rule over Al-Quds.
Two weeks after the ceasefire to the Gaza war with Egyptian mediation, in their new crackdown the Israeli forces attacked and arrested 1948 Palestinians. This brings these Palestinians in media spotlight.
Who are Palestinians of 1948?
The term 1948 Palestinians or Arabs living in the occupied territories refers to the Palestinians who remained in the occupied territories beyond the occupation in 1948. The Israeli regime calls these Palestinians "Israeli Arabs." According to figures, 21 percent of the population of 9 million in the occupied territories constitutes this population. In other words, they are Palestinians who did not leave the country after the establishment of the so called Jewish state in 1948 and remained in their place of residence, excluding West Bank and Gaza. These population of Palestinians stayed while after the Israeli foundation and following the Arab-Israeli wars many Palestinians fled or were expelled and resided in West Bank, Gaza, and the refugee camps established in neighboring countries.
Between 1949 and 1966, the Palestinian Arabs were governed by the military of the newly established Israeli regime and subjected to travel restrictions, bans, and detention. At the same time, a demographic change campaign expelled most of the Palestinians from their homes and lands, replacing them with Jews residing in new settlements.
But after 1966, the population's awareness and fighting ability increased, the first serious manifestation of which was in 1976 after the killing of six unarmed Palestinians who had protested against the government seizing their lands in Galilee. During this period, the Communist Party of Israel and Palestinian Black Panthers united against the government in the biggest internal protest against the Israeli colonization.
The protests by the Arabs in the 1948 occupied territories have continued though time, but have never been like those of the recent times. Actually, recent clashes between the Israeli rightists and the Arab minority in the occupied territories, the residents of the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood, and subsequent widespread unrest in the Holy Al-Aqsa Mosque, as claimed by its politicians, have fueled the risk of a "civil war." Many Israeli media outlets even warn that the "Jewish-Arab street war" is a more dangerous crisis than Tel Aviv’s confrontation with Palestinian resistant groups.
A noteworthy issue is that the Arabs of occupied territories include Muslims and Christians, though the Christian population is much smaller. A majority of the Arabs of occupied territories, about 83 percent, are Muslims and hold 15 seats in the Israeli parliament, dubbed Knesset.
Systematic discrimination against 1948 Palestinians
Over the past decades, Israeli and Western politicians and also the media have sought to portray the population of the occupied territories as wholly Jewish and to ignore the regime's Arab minority in order to purge Muslim and Arab identities. Arabs in the occupied territories are about 1.9 million, or about one-fifth of the population. They are ostensibly recognized as citizens by the Israeli regime and have all the recognized legal rights, but the reality is that the rights of 1948 Palestinians are widely violated. Since the first Israeli elections that were held in January 1949, these Palestinians were granted vote rights, but have undergone a variety of discrimination, threats, and radicalism of the Israeli forces and settlers.
Although, in the Israeli healthcare system, 20 percent of doctors, 25 percent of nurses, and 50 percent of the pharmacists are Arabs, they could never consider themselves as part of the so-called Israeli nation. Arabs believe they suffer from "organized discrimination" in the occupied territories for access to housing and medical and educational services. In this regard, according to a report published in April by Human Rights Watch, Israeli officials have committed apartheid against Palestinians inside Israel and Palestinians in the occupied territories in the West Bank and Gaza, which is an example of a crime against humanity.
The Palestinians of 1948 argue that government has hands in expropriation of their lands, and accuse state officials of discrimination in budget allocation. For example, the Israeli citizenship laws grant the Jews nationality and passport rights regardless for their country of origin, but the Palestinians, or their children, migrated or expelled from their lands are not given this right.
Also, by 2018, Arabic was one of the two official languages beside Hebrew, but it was axed following a Knesset bill recognizing the Israeli regime a wholly "Jewish state." The bill announced that self-determination was an exclusively Jewish right in the Israeli regime.
In addition, there are some economic and social gaps between Jews and Arabs in the occupied territories that result from discrimination against Arabs under the pretext of them not serving in the military. People who serve in the Israeli army enjoy many benefits and job opportunities that are not available to other citizens. However, the Arabs work in construction sector, but their presence in the education and industry sectors is small, and this is because the kids and teenagers have no connections in the elementary and high school and this may continue by their entry to the university.
Outlooks of the 1948 Palestinians
Although in the past the 1948 Palestinians had limited protests against the Israeli crackdowns and crimes, for the first time in the history of the Israeli regime they, who are a population of 2 million, have joined other Palestinians to protest the Israeli discrimination, crimes, and identity purge campaigns. In fact, the new conditions tell us a reality about them: They have chosen fight against Tel Aviv, joining their compatriots in Gaza, West Bank, and the refugee camps.
But there is a difference today compared to the past. In the past, the Israelis were the war starters and the Palestinians were the responders, but in the new situation, it is the Palestinians who threaten Tel Aviv with offensives, issue ultimatums, and attack Israeli settlements. In the meantime, at least 7 occupied cities were scene to protests and clashes. In Lod, a city southeast of Tel Aviv, the Palestinian protestors grabbed its control from the police, triggering a government recall of the reserve troops to suppress the demonstration. This incident was unprecedented and since 1948, no occupied territories witnessed a Palestinian revolt and clashes with the Israeli forces.
Generally speaking, the new situation should be described as the new era of unity among the Palestinians and Israeli initiation of steps to assimilate the 1948 Palestinians.
