Report by Coalition against Racism: Increase in Racist Comments by Israeli Elected Officials

Last summer’s deadly Gaza War and the subsequent winter’s election campaign increased the incidence of racism in Israel, including anti-Arab acts, the Coalition against Racism announced on Tuesday, July 15.

Racist right-wing settlers confront left-wing Israeli demonstrators, among them Hadash and communists activists, on “Jerusalem Day,” in that city on May 17, 2015.

Racist right-wing settlers confront left-wing Israeli demonstrators, among them Hadash and communists activists, on “Jerusalem Day,” in that city on May 17, 2015. (Photo: Activestills)

The report based on the findings of a survey conducted for the Coalition against Racism was presented at a Knesset event launching a new parliamentary caucus against racism. In general, Facebook and other Internet social media have become loci for racism, but the report broadens its examination and discusses both physical and verbal incidents, as well as incidence of racism in bills brought before the Knesset and racist comments made by elected officials. According to the report, over the past year there have been 237 racist incidents, 160 of them during the last summer’s Gaza war. The document reports 192 anti-Arab cases, compared with 113 in 2013.

“We live in this country and are keenly aware of the increase in violent racist incidents, but the report presents statistics which confirm its extent and danger,” said Hadash MK Aida Touma-Suliman (Joint List), who with MK Michal Biran (Zionist Union) heads the new Knesset caucus. “The report shows a disturbing increase in incitement and expressions of racism by elected officials and decision makers,” she said.

Meanwhile, the Religious Action Center of the Israel Movement for Reform and Progressive Judaism has unveiled a report on incitement against Israeli Arabs on its website. According to the survey, conducted between July and October of last year, 30% of racist incidents called for violence against Arabs or expressed support for such violence, while 40% of the cases urged boycotting of businesses employing Arabs, or called for Jewish-only labor. Despite efforts during the Gaza war to take measures against persons running racist Facebook pages, law-enforcement officials don’t appear to have taken a cohesive long-term position on how to curb incitement on the Internet, the report says.