MK Kirshenbaum: Arabs demand equal rights, but don’t contribute to the state

MK Faina Kirshenbaum said at a conference in Jerusalem that Israeli Arabs do not contribute to the state despite the fact that they demand equal rights

Kirshenbaum says they are also an economic burden on the state.

By Israel Hayom Staff

 

MK Faina Kirshenbaum (Yisrael Beytenu) said on Monday that Israeli Arabs do not contribute to the state despite that they demand equal rights.

MK Faina Kirschenbaum says Israeli Arabs do not contribute to the state and constitute an economic burden. – Photo: Dudi Vaaknin

Speaking at a joint conference for Israeli and German city officials conducted by the Local Government Center in Jerusalem on the topic of multiculturalism and social heterogeneity, Kirshenbaum said “Arabs in Israel want equal rights, but do not contribute to the state. To receive equal rights they must contribute to the country like every other citizen and do three years of [military or civilian] service in their communities.”

Kirshenbaum said that today the Israeli Arabs are an economic burden on the country. “They do not pay taxes, more or less, and receive large funds from the government. They pay 400 million shekels in taxes but receive at least 11 billion shekels in government-provided benefits.”

According to Kirshenbaum, 38 percent of Israel’s citizens pay taxes and only a small percentage of that number is composed of minorities.

During the conference, Suleiman a-Shafi, a former Arab affairs reporter for Channel 2 news, claimed that Arabs cannot live anywhere they want in Israel. Conference host Gal Gabai added that Jews, however, can live in Jaffa. Kirshenbaum turned to Gabai and responded by thanking her cynically for “allowing us to live in Jaffa.”

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Yisrael Beytenu is running on a joint list with the Likud in the upcoming Knesset elections.