Ayalon suggested that Israel would trade the concentration of Israeli Arab towns and villages in the north known as “the triangle” in exchange for Israeli settlement blocs in the West Bank. He added, however, that the swap would not include cities such as Nazareth.
Ayalon said such an exchange would maintain territorial integrity and demographics in both Israel and a Palestinian state.
MK Ahmad Tibi dismissed Ayalon’s remarks, saying that the deputy FM and his boss, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, “have a basic flaw in understanding the fundamental values of democracy and civil rights.”
“We are not chess pawns. We did not arrive in the country on planes and we did not immigrate here,” Tibi said. “We do not wish to expel anyone…but if someone wishes to expel us, I’ll say this: Whoever got here last will be leaving first. That way, there will be fewer fascists in Israel.”
Hadash’s Chairman, MK Mohammad Barakeh, also slammed Ayalon’s remarks, suggesting that both him and Lieberman move to France and replace ultranationalist leader Jean-Marie Le Pen.
“The French Le Pen is in ill health, and therefore he cannot keep on leading the fascists there,” he said. “Perhaps it would be better for them to move there in order to continue his way.”
Barakeh added that Israel’s Arabs are residing on their land legally.
“We did not immigrate from anywhere. This land is ours,” he said. “To my regret, most of this land had been robbed over the course of dozens of years. We are no settlers and there is no room for comparison between us and the thieving settlers in the West Bank, including in Jerusalem.”
“Ayalon’s words are yet another chapter in Liebermanism’s new book of racism,” he concluded.
That from THIS YNet report
Ahmad Abumaraq said,
February 14, 2010 at 21:27
Unfortunately for Jews Christians and Moslems, warmongers are the outspoken and they want misery and suffering for all.When the real ,honest , peace and justice loving folks of the three denomination,want to live together in harmony and coexistance .Then the Holyland will be blessed.Ban all fanatics: zionests,crusaders and followers of Tahrir Party and the Moslem Brotherhood and their elks.Peace with harmony in a TRUE and DEMOCRATIC HOLYLAND STATE OF ISRAEL,PALESTINE AND JORDAN be established forever.