Last week, we posted about an April 17th Financial Times article (pay wall) which was full of smears and inaccuracies about the rights of Israel’s Arab citizens – and, in fact, peddled a lie in the very headline:
There was nothing in the article to back up the apartheid-related smear of a “segregated” Israel, save one quote by an Arab doctor falsely claiming that Arab citizens are barred from certain professions – a lie that wasn’t challenged by the journalist.
We complained to editors, who refused to correct most of the misleading claims, but did agree to revise the headline, removing the word “segregated” and replacing it with the unproblematic word “divided”.
An addendum at the bottom of the article noting the change was added.
Additionally, editors published the following letter, refuting the charges in the article:
Letter: Arabs are not barred from any profession in Israel From Dalya Horowitz, Skokie, IL, US
I read with interest your report “Arab medics dominate Israel’s frontline fight” (April 18), speaking of a segregated Israel. If Israel is segregated, why are Arab doctors treating Jewish patients and why are Jewish doctors treating Arab patients? You only have to walk around Tel Aviv or any large city in Israel to see that there is no segregation. Arabs may choose to live in areas where there are mostly Arabs, but so will Jews from America tend to live in neighbourhoods that have a majority of Americans or English-speaking people. Your report itself denies that segregation is happening.
Not only are Arabs allowed in any profession they chose to pursue, but Arabs are allowed in the Israel Defense Forces and indeed many do join now.
I would also like to point out that Arabs are not barred from any profession in Israel and what Jameel Mohsen says is completely untrue. If Israel was going to bar Arabs from jobs, don’t you think being a doctor would be one of the first? Again, walk the streets and stop into shops and you will see Arabs in many different kinds of jobs. I also object to the fact that the readers of your newspaper were never informed that Osama Tanous is very active in an anti-Israel NGO — Al-Shabaka — so from the beginning we know he will never say anything complimentary to Israel and, in fact, will try to hurt Israel with lies.
About your claim that no Arab majority cities have had major outbreaks of COVID-19: it is simply not true. The community of Deir al-Asad is the second most infected city in Israel.
You are an influential newspaper and as such you should seek the truth wherever it takes you. All Israel asks is a fair and honest telling of the facts. That you have not done at all.
Dalya Horowitz Skokie, IL, US
Read our full analysis of the egregiously misleading Financial Times article here.
