PAJU (Palestinian and Jewish Unity) # 480, April 23, 2010
Three years ago an Israeli Jewish couple, Natalie and Weisman Zakai, offered to rent their home to their Israeli Bedouin friends Ahmed and Khalas Tarabin. The Tarabins could not afford to buy a new house. They were living with relatives because their house had burnt down in early 2007, killing one of their children.
Ever since the rental offer became known to their neighbours, the Zakais’ lives have become a living hell. Three of their six dogs have been mysteriously poisoned. Their car has been spray painted with the words “Arab lover” and the windows smashed. Their three children are regularly taunted and bullied by other pupils at school. A collection of vintage cars in the family’s yard has been set on fire. The Zakais have spent three years and thousands of dollars battling through the courts in their community of Nevatim (Negev desert) to get the right to rent their house to the Tarabins. It has all been in vain.
Jews and Arabs have few chances to live together in Israel, except in a handful of cities. It is nearly impossible to do so in Israel’s rural communities, which are strictly segregated, according to Alaa Mahajneh, a lawyer representing the Zakais.
In 2008 a district court judge in Beersheva overruled a decision by the community of Nevatim to prevent the rental to the Tarabins. However, on March 10, 2010 judges on Israel’s Supreme Court upheld Nevatim’s right to discriminate.
Mr Tarabin, 54, said: “I want my wife Khalas to rest and heal and this place would have been perfect for her. The house has large grounds and we could have kept to ourselves. No one in Nevatim needs to have anything to do with us if they don’t want.”
Having come to the end of her fight for justice, Mrs Zakai stated, “Although I have always loved Israel, to see the depth of the racism of our neighbours has made me question why we live in this country”.
Adapted from the article “Israel’s ‘No Renting to Arabs’ Policy”, written by Jonathan Cook and published on line by “Counterpunch” on March 23, 2010.
See: http://www.counterpunch.org/cook03232010.html
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