- Israeli security officials have been told to stop making
Arab construction workers at the Knesset wear distinctive identifying marks
on their hard hats.
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- Israeli parliamentary speaker Reuven Rivlin, ordered
an end to the controversial policy.
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- The Arab builders had been made to wear helmets with
red crosses on top so they were identifiable to marksmen guarding parliament,
the daily Maariv reported.
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- The practice outraged local politicians and human rights
groups.
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- "Even though Israel is dealing with various security
issues... it must not use any signs that are liable to be interpreted as
distinguishing people on the basis of race, nationality or religion,"
Mr Rivlin said in a statement.
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- Of the 200 or so labourers employed to build a new wing
at the Israeli parliament building, 25 are Israeli Arabs.
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- Security checks
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- Knesset spokesman Giora Pordes said only Arab workers
who had not yet completed the lengthy security checks wore marked helmets.
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- Arabs who had been cleared wore plain helmets, he said.
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- The markings enabled the Arab labourers to start work
immediately, rather than wait the three to four months before checks are
completed, he added.
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- But the practice sparked outrage.
-
- The Israeli office of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL)
- founded to combat anti-Semitism - described it as discriminatory and
ironic.
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- "While it is understandable that all workers at
sensitive sites such as the Knesset have full and thorough security checks,
it is both discriminatory and insensitive to visibly mark certain individuals
based on race, religion or nationality, regardless of security concerns,"
it said in a statement.
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- Ahmed Tibi, an Arab legislator, told Reuters news agency
it was symptomatic of a "virus of racism" that has infected Israeli
society.
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- © BBC MMIV
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- http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3548601.stm
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