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Israeli PM urges Arab Israelis to fully integrate into society

Xinhua, July 26, 2016 Adjust font size:

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday urged Arab Israelis to fully integrate into and take a bigger part of the Israeli society.

In a video statement released in both Hebrew and English by his office, Netanyahu called on Arab Israelis to flourish in Israeli society, and apologized for a controversial comment he made on Arab Israelis 18 months ago.

"Today I am asking Arab citizens in Israel to take part in our society, in droves. Work in droves, study in droves, thrive in droves," Netanyahu said.

The word "droves" refers to a controversial statement, perceived as racist both in Israel and abroad, towards Arab Israelis.

Just a few hours before polling stations were to close across Israel on the March 2015 elections, Netanyahu told his supporters in a video statement to go vote, as Arab Israelis are being bussed "in droves" by left-wing organizations in order to topple his government.

Netanyahu on Monday said his words were misconstrued as he was "referring to a specific political party" and apologized for how his comments were understood and for offending Arab Israelis.

The Israeli prime minister also apologized for the comments a week after the elections, amid criticism by the U.S. administration.

In his statement on Monday Netanyahu addressed the big gaps that exist between Jews and Arabs in the Israeli society, listing the government and parliament's actions in providing more resources to the Arab Israeli community, and vowing to keep enhancing state support.

Arab Israelis are Palestinians who stayed in Israel after the 1948 War and became Israeli citizens, constituting 20 percent of the population.

According to the Ha'aretz daily, the video is part of a campaign Netanyahu is spearheading in order to showcase a more liberal image of Israel, in an attempt to reach liberal and progressive Jewish communities throughout the world, specifically in the United States.

The international community leveled increasing criticism against Netanyahu and his right-wing government in the past year, as it advanced legislation allegedly targeting left-wing organizations as well as Arab-Israeli lawmakers.

The daily noted another video released by Netanyahu last week, lauding the LGBT community in Israel amid the Pride Parade celebrations in Jerusalem on Thursday, is part of the same campaign. Endit