What are the minority rights in Israel?

Answer 1

• While Jews are not permitted to live (or are severely restricted) in many Arab countries, Arabs in Israel are granted full citizenship.
• Israel is one of the most open societies in the world.
• Israel is the only country in the Middle East that provides full equality for women. Women are free to drive cars (unlike Saudi Arabia), and to dress without veils or other compulsory styles. Women in Israel are protected by law from discrimination and abuse; and they participate in all walks of life, from homemaker to combat soldier to Prime Minister and Supreme Court President. Women comprise nearly 51% of all magistrate and district court judges; and more than 44% of all lawyers registered in Israel are women.
• More than 200,000 Arab children attend Israeli schools. At the time of Israel's founding, there was just one Arab high school in the country. Today, there are hundreds of Arab schools.
• Israel is the only country in the region that permits citizens of all faiths to worship freely and openly. Twenty-five percent of Israeli citizens are non-Jewish. Each religious community in Israel has the right to found its own religious schools, councils, and courts; and is given jurisdiction to preside over matters of personal status such as marriage and divorce. The holy places of each religion are controlled by officials of that faith, not by the Israeli government.
• Israel is a parliamentary democracy, with an active multi-party system representing a wide range of political views. While the United States has only two major parties, Israeli voters typically have more than a dozen parties to choose from, representing a wide variety of political views. Even relatively small parties, including those whose primary support is among Israeli Arabs, regularly win seats in the Knesset. Arabs are granted full citizenship and have the right to vote in Israel. Arabs are also free to become members of the Israeli parliament (the Knesset). In fact, several Arabs have been democratically elected to the Knesset and have been serving there for years. Israel is also one of the few places in the Middle East where Arab women may vote.
• All the freedoms and liberties that Americans have from their Bill of Rights and constitution, are equally protected in Israel. Israelis enjoy freedom of religion, freedom of speech and press, freedom of assembly, and the right to protest and to petition the government. Many major news outlets from around the world (including the BBC, CNN and Fox News) station their Middle East bureaus and correspondents in Israel. One reason is because Israel is so well-known for its genuine freedom of speech and the press.
• Government-owned land can be leased by anyone, regardless of race, religion or gender. Arab citizens of Israel, like everyone else, are eligible to lease government land.
• Israeli law prohibits discrimination by both government and non-government entities on the basis of race, religion, lifestyle, political beliefs, or age.