Social Gap Not So Simple

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Regarding “Jewish-Arab Social Gap Threatens Start-Up Nation” (Nov. 1): interesting subject; terrible reporting. Among the article’s various oversights: Not all Israeli Jews are alike; the haredim are as under-employed as the Arabs.

Not all Israeli Arabs are alike. I’ve seen reports that the Israeli Christian Arabs do far better economically than Israeli Muslim Arabs. Reasons: Attitudes toward educating their daughters as well as their tradition of monogamy. Druze also fall into the category of Israeli Arab, and I believe that economically they do well also. The Bedouin do present a special problem. Cut off from the Sinai, the Bedouin come from an ancient lifestyle that simply cannot be sustained.

The Israeli government is working on these problems, but they are not problems that lend themselves to quick solutions. From your article I get no sense that Israel is keenly aware of the problem. That’s not only regrettable, it’s simply wrong.

Bellmore, L.I.

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