Visiting Speaker: Dr As'ad Ghanem - The Plight of the Palestinian Minority in Israel

Over the last few years, the Palestinian-Arab minority in Israel has been the primary target of a mounting campaign of repression and incitement, especially in the last decade following the re-election to Natanyahu. While initially spearheaded by the Israeli government, this campaign is increasingly making significant inroads into the legal and public spheres. The trend is most obvious in the realm of legislation. Basic principles of democracy – including the democratic process itself – are being subverted and can no longer be taken for granted. Elements of freedom of expression, a system of checks and balances in government, and the independence of the judiciary have all been weakened. The Arab minority has been repeatedly forced to defend its legitimacy, status, freedom of political activity and basic citizenship rights.