A proposal to withhold confidence against the new Israeli Knesset was submitted due to racism against the Arab sector within Israeli boundaries.

In the Israeli Knesset there are several Palestinian members, although they are not officially allowed to be called Palestinian. A Knesset Spokeswoman said, “They are not Palestinian. They have to be citizens of Israel.” So there are Palestinians living inside the current Israeli boundaries who are considered Arab members of the Israeli Parliament.

Sheikh Abbas Zcor addressed the Knesset, both the Arabs and Jews, proposing to withhold confidence from the government due to the discriminatory policy against the center of the Arab social, educational and economic spheres. For instance, Palestinians living inside Israeli boundaries with Israeli citizenship and identification are short 5,000 classrooms. They have Israeli passports, but there official status is “non-Jew,” and funding for their schools is inadequate.

Sheikh Zcor gave a moving speech in support of a no-confidence vote against the government, but to no avail. His proposal had the support of only 10 votes, with 27 votes going in favor of the discriminatory policy against the Arab sector in budgeting.

The Sheikh pointed out several of the manifestations of discrimination before members of the Knesset, including cuts imposed by the government on the Arab sector in the state budget for 2007, continuing  cuts in funding allocated for youth and the elderly, and the increasing rate of poverty. Fifty nine percent of Palestinian children inside Israeli boundaries are impoverished. Within Israeli boundaries the death rate among Palestinian children is two and a half times that of Jewish children.

The Israeli Knesset has already moved to bar Palestinian members.