Yoel Lavi, the Mayor of Ramle with Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert. Lavi, who has a long history of racist statments and actions against Palestinian citizens of Israel, was named to the position of Director of the Israel Land Administration (ILA).
On 10 March 2008, human rights and social change organizations sent an urgent letter to Prime
Minister Ehud Olmert, the Minister of Construction and Housing Ze’ev
Boim and the Attorney General Menachem Mazuz demanding the cancellation
of the candidacy of Yoel Lavi to the position of Director of the Israel
Land Administration (ILA) on the grounds that, as the mayor of the
mixed Arab-Jewish city of Ramle for the last fifteen years, he has made
racist statements on numerous occasions against Arab citizens of
Israel. Lavi’s statements and racist opinions against Arabs have been
met with protests, and the Hebrew and Arabic-language press have
published articles and reports condemning his statements and declaring
a lack of trust in him.
The organizations, which include Shatil’s mixed cities
project, al-Dar, Adalah, The Association for Distributive Justice, and
the Association for Civil Rights in Israel, argued that Lavi’s
nomination as Director of the ILA is irrational and illogical and
listed the problems associated with his nomination. The ILA is a
governmental body, established under the law. Among its various
responsibilities it the management of what are known as “state lands”,
with honesty, integrity and sincerity, while abiding to the principle
of just distribution.
As the organizations argued, “Yoel Lavi’s opinions are
without any doubt racist and hostile towards Arab citizens in general
and the Arab residents of Ramle in particular. We question Lavi’s
ability to direct the ILA and to carry the burden of trust invested in
the person who directs one of the most important and influential bodies
in Israel.”
One of the most notorious racist remarks made recently by
Lavi in 2006 came in response to a request made by an Arab citizens’
group in Ramle to change the names of some city streets that now have
Hebrew or Jewish names to Arabic names. When asked about the request,
Lavi reportedly told reporter Ron Feinreich of the Ayalon newspaper,
“Why should I change the name, because Jamal wants to change the name?
Because Ahmad wants to change the name? He should change his god. They
all should go get [expletive deleted]. ... If Arabs don’t like it, they
can go to Jaljulia.”
Mr. Lavi ran and was elected mayor of Ramle as a member
of the Likud political party and in March 2006 he switched his
affiliation and became a member of Kadima. He is clearly a political
figure, whose opinions and party affiliations are not conducive or
appropriate for a position that requires dealing with requests and
applications from the public.
The organizations further argued that the logic governing
democratic and sound governance dictates the appointment of a person
who possesses the ability to avoid and avert problems arising from
discriminatory and arbitrary policies. “The person who holds this
position must be decent, professional and neutral (i.e., not aligned
with a political party), as a person without these characteristics will
be unable to obtain the trust of citizens. Therefore, the appointment
of Yoel Lavi to this position, given that the issue of land lies at the
heart of the Arab-Israeli conflict, contradicts common sense, and the
principle of democratic and sound governance.”
To read the original Hebrew letter, click here.
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