The Israeli cabinet yesterday approved with a large majority the appointment of lawmaker Raleb Majadele from the left-wing Labor Party who thus becomes the first Arab minister in Israel's history. The appointment drew mixed reaction among Israeli nationals.

Majadele will receive his portfolio on the weekend, which will be determined by Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert today after the Knesset (Parliament) approved the appointment, according to local media.

Most Knesset members (MK) from the Labor Party applauded Majadele's entry into the Israeli government's top echelon, hailing it as a historic step towards full integration and equality of the Arab population.

Some Labor Party leaders see Majadele's inclusion in the cabinet as balancing that of Avigdor Lieberman, leader of right-wing Yisrael Beiteinu whose policies include redrawing Israel's border to exclude most of the country's Arab population.

Naturally, Lieberman stood against Majadele's appointment, but he rejected the allegation of racism.

He and other members of his party have criticized this nomination by Labor Party Chairman Amir Peretz.

Peretz, who has seen his approval ratings plummet since last summer's unsuccessful war in Lebanon, has been criticized for using the nomination to rally flagging support among Israeli-Arab citizens ahead of the May party elections.

In spite of Majadele's unprecedented appointment, it seemed a thankless effort to please Israeli-Arab lawmakers, who rejected it as unhelpful to Israeli-Arab interests, claiming it only assuage criticisms of Israel's discriminatory policies against its Arab minority.

Representatives from the Arab bloc in the parliament, including the far left-wing Hadash Party and the United Arab List that groups Ra'am-Ta'al and Balad parties expressed a lack of confidence in the government and the appointment.

The nomination even drew fire from inside Majadele's own Labor Party. Druse members protested against the neglect of its position, arguing that they were passed over for the ministerial post, although Druse, unlike most Muslim and Christian Arabs, identify with Israel and serve in the armed forces.

Moreover, Majadele's appointment remains a controversial issue in Israeli public.

Some Israelis expressed their satisfaction with it by saying that "it should have been done years ago." "Israel Arabs are citizens of Israel. They should have same rights and same obligations. The more they participate in the work of government, the better they will be integrated into Israel society," an Israeli wrote on the Internet.

However, some Israelis seemed indignant with the news, saying that "no one who did no serve in the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) should sit in the Knesset or be in the government."

Arab citizens comprise 20 percent of Israel's 7 million population. However, they lag behind Israel's Jewish population in various aspects of life, such as income, education and standard of living, and have consistently lacked representation at the highest levels. Israel's 120-seat parliament, or Knesset, includes only 13 Arab members.

(Xinhua News Agency January 29, 2007)