As a lesson to see that when you read the English language reports about what happens in Israel, you are only getting part of the picture, here is an example of selective reporting from today's news. Though this is from the Israeli media, I think that this can be somewhat extrapolated to the international media because many of the international reporters cannot speak the regional languages and get their information from the translated local media and newswires, which then gets passed on in their articles in the western media. There have been several instances where there are important sentences changed from the Hebrew to English version.
The Hebrew article:
http://news.msn.co.il/news/Internal/Internal/200611/20061130083203.htm
When reading the article below, keep in mind that in addition to the statements quoted here by Ramle Mayor Yoel Lavi, he made a significantly more extreme statment:
"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 fucked."
and also:
“So, have you too become the bitches of every ass-fucking Arab? What happened? Don’t you have respect for the legacy of your own people?”
Even the statements quoted in English below are pretty bad, but when understanding the depth of the reaction, it follows more logically when the extent of his statements are clear.
------------------------------------------- The english article:
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3334463,00.html
Arab MKs: Ramle mayor racist, should resign
Mayor Yoel Lavi sparks row after refusing to change street names to Arab names, noting, 'If Arabs don’t like it they can go to Jaljulia.' MK El-Sana: With such a racist outlook, there is no wonder why Ramle resident are in the situation they are in today'
Ali Waked
Arab Knesset members were furious Thursday over the remarks of Ramle Mayor Yoel Lavi, who referred to a request made by Arab residents to change the names of the streets they live in to Arab names.
According to a report published in Yedioth Ahronoth Thursday morning, Lavi said, "If they don’t like it, they should go and live in Jaljulia (an Arab village), which is an Arab name. What happened, what? Why should I change the name, because Jamal wants to change the name? He should change his Allah."
Following the remarks, Hadash Chairman MK Mohammed Barakeh demanded that the interior minister dismisses the Ramle mayor.
"These are racist, despised and dangerous remarks, which express the moral chasm he has deteriorated to," Barakeh charged.
'Arabs have always lived in Ramle'
MK Talab El-Sana (United Arab List-Ta'al) said that "with such a racist and unacceptable outlook, there is no wonder that Ramle's residents are in the situation they are in today. He is unworthy to serve as the mayor of a mixed town."
El-Sana also demanded that Lavi apologizes for his comments.
"He must remember that Arabs have always lived in Ramle, and if that bothers him, I call on him to resign," he said.
MK Rabbi Michael Melchior (Labor-Meimad) also protested the mayor's remarks.
"As a Jew who is a citizen of this state, and as chairman of the Knesset's Education and Culture Committee, I am deeply ashamed at hearing Ramle Mayor Yoel Lavi's horrible racist remarks.
"Such remarks should have no room in the State of Israel . The mayor must urgently repair the injustice caused to his residents and to all of us and apologize. The interior minister must call the mayor to order."
Lavi's remarks were made after a reporter asked for his response for the fact that Ramle's Arab residents had asked to change the street names from Zechariah, Nehemia and Bialik to Tawfiq Zayyad and Emile Habibi.