JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel appointed its first Muslim cabinet minister on Sunday, a step he said would help its Arab citizens identify more strongly with the Jewish state.
"The first step has been taken and this has given Israeli Arabs a feeling of belonging," Galeb Magadla told Army Radio after the cabinet ratified his appointment as a minister without portfolio.
Arabs make up about 20 percent of Israel's population and have long complained of being treated like second-class citizens and about a paucity of government funds for their towns and villages.
Israeli officials have denied any policy of discrimination against the country's Arab citizens, saying they enjoyed more political freedom in Israel than in anywhere in the Muslim world and had a strong representation in parliament.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070128/wl_nm/israel_minister_dc_4
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