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For Israeli Arab Teens, a Way to Serve the Country
(Christian Science Monitor) Joshua Mitnick - Six years ago, Rabah Rizik, a Christian Arab, founded the Association for Civic Equality, a civil service program akin to AmeriCorps in the U.S. that gives Israeli Arab high school graduates the opportunity to contribute to the state, just as most of their Jewish counterparts do through military service. In return for one to two years of community work, Arabs get the same benefits as noncombat conscripts, including college stipends. In April, dozens of Arab opponents demonstrated outside Rizik's home, calling him a traitor and an Israeli collaborator. Participation has doubled to 1,256 since its launch in 2008, sending recruits to work in Arab schools and hospitals. 90% of the volunteers are women.