TEL AVIV, March 9: Israel's parliament (Knesset) ordered red paint daubed on the hard hats of Israeli Arabs building its new annex to mark them as potential security risks, drawing charges of racism from Arab lawmakers.

Parliamentary speaker Reuven Rivlin ordered the practice stopped on Tuesday after the outcry. "I am not of the generation of Holocaust victims...nonetheless, I am very sensitive to any tagging," Mr Rivlin told Israel Radio, alluding to the yellow Stars of David that Nazis forced Jews to wear during World War Two.

Ahmed Tibi, a legislator from the Israeli Arab Ta-al party, said he had complained to Mr Rivlin about "the outrageous action" of "racial discrimination" in parliament "which should be based on democracy and equality".

Parliamentary spokesman Giora Pardes said some 25 Israeli Arabs hired by a contractor building the annex were allowed to begin work before a stringent security check, which takes up to four months, was completed.

The Knesset security officer permitted them to start work on condition the contractor marked their hard hats for easy identification by parliament guards. Mr Pardes said all workers at parliament must go through similar checks. But Mr Tibi said the decision to mark the helmets was symptomatic of a "virus of racism" that has infected Israeli society.

Arabs make up some 20 per cent of the population of the Jewish state and have long complained about discrimination in housing, education and job opportunities. -Reuters