Israel's legal 'abuse' of Arab minority is undemocratic

• Published 03:38 23.01.12
• Latest update 03:38 23.01.12

The call for international public opinion to raise its voice completes the struggle of the democratic forces here. This will make it clear to all that the right-wing establishment in Israel has crossed a line in the direction of apartheid.

By Oudeh Basharat

It is difficult to compare the democratic State of Israel to a dark dictatorship. Nevertheless, they have one thing in common: People don't sleep well at night under either regime.

In dictatorships, they fear a revolution on the part of the majority, and in Israeli democracy they do not stop studying the graphs of the birth rate among Arabs, in case the demographic balance is upset.

And there is another commonality: Both groups of the population are oppressed. In a dark dictatorship, the minority oppresses the majority while in Israel, the regime which is supported by an ethnic majority that oppresses the minority. 

For 63 years, Israel has not stopped abusing its perfectly pleasant minority, and all of this is completely legal. Every dunam that has been expropriated was approved in the Knesset, every house that was destroyed was sanctified by a court. Local governments in Arab areas are discriminated against in their budgets on the basis of ministerial procedure. All of this is able to take place because the representatives of the ethnic majority are in control in the Knesset, the government offices, the economic institutions and the legal system.


Thus, and also as a result of the demographic phobia, another chapter was written this month in the attempt to harass the minority. The Citizenship Law prohibits Palestinians from living with their Israeli spouses within Israel proper. So, in the guise of an innocent "regulation," women are separated from their husbands and children from their parents, and their lives are turned into an ongoing nightmare.

In the enlightened world, a regulation of this sort would have been thrown out immediately. In Israel it gets the blessing of the Supreme Court of the ethnic majority. The Supreme Court, which is supposed to be the court of last resort for the downtrodden, has left the Arabs without succor. And the Arabs who have learned from their long years of suffering, say: "If your judges deprive you, then to whom can you complain?"

To whom will the Arab citizens complain when the liberal flank - Yair Lapid, Tzipi Livni and Shelly Yachimovich - do not say a word in the face of this injustice, while the right-wing jumps for joy at the suffering of the Arabs?

Meanwhile, the children want to grow up. They cannot wait until the weather is fair. And with the intoxicating smell of the Arab Spring, another arena for struggle is growing - the international arena, with all its institutions. But a hypocritical cry will issue forth from the majority, as if the Arabs are undermining the country's right to existence. No, the Arabs are merely complaining about the right of the majority to abuse them.

No regime has the right to oppress part of its residents, whether it is a corrupt dictatorship or a blooming democracy. But like an abusive husband who forbids his wife to go to the police because one does not air dirty laundry in public, so Israel would like its Arab citizens to behave. Let the laundry smell inside.

And there are people who hope that the minority will move to another apartment because of the smell. The ones who are invited to move to another apartment are those who are disturbed by the crying of a newborn baby, whether it is Arab or Jewish. An Arab baby that is born is not the product of a conspiracy. An Arab baby, like a Jewish baby, is a blessing.

It is important to note that the expression "ethnic majority" is a rough generalization, since many Jews are courageous partners to the struggle against racism. The call for international public opinion to raise its voice completes the struggle of the democratic forces here. This will make it clear to all that the right-wing establishment in Israel has crossed a line in the direction of apartheid.

When Menachem Begin was prime minister, there were intellectuals who pinned their hopes, in vain, on the American administration restraining him. Like then, we cannot wait for salvation to come from the White House. Only the enlightened public opinion of the world can help. And that is for the benefit of the entire family, including those members who on the face of it are not deprived.

Karl Marx said that a people which oppresses another people cannot be free. This is also for the benefit of the ethnic majority which is entitled once and for all to sleep well, without nightmares about demography, and which is entitled to be a people that is free from abusing Arabs.


http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/opinion/israel-s-legal-abuse-of-arab-minority-is-undemocratic-1.408727

Palestinians in a 'Jewish state'

Palestinians living in Israel face institutionalised discrimination and segregation in a supposedly democratic state. Last Modified: 27 Dec 2011 09:39 Palestinians who live in Israel, not in the West Bank or Gaza Strip, face daily discrimination [GALLO/GETTY] Israel's crimes in the occupied Palestinian territories - like the settlements, the killing of civilians and the demolition of homes - are openly condemned in the West by human rights groups and others like never before. But as the peace process remains stuck, and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu forces the issue of Israel as a "Jewish state" into the spotlight, understanding the situation of Palestinian citizens of Israel has become crucial to grasping the core of the entire conflict.  So-called "Israeli Arabs" have got it better than most Palestinians, who are either under military rule or forcibly excluded from their homeland. But the institutional discrimination they have faced since 1948 goes to the heart of the contradiction that Israel is "Jewish and democratic". Many people will concede that the military occupation of non-citizens for over 40 years is undemocratic. Yet, inside the pre-1967 borders, Israel is far from the "liberal democracy" central to the propaganda, in areas like land, planning, housing, immigration and state budgets. Rhetoric and policies associated with the far-right in Europe - like an obsession with "demographics" and birth rates, or boosting one kind of population in a given area to counterbalance an "undesirable" minority - are mainstream in Israeli politics. In my new book, Palestinians in Israel: Segregation, Discrimination and Democracy, I unpack some of the core elements of how Israel's Palestinian citizens have been treated since 1948. One aspect is the area of nationality and citizenship rights, as this short extract explains: A poorly understood aspect of Israel as a Jewish state is the distinction between "citizenship" and "nationality", an issue confused by the fact that, in English, the two terms can often be used interchangeably. In Israel, "'nationality' (Hebrew: le'um) and 'citizenship' (Hebrew: ezrahut) are two separate, distinct statuses, conveying different rights and responsibilities". Palestinians in Israel, as non-Jews, can be citizens, but never nationals, and are thus denied "rights and privileges" enjoyed by those "who would qualify for Israeli citizenship under the 1950 Law of Return". Professor David Kretzmer, law scholar at Hebrew University and member of the International Commission of Jurists, has explained how this concept of "nation" helps maintain "the distinction between citizens of the state who belong to the Jewish people and those who do not... [and] strengthens the dichotomy between the state as the political framework for all its citizens and the state as the particularistic nation-state of the Jewish people". International human rights expert Miloon Kothari, who served as UN Special Rapporteur on adequate housing for eight years, summed it up thus: Nationality status in Israel is not linked to origin from, or residence in a territory, as is the norm in international law. Rather, the basic theocratic character of the Israeli legal system establishes ethnic criteria as the grounds for the enjoyment of full rights. The Israeli Citizenship Law (ezrahut), officially mistranslated as 'Nationality Law', establishes a civil status distinct from 'Jewish nationality'. The difference between "citizenship" and "nationality" has been affirmed by Israeli courts. One such example is related by Bernard Avishai, in his book The Hebrew Republic, when in the early 1970s, a Jewish Israeli called George Tamarin petitioned the High Court to change the official registration of his nationality from Jewish to Israeli. Avishai records the High Court's ruling: that "there is no Israeli nation separate from the Jewish nation", an assessment complemented by the then-president of the High Court Shimon Agranat, who said that a uniform Israeli nationality "would negate the very foundation upon which the State of Israel was formed". In 2008, a group of petitioners again unsuccessfully requested for their nationality to be marked "Israeli", claiming, "that it made no sense for them to be Jews 'for internal consumption' and Israelis 'for external consumption"'. A 'Jewish' state While this use of "nationality" as a means of privileging Jewish citizens at the expense of Palestinians is long-standing in Israel, in recent times there has been a further assault on the minority's citizenship rights. In 2003, the "temporary" Nationality and Entry into Israel Law was passed by the Knesset, and at the time of writing, has been renewed ever since. This law "prohibits the granting of any residency or citizenship status to Palestinians from the 1967 Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs) who are married to Israeli citizens" (amended in 2007 to include citizens of "enemy states" Iran, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon). In a press release at the time, the Head of the Delegation of the European Commission to the State of Israel described the law as establishing "a discriminatory regime to the detriment of Palestinians in the highly sensitive area of family rights". In 2008, Adalah, the Legal Centre for Arab Minority Rights in Israel, commented: "It should be emphasised that no other state in the world denies the right to conduct a family life on the basis of national or ethnic belonging." The public justification for this law was that it aimed to prevent Palestinians using "family unification" as a means of gaining entry to Israel and committing terrorist attacks. Yet the "security" rationale was flimsy: as the Legal Advisor to the Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) pointed out, Israel's security services had "previously approved the entry of 20,000 Palestinian workers into Israel", showing it was entirely possible to "assess the extent of the 'danger' posed by Palestinian residents". But the "security" excuse is further undermined by remarks made by Israeli officials themselves, such as Gideon Ezra, then minister without portfolio and ex-deputy head of the Shin Bet, who affirmed that "the state of Israel is not prepared to accept a creeping right of return; no one wants our state to cease to be a Jewish state". In April 2005, the Israeli press reported that the government was "planning legislative amendments that will make it more difficult for non-Jews to receive Israeli citizenship or permanent resident status in Israel", a move "aimed against granting legal status to Palestinians and other foreigners who have married Israeli citizens". This legislation - "based on the demographic consideration of ensuring a solid Jewish majority" - was linked in the reports to the 2003 "temporary" measure, and quoted then Prime Minister Ariel Sharon as unashamedly admitting: "There is no need to hide behind security arguments. There is a need for the existence of a Jewish state". Ha'aretz observed that there is "broad agreement in the government and academia" that any such policies "must be strict and make it difficult for non-Jews to obtain citizenship in Israel". Finally, this was also part of the context for the successfully-passed "loyalty oath" initiative, which obliges non-Jewish candidates for citizenship to swear loyalty to a Jewish state. In July 2010, a government source said "the wording of the declaration was designed to make it more difficult for Palestinians married to Israeli Arabs to gain citizenship on the basis of family unification". Ben White is a freelance writer, specialising in Palestine and Israel. To purchase Palestinians in Israel: Segregation, Discrimination and Democracy click here.

http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2011/12/201112258544842602.html

Religious extremists threaten democracy in Israel

 Published 01:50 28.12.11 Latest update 01:50 28.12.11

Israel must develop a policy enabling police, state prosecution and the courts to apply the law to deal with the rioters and their spiritual leaders, who encourage them to run wild.

Haaretz Editorial


The violent incidents in Beit Shemesh this week, beginning with little Na'ama Margolese, who was spat on and cursed on her way home from school, and followed by an attack on television crews that had come to cover the news, should set off major alarm bells. The public at large has sensed the danger and Tuesday evening they came to Beit Shemesh in large numbers to demonstrate against this extremist violence and against the ominous threat that it represents. The demonstration is welcome and is evidence of civic involvement and concern and the need to protect society from those who come to destroy it. Even so, it should be remembered that Beit Shemesh is an extreme case, that the hard core among the rioters represents a problematic exception and that most of the ultra-Orthodox population decries this extremism and has itself suffered greatly from it.

The Israeli experience teaches that sweeping hatred of the ultra-Orthodox is the easy way out for every populist, whether in politics or in the media. This hatred could have ruinous consequences. In the best case, it could only strengthen ultra-Orthodox isolationism. In the worse case, it could intensify the violence.


The rioters in Beit Shemesh are criminals in every sense of the word. They cannot hide behind their religious worldview, behind their rabbis' rulings on matters of halakha, Jewish religious law. Nor can they hide behind the argument (which in and of itself is correct ) that government authorities have preferred to ignore the growing lawlessness in this increasingly ultra-Orthodox city and have allowed a reactionary group to terrorize the city's residents and turn them into defenseless hostages.

As a result, it is the government's task, in the words of the Hanukkah song, to dispel the darkness and make it clear to the extremists that Israel is a country of law, and that the overwhelming majority of Israelis do not want to live in a backward country governed by halakha. Instead they prefer to live as law-abiding citizens in a free, open and enlightened society.

The government must develop a firm and unambiguous policy that will enable the police, the state prosecution and the courts to apply the law to deal with the rioters as well as their spiritual leaders, who encourage and incite them to run wild. These people are endangering the well-being of the public in whose midst they are living and are threatening to undermine democracy and Israeli society as a whole.
 
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/opinion/religious-extremists-threaten-democracy-in-israel-1.404009

“Israel has never been so ugly”

by Alan Hart on December 18, 2011

221Share

2
inShare

1digg

email

print

Ari Shavit

I often say that critics of Israel and America's unconditional support for it are wrong to call the monster that has Congress by the testicles the "Israel lobby". That description of it implies that it speaks for all Israelis. It does not and in Ha'aretz recently there was a remarkably good analysis of what's happening in Israel which illustrates, proves, my point. Its author is Ari Shavit, a senior correspondent and member of the newspaper's editorial board. The headline over his piece is the one above.


I am now going to quote the article in full (with my emphasis added) and conclude with a comment or two.

"We have never been so ugly. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanayhu seeks to silence the call to prayer over the loudspeakers of the country's mosques, and to shut down Channel 10 television. Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman expresses support for the Russian 'democtator' who has just rigged elections. Defense Minister Ehud Barak stands by while Jewish settlers victimize Palestinians and ultra-Orthodox religious nationalists victimize female soldiers.

Justice Minister Yaakov Neeman is trying to turn the Supreme Court into other one of his subsidiaries. Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein is working to prevent the media from reporting on investigations against public figures. Deputy Health Minister Yaakov Litzman excludes women from participation in an official award ceremony.

Coalition chairman Zeev Elkin undermines and neuters civil society. Religious fanatics exclude women, tyrannize secular citizens and spit at priests. Jewish terrorists burn Muslim houses of worship, invade Israel Defense Force bases and attack soldiers.

We see what we would never believe with our own eyes. Darkness at noon, a dark Israel snuffing out an enlightened Israel. There have been dark moments in the past. The 1956 killing of Israeli Arabs at Kafr Qasem, the 1982 massacres by Israeli allies in Lebanon at Sabra and Chatila, the 1994 Hebron massacre by Baruch Goldstein. There have also been prior attempts at silencing the press, publications such as Kol Ha'am, Haolam Hazeh and Hadashot.

There have been assaults on the judicial system. Former Justice Minister Daniel Friedmann, and Daniel Friedmann and Daniel Friedmann. Time after time there have been assaults by the secular right and the religious right on the principles of liberalism and on liberal institutions, but there has never been an all-out, multi-pronged and multi-dimensional attack on the core values of the Jewish democratic state.

There has never been such a comprehensive attempt to remake the face of Israel and to replace it with something else. Under Netanyahu and Lieberman's leadership, Israel been turned into a country with the values of Newt Gingrich and the look of Vladimir Putin. What's happening here? And why now exactly? Why are anti-democratic forces at work now to run roughshod over human rights and human dignity and freedom? Why are the Jewish nationalists and ultra-Orthodox fanatics, along with Russian statism, bursting forth now all at the same time?

The answer is Netanyahu. In the past he was conservative, cautious and democratic. With American Jewish leader Ron Lauder at his side and popular historian Paul Johnson in his hand, Netanyahu sought to turn Israel into a strong free-market country sharing the values of Republican America.

As a result, the first time around as prime minister he governed like a democrat and lost like a democrat. And when the left wing tripped him up and got him out of office, he was subdued and a gentleman about it. Just as the Republican Party has changed over the past decade, so too has Netanyahu. The follower of Ronald Reagan has become a Tea Partier. With Sheldon Adelson at his side and Avigdor Lieberman tying his hands, the second iteration of Netanyahu is an aggressive ruler.

He is not guided by the rules of the game, but by the desire to gain a position of strength. It is not protecting democracy that is uppermost in his mind but retaining power. He is therefore not interested or capable of demonstrating moral leadership. Netanyahu is letting his Rottweilers devour liberal democracy while he himself stands by watching. He is not fulfilling his role as the guardian of the Israeli Declaration of Independence.

Netanyahu's weak leadership and moral laxity are what unleashed this frenzy. The fact that he has not put a stop to the dark forces that have always oozed from our depths is what brought us to this situation, but it is not yet too late. Netanyahu can put a stop to this insanity in an instant. All he has to do is halt the totalitarian legislation and to deliver one major address extolling enlightened democracy and human rights.

He must make it clear that violence will not be tolerated, that women are equal. Arabs are equal and every human being is created in God's image. If the super-leader of the right wing would order the lunatic fringe on the right to stop, they would. If the leader of the State of Israel would say that liberty and equality and law and freedom of expression are the beating heart of the state, so it would be.

Not a single party would quit the government coalition. Not a single minister would quit the cabinet. But the young people who are called upon to defend this place would know what they are protecting. And the older generation who built this place would know what they built. The face in the mirror would again be our face."

If the Gentile me or any non-Jewish critic of Israel had written such things, I and they would have been smeared by Zionism's propaganda machine as a rabid Jew hater.

Ha'aretz reflects all Israeli points of view and prejudices but it my opinion it is second to none in the newspaper world for the honesty and integrity of its reporting about what is happening in the Zionist state and why. I sometimes wonder how different the situation might have been today if over the years Ha'aretz had been required daily reading for every occupant of the White House and every member of Congress.

If I was a very wealthy Arab I would create a foundation to make that happen.

* Alan Hart is a former ITN and BBC Panorama foreign correspondent who covered wars and conflicts wherever they were taking place in the world and specialized in the Middle East. Author of Zionism: The Real Enemy of the Jews. He blogs on www.alanhart.net and tweets on www.twitter.com/alanauthor

http://sabbah.biz/mt/archives/2011/12/18/israel-has-never-been-so-ugly/

Government ministers react sharply to Clinton's criticism of Israeli democracy

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Saturday lamented Knesset attempts to restrict left-wing groups and expressed concern over the status of Israeli women.

By Barak Ravid


Several Israeli government ministers on Sunday sharply responded to U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton over her critical comments on the status of women in Israel and Knesset bills that would restrict left-wing organizations.

Speaking to a closed forum in Washington on Saturday, Clinton criticized recent legislative attempts in Israel to restrict left-wing organizations and expressed shock over growing discrimination against Israeli women. She mentioned cases of IDF soldiers leaving during performances of female singers and the fact that females sit in the back of buses in certain places in Israel. Clinton said that some of these phenomena reminded her of Iran.

	U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
	Photo by: AFP

Finance Minister Yuval Steinitz said Clinton's comments were "completely exaggerated".

"Israeli democracy is alive, liberal and breathing," Steinitz said at the weekly cabinet meeting on Sunday. "I don’t know many better democracies in the world. It is of course necessary to fix things sometimes. The matter of excluding and segregating women is completely unacceptable and needs to be put to a stop, but there is a great distance between this and the argument that there is a threat to Israeli democracy."

Environmental Protection Minister Gilad Erdan said that elected officials should concentrate on what is happening in their own countries. He added, however, that he shared the concern over the dignity of women. He said that the government should take steps to demonstrate its commitment to equality between men and women.

Interior Minister Eli Yishai said that the Knesset passes laws after thorough checks.
"Israel is the only democratic country in the Middle East," Yishai said. "I assume that everything done here will be done within the law and I am not concerned by that."


http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/government-ministers-react-sharply-to-clinton-s-criticism-of-israeli-democracy-1.399450

Israel is becoming a bullying and violent place

Published 02:35 24.11.11 Latest update 02:35 24.11.11

Without universality, rules of the game and understanding of liberal democracy, Israel is becoming a bullying and violent place.

By Ari Shavit

It's depressing. About two years ago MK Marina Solodkin (Kadima ) proposed banning any national newspaper whose owner was not an Israeli citizen. Although there were certain similarities between Solodkin's bill and the one by MK Ofir Akunis (Likud ) on foreign funding for political NGOs, hers was much harsher. If Solodkin's bill had passed, it would have shut down a newspaper with a large circulation (Israel Hayom ), dealt a fatal blow to the freedom of expression and caused the dismissal of dozens of journalists. 

The law would also have left Israel's center-right majority without a strong medium to voice its opinions. Yet, although Solodkin's proposal was clearly antidemocratic, dozens of Knesset members from the center and left supported it. So did many journalists. No protest rallies were held in the Cinemateque. Silencing us is grievous, but silencing them is just fine. Because there is no universality in Israel, no rules of the game and no deep understanding of liberal democracy. 

It's depressing. This week the Knesset passed on first reading a bill sponsored by MKs Yariv Levin (Likud ) and Meir Sheetrit (Kadima ) designed to make it harder for journalists to publish in-depth investigative reports. Although the legislation emasculates the media and prevents the free flow of information, the prime minister and defense minister supported it. They raised their hands to gag mouths, silence the truth and build a criticism-proof government fortress. 

True, Benjamin Netanyahu and Ehud Barak are scarred. They have both been victims of media attacks, some of which were tainted with distortions and ulterior motives. But this cannot justify the fact that an MIT graduate and a Stanford graduate lent a hand to an expressly anti-Jeffersonian bill. Both they and their parties proved this week that there is no universality in Israel, no rules of the game and no deep understanding of liberal democracy. 

It's depressing. For many months Jerusalem District Court Judge Noam Sohlberg has been fair game. His opponents claim that anyone who lives over the Green Line cannot be a Supreme Court justice. Thus they are trying to turn a political position (which I share ) into a binding legal practice. After all, more than half a million Israelis live beyond the Green Line. The Knesset, cabinet and Supreme Court have ruled that living beyond the Green Line is legal. So anyone who disqualifies Sohlberg is forcibly excluding more than half a million Israeli citizens. 

We are liberals, obviously. Liberals who will not have a conservative on the Supreme Court; who will not have a skullcap wearer on the Supreme Court. Liberals who will not have a person whose ideology isn't ours on the Supreme Court. Because there is no universality in Israel, no rules of the game and no deep understanding of liberal democracy. 

It's depressing. Right before our eyes they are blocking Justice Miriam Naor's way to the Supreme Court presidency. According to the law and custom, Naor was supposed to replace Beinisch this coming February. But Naor is an enlightened, wise, courageous and hard-working justice. She does not belong to any clique. So because she is worthy, she must be stopped. 

The dark forces that are resolved to undermine the rule of law are determined to replace her. So they are pushing a problematic law aimed at affecting one person with scandalous timing. They are pressing, stirring and twisting; contaminating justice with politics. They are trying to degrade an enlightened court by deposing Justice Naor. Because there is no universality in Israel, no rules of the game and no deep understanding of liberal democracy. 

It's the bacterium of the end that justifies the means; the disease of an agenda that bends the rules. The right gags the left in one way, the left gags the right in another. The right tramples on the minority, the left tramples on the majority. Without universality, rules of the game and understanding of liberal democracy, Israel is becoming a bullying and violent place.

http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/opinion/israel-is-becoming-a-bullying-and-violent-place-1.397383

Thousands rally in Tel Aviv in support of democracy in Israel

• Published 23:05 22.11.11
• Latest update 23:05 22.11.11

 Protesters say series of bills passed in the Knesset in recent days is draconian and anti-democratic; activists block several junctions, 7 arrested.

By Gili Cohen 


Approximately 2,000 protesters rallied in Habima Square in Tel Aviv on Tuesday against the series of Knesset bills seen by them as draconian and anti-democratic.

The rally came after on Monday a contentious bill toughing Israel's libel passed its first hurdle in the Knesset, passing first reading despite vocal resistance from both opposition and coalition members.

	Protesters at a rally in support of freedom of the press, Tel Aviv, Nov. 22, 2011.
	Photo by: Alon Ron

The bill represents an amendment to Israel's existing libel law, which would make it possible to sue a newspaper for libel, not only for commensurate compensation for any tangible damage caused by the publication, but for an additional sum of NIS 300,000 − without having to prove damages.

Critics of the amendment believe this will hamper freedom of expression and the independent press.
After the Tuesday rally, hundreds of protesters began blocking roads, including the junctions of Rothchild Boulevard and Marmorek, and the corner of King George and Bograshov.

Police tried to clear the protesters and used pepper spray. One person was arrested, but the protesters are currently blocking the police car he was put into. The police is negotiating with the protesters. Seven protesters were arrested following the rally.

Attorney Talia Sasson, who in 2005 wrote a report on illegal outposts, said at the demonstration that “dark forces have risen upon Israel.”

According to Sasson, the recent wave of legislation “is not a change of parties in a democratic state, it is regime change. We should be trembling with fear… we must shout out the cry of Israeli democracy and not let up.”

Meretz MK Nitzan Horowitz also spoke at the rally, saying that “we are facing a government that cannot stand a different voice. Not because the voice is dangerous, but because it is different. You may ask, why are being silenced? Why intimidate the media? To cover women, make them disappear? The goal of persecution is persecution, as George Orwell wrote in his book ‘1984.’”

Some protesters pasted tape on their mouths to protest the new amendment to the libel law, which dramatically raises compensation and is dubbed “the silencing law.” Yariv Oppenheimer, director of Peace now, said: “The Attorney General will not stop the legislation, not even Yair Lapid – it is us who will stop the legislation.”

http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/thousands-rally-in-tel-aviv-in-support-of-democracy-in-israel-1.397150

Reut Institute: Israeli Boycott law may backfire

Submitted by Adri Nieuwhof on Tue, 08/09/2011 - 02:42

 

In response to the growing Boycott Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, the Israeli parliament passed an anti-boycott law on 11 July. The law is heavily criticized; for example, Amnesty International denounced the anti-boycott law because it “will have a chilling effect on freedom of expression in Israel.”
Palestinian member of the Israeli parliament, Ahmad Tibi, criticized the law as “a strike against free speech.” in an article. He pledged his support to the BDS movement:

“Because I believe in ending the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory, equal rights for Palestinians and Jews, and the right of return for Palestinian refugees forced from their homes and lands in 1948, I support boycotting — and calling on others to boycott — all Israeli companies that help perpetuate these injustices.”

A few days later, a remarkable warning was published by the Reut Institute, which characterizes itself as “a non-partisan Zionist organization” in a promotional video. Reut mentions in the video its support for strategic decision making processes of the State of Israel which includes advising the Prime Minister’s office, the Ministry of Defense, the Israeli army and the National Security Council..
Reut’s CEO, Roy Keidar and head of Reut’s National Security Team, Eran Shayson, warned on 2 August, that “the greater damage of the boycott law is the controversy forming around it.” They write:

“Indeed, the urgent sense that action must be taken against the de-legitimization phenomenon is both understandable and justified. However, assumptions that the boycott law and other similar laws provide the answer to this challenge, are wrong and may well backfire.”

Fighting ‘delegitmization’

In February 2010, Reut qualified the actions of the BDS movement as delegitimization of Israel in a report on the urgency to respond to the growing international criticism of Israel’s violations of international law and disrespect of the rights of the Palestinian people. Reut referred in the report to critical voices as “delegitimizers”. 

“The effectiveness of Israel’s delegitimizers, who represent a relatively marginal political and societal force in Europe and North America, stems from their ability to engage and mobilize others by blurring the lines with Israel’s critics. They do so by branding Israel as a pariah and ‘apartheid’ state; rallying coalitions around ‘outstanding issues’ such as the ‘Gaza blockade’; making pro-Palestinian activity trendy; and promoting grassroots activities such as boycotts, divestments, and sanctions (BDS) as a way to ‘correct Israel’s ways.’”

In addition, Reut wrote:

“The Delegitimization Network aims to supersede the Zionist model with a state that is based on the ‘one person, one vote’ principle by turning Israel into a pariah state and by challenging the moral legitimacy of its authorities and existence.”

Comparison with South Africa

When I interviewed Professor John Dugard, former UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories in October 2010, I asked him to react to accusations that the BDS movement delegitimizes Israel. He said:

“The BDS actions are delegitimizing Israel. There is no question about that. Obviously Israel is unwilling to accept that, similar to apartheid South Africa, which did want to suppress international sanctions. BDS was at that time effective, largely as a result of international advocacy for [boycott, divestment and] sanctions. It delegitimized the state and ultimately led to change in South Africa.

 The comparison between Israel and South Africa is important. The situation is very similar at present. The international community is increasingly critical of Israel, advocating for international [boycott, divestment and] sanctions. It is not surprising that Israel is taking steps to prevent them in the same way the South African government did.”

In February 2010, Reut’s policy advice to Israel was to effectively face the “Delegitimization Network” by embracing a network-based logic and response by “Focusing on the hubs of delegitimization - such as London, Paris, Toronto, Madrid, and the Bay Area - and on undermining its catalysts.” Reut called on the Israeli government to direct substantial resources towards this end.

Attacking the messenger

Reut’s advice to “undermine the catalysts” of the BDS movement is a perfect example of attacking the messenger. A few months after Reut’s advice, The Electronic Intifada and its Dutch donor were fiercely attacked by the NGO Monitor. Ali Abunimah analyzed the reasons behind the attack in his article “Why NGO Monitor is attacking The Electronic Intifada”.
He wrote:

“NGO Monitor’s attack on The Electronic Intifada is part of a well-financed, Israeli-government endorsed effort to silence reporting about and criticism of Israel by attacking so-called “delegitimizers” — those who speak about well-documented human rights abuses, support boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS), or promote full equality for Palestinians. Last February, The Electronic Intifada reported that a leading Israeli think-tank had recommended a campaign of “sabotage” against Israel’s critics as a matter of state policy.”

In its criticism of the boycott law, Reut writes that the law applies to Israel while the “delegitimization campaign is global, primarily operating beyond Israel’s borders.” Therefore the law cannot stop the global BDS movement. In addition, Reut identifies the controversy forming around the boycott law as a danger, creating divisions in “the Israeli camp” at a time where unity is needed.

Indeed, the Israeli boycott law is an attack on freedom of expression, and as such another example of Israel’s disrespect for basic human rights. It would have been very disturbing if this law was docilely accepted.

http://electronicintifada.net/blog/adri-nieuwhof/reut-institute-israeli-boycott-law-may-backfire

RAMADAN PRAYERS FORBIDDEN ONCE AGAIN ~~ NAH!!!! THAT DOESN’T HAPPEN IN A DEMOCRACY, DOES IT?

August 6, 2011 at 09:46 

(Dictatorship, Hasbara, Holidays, Israel, Oppression, Palestine, Second Class Citizens, Status of Jerusalem)

 

Keeping with tradition, the ’zionist State’ has not allowed Muslims to partake in Friday prayers during the Holy Month of Ramadan. Just imagine if this was to happen to Catholics in New York during the Christmas season…

 

Thousands of Israeli occupation policemen were deployed in the streets of the holy city and barred thousands of worshipers from reaching the Mosque.

*

More than 100 thousand attend Friday prayers at the Aqsa Mosque

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, — Despite measures taken by the occupation to limit the number of Palestinian worshipers reaching the Aqsa Mosque on the first Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan about 100 thousand worshipers managed to reach the mosque and attend the Friday congregation.

Most of the worshipers are from the occupied city of Jerusalem and neighbouring areas as well as Palestinians from 1948-occupied Palestine who travelled to Jerusalem on coaches and other means. A number of worshipers from the West Bank, especially older people, managed to make it to the Mosque despite occupation restrictions.

Thousands of Israeli occupation policemen were deployed in the streets of the holy city and barred thousands of worshipers from reaching the Mosque.

Thousands of Palestinian worshipers aged under 50 gathered at the Qalandia roadblock after hearing news that worshipers from the West Bank will be allowed into Jerusalem on the first Friday of Ramadan, but could not cross into Jerusalem contrary to claims of Israeli war minister Ehud Barak that entry of worshipers to Jerusalem will be facilitated.

Only people over 50 years of age, residents of Jerusalem and Palestinians from 1948-occupied Palestine will be able to reach the Mosque.

http://desertpeace.wordpress.com/2011/08/06/ramadan-prayers-forbidden-once-again-nah-that-doesnt-happen-in-a-democracy-does-it/

Report: Israeli courts discriminate against Arab Israelis in conviction and sentences

Thursday, 04 August 2011 15:15

 

The study found that while the average prison sentence for Jews was nine and a half months, Arabs convicted of the same crimes were given 14 months on average.

An Israeli academic study has revealed that Israeli judges are harsher with 1948-Palestinians (Arab Israelis) – during the conviction stages and when sentenced after conviction - in comparison to Jewish Israelis.

The statistical study that was commissioned by Israel's Courts Administration and the Israel Bar Association and conducted by three Jewish Israeli researchers, found that Arab Israelis charged with the same crimes as their Jewish Israeli counterparts are more likely to be convicted, and once convicted they are more likely to be sent to prison, for longer sentences.

The study involved 1,500 criminal cases handled in six magistrate courts and three district courts between 1996 and 2005 and proved that while 63.5 per cent of Arab Israelis convicted of violent crimes were sentenced to prison, only 43.7 per cent of Jewish Israelis convicted for the same crimes were.

The study also pointed to the discrepancies regarding probation sentences - 71.2 per cent for Jewish Israelis and 78.7 per cent for Arabs.

Regarding the length of prison sentences given to Arab Israelis and Jewish Israelis, the study found that while the average prison sentence for Jews was nine and a half months, Arabs convicted of the same crimes were given 14 months on average.

The study was conducted by Jewish Israeli professors Giora Rahav, Ephraim Yaar and Yoram Rabin. They accused the Israeli criminal justice system of dealing more harshly with Arab Israeli defendants than Jewish Israelis.

http://www.middleeastmonitor.org.uk/news/middle-east/2688-report-israeli-courts-discriminate-against-arab-israelis-in-conviction-and-sentences

ISRAELI ‘DEMOCRACY’ UNMASKED

August 4, 2011 at 10:17  It is as if Israel has pushed the Fast-Forward button in the process of digging the grave for its own occupation and apartheid policies. * Dropping the last mask of democracy   New Israeli legislation banning the support of boycott movements goes even further in limiting Palestinian rights.    By Omar Barghouti*    Students attend boycott rally at the University of Ber Zeit, north of Ramallah [EPA] “You should definitely postpone your book launch in Jerusalem,” warned a close friend who felt that the planned event for launching my recently published book on the Palestinian-led movement for boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) against Israel might be too risky in light of the recently passed Israeli law that effectively bans support for the thriving boycott movement. At the packed bookshop-cafe in occupied East Jerusalem last Thursday, however, the engaged and Italian-coffee scented atmosphere was almost jubilant, as if declaring a collective defiance of Israel’s latest draconian measure. Much controversy has arisen since the Israeli parliament passed legislation that would effectively criminalise support for any boycott against Israel or its institutions, under threat of heavy penalties and worse, without the need to prove “guilt”. Dozens of Israeli civil society organisations and leading legal scholars, including many opposing the boycott, have resolutely opposed this exceptionally authoritarian law on diverse grounds, ranging from the most principled to the downright pragmatic. Palestinian perspective Missing in most of the debate is the Palestinian perspective, which is undoubtedly most relevant given that this law was entirely motivated by the spectacular growth in recent years of the global boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel, which was launched in 2005 and is led by the largest coalition of Palestinian civil society parties, unions, and NGOs: the Boycott National Committee (BNC). While expressing alarm at this latest repressive attempt by Israel to crush Palestinian peaceful resistance and support for it among conscientious Israelis, a BNC statement conveyed confidence that this law will bolster the spread of BDS even faster among liberal communities the world over. Hind Awwad, coordinator with the BNC, reacted: “This new legislation, which violates international law, is testament to the success of the rapidly growing global BDS movement and a realisation within political elites inside Israel that the state is becoming a world pariah in the way that South Africa once was.”   Eilat Maoz, coordinator of the Coalition of Women for Peace, a leading Israeli feminist alliance that endorses BDS, was quoted in Maariv (Hebrew) saying: “An illegitimate government passes an illegitimate law to protect an illegitimate occupation, while complaining about de-legitimisation. We will continue boycotting, protesting, demonstrating and resisting the occupation - and we call on everyone else to do so.”    The Palestinian BDS leadership stood by its Israeli partners saying: “We stand in solidarity with all principled Israeli citizens and organisations who are the primary target of this law, and who may be fined and even imprisoned for exercising their fundamental right to speak out and act non-violently in order to bring their state into compliance with international law.” International condemnation Amnesty International condemned the new Israeli bill, saying it “will have a chilling effect on freedom of expression”. Members of the European Parliament raised similar concerns, while the EU itself, typically submissive to Israeli-US interests, expressed alarm at the law’s implications on basic rights. Even a New York Times editorial slammed it as undemocratic. All this will further aggravate Israel’s already low standing in international public opinion. It is as if Israel has pushed the Fast-Forward button in the process of digging the grave for its own occupation and apartheid policies. By passing this exceptionally draconian law that blatantly stifles free speech, Israel seems ready to sacrifice one of its very last masks of “democracy” for the sake of crushing, with an iron fist, the BDS movement. This provides further, irrefutable evidence of the level of panic in the Israeli establishment of the dramatic expansion of the movement with its simple yet compelling slogan, Freedom, Justice, Equality. It also proves, once again, the futility of all the other unsavoury weapons in Israel’s massive arsenal of intimidation, smears, threats and bullying in combating BDS, which, as a non-violent, morally consistent movement, has dragged Israel into a “battlefield” where even its daunting nuclear weapons are deemed ineffective. Israeli justification The Israeli establishment’s attempt to justify its repressive new law under the rubric of countering a movement bent on “delegitimising” it and calling into question its very existence has failed to convince any significant portion of world public opinion. Most observers cannot but ask, why wasn’t the anti-apartheid boycott in South Africa considered a threat to the existence of the state? Also, did ending segregation in the southern states of the US delegitimise whites or end their existence? In fact, the only things that justice and equality delegitimise are injustice and inequality. Similarly, BDS aims to “delegitimise” Israel’s occupation and colonial policies and structures. And it seems many in international civil society are gradually moving in the direction of supporting the movement and bringing closer Israel’s South Africa moment. As to those who may say that this law will corrupt Israel’s democracy, one can only wonder whether a state that has dozens of laws discriminating against its “non-Jewish” citizens solely based on their religious/ethnic identity can be called a democracy. Can a state involved in occupation, forced displacement, siege and denial of basic rights of refugees be regarded as a democracy? The prominent Israeli historian, Ilan Pappe, calls Israel a “herrenvolk democracy”, one only for the masters. Finally, Israel’s claim that BDS is somehow against Jews is best refuted by Avraham Burg, former chairman of the Jewish Agency and for many years speaker of the Israeli Knesset, where the latest legislation only underlines the pivotal role it has consistently played in maintaining Israeli colonial oppression. Burg says:  ”Israel sweeps all the criticism against it, both justified and unjustified, under the same anti-Semitic rug. It is actually we who are repeatedly mixing up proper criticism of Israel with anti-Semitism. The reason is to avoid at any price having to confront the situation and make tough existential decisions: the occupation, the injustices, the discrimination, the persecution of the non-Jewish minority in our midst. …There is no other country in the Western world from which the international community has been willing to put up with acts of state violence for five decades, other than Israel. … And there is no other colonialist left in the world, other than ‘the only democracy in the Middle East.’ The world is still putting up with all this, but not for much longer – it will soon be over.” If Palestinian activists learned anything from the South African struggle it is that the darkest moment is that that precedes dawn. In an ironic way, this new Israeli law may be a harbinger for that darkest moment, with no masks or pretence, and then we see the light of freedom and justice. *Omar Barghouti is a human rights activist, founding member of the Palestinian-led, global boycott movement against Israel, and author of Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS): The Global Struggle for Palestinian Rights. http://desertpeace.wordpress.com/2011/08/04/israeli-democracy-unmasked/

MK Zoabi suspended from Knesset debates

Balad MK removed from Knesset until end of annual session following her participation in last year's Gaza flotilla; to be banned from speaking at Knesset, attending debates. Ethics Committee: 'Participation in flotilla does not fall within an MK's legitimate freedom of action'

Moran Azulay

 

Published:  07.18.11, 11:22 / Israel News

The Knesset's Ethics Committee decided Monday to suspend MK Hanin Zoabi (Balad) from all Knesset activities until the end of the current session which ends in two weeks, following her participation in last year's Gaza flotilla. This will not apply to votes in the plenum.


  The Ethics Committee had discussed three complaints against Zoabi filed by fellow MKs.

Controversial Measure

Knesset: Zoabi sanctions proportional / Moran Azulay Measures aim to stop Arab MK from participating in 'illegitimate' activities, Knesset legal advisor says Full story

Zoabi wrote in response: "I reject the complaints against me. These are vexatious claims against legitimate political activity which is well within every citizen's rights, certainly a member of Knesset's. I exercised my right for political action and freedom of speech and did not break the law. I therefore call upon the committee to dismiss these complaints."

The committee said in its decision, "The very participation in the flotilla, which was intended to break the naval blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip as part of the armed conflict with Hamas constitutes an action which hurts state security and does not fall within a Knesset member's legitimate freedom of action."
The committee rejected claims of a legitimate form of protest: "The committee believes that an MK joining an action organized by a group which the defense minister declared unlawful and is meant to break a naval blockade imposed over security reasons exceeds a legitimate act of protest by an MK against government policy. " The committee noted that Zoabi had abused her duties as a member of Knesset obligated to maintain its honor.

Last July, the Knesset revoked Zoabi privileges following her participation in the flotilla.

MK Zoabi escorted out of Knesset

Meanwhile, the MK sent a letter to Knesset Director-General Dan Landau following a complaint filed with the Knesset's Ethics Committee over her disorderly behavior at the plenum on Thursday.

"I understand and respect your need to support Knesset employees. I also support the employees' honor. I hereby state that I had no intention of hurting the ushers, much less assaulting them. I respect their work. The ushers themselves can arrest to the honorable manner in which I treat them."

Nevertheless, she noted that Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin's letter had damaged her reputation. "(The letter) was filled with false documentation and included hurtful conclusions violating the Libel Law."

Zoabi denied having attacked the ushers: "The video documentation clearly shows there is no basis for the groundless claims of 'assault'  'misbehavior' or the exercise of violence by me. Moreover, at the end of the debate one of the ushers involved came to apologize to me and I answered there was no need as she was trying to do her job."

The MK further stressed, "All I tried to do was free myself from the ushers' hands which held me disproportionally. After several such attempts, and as I was heading out, I pushed my hand trying to fend the ushers off, that is all. I never tried to assault her, much less hit her as your letter stated."

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4096788,00.html

Wawancara Tempo dengan Anggota Knesset Pembela Palestina

Selasa, 19 Juli 2011 | 13:46 WIB

 

Hanin Zoabi. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun

TEMPO Interaktif, Jakarta - Dari 120 anggota Knesset (parlemen Israel), hanya 7 orang yang merupakan keturunan Palestina: 4 dari Partai Ta’al dan 3 dari Partai Balad, termasuk Hanin Zoabi. Meski minoritas, Zoabi sangat lantang menyuarakan hak-hak dan kepentingan warga Palestina di Israel.

Karena itu, tak mengherankan jika perempuan lajang berusia 42 tahun ini kerap mendapat cemoohan dan kecaman dari politikus sayap kanan dan ultranasionalis. Puncaknya, pada Juli tahun lalu, Komite Etik Knesset mencabut 3 hak Zoabi sebagai anggota parlemen, yakni menarik paspor diplomatiknya, menghapus hak mendapat bantuan hukum, dan melarangnya mengunjungi negara yang tidak memiliki hubungan diplomatik dengan Israel.

Sanksi itu lantaran ia ikut dalam misi kemanusiaan ke Jalur Gaza 2 bulan sebelumnya. Ia menumpang kapal Mavi Marmara dan menjadi saksi penyerbuan pasukan komando negara Zionis itu yang menewaskan 9 relawan.

Senin lalu, 18 Juli 2011, juga akibat partisipasinya di misi itu, Komite Etik mengeluarkan sanksi baru buat wanita kelahiran Kota Nazareth--lokasi kelahiran Yesus--itu. Zoabi tidak boleh menyuarakan pendapat dan ikut pemungutan suara di tingkat komite hingga masa jabatan Knesset berakhir tahun depan.

Semua itu tidak membuat peraih master komunikasi dan media dari Universitas Hebrew, Yerusalem, ini gentar. “Saya akan tetap bertahan sebagai anggota Knesset,” kata Zoabi yang dihubungi Faisal Assegaf dari Tempo melalui telepon selulernya hari ini, Selasa 19 Juli 2011.

Berikut petikannya.

Apa komentar Anda soal keputusan Komite Etik kemarin?
Itu merupakan keputusan politik karena partisipasi saya dalam misi kapal flotilla ke Gaza tahun lalu. Keputusan itu bisa keluar lantaran Komite Etik dihuni sebagian besar politikus sayap kanan.
Ini juga merupakan kampanye diskriminatif terhadap kami dan warga Israel keturunan Palestina yang kami wakili.

Lantas apa yang akan Anda lakukan?
Saya akan mempelajari semuanya dan akan mengajukan gugatan atas keputusan Komite Etik itu. Saya juga akan menempuh upaya di tingkat internasional.

Termasuk melapor ke Dewan Hak Asasi PBB?
Saya bakal mempertimbangkan itu.

Ini bukan diskriminasi pertama, apa Anda masih ingin bertahan sebagai anggota Knesset?
Saya akan tetap bertahan di Knesset untuk membela kepentingan orang Palestina. Jika saya mundur, sama saja saya membiarkan mereka terus melanjutkan kebijakan diskriminatif terhadap warga keturunan Palestina. Ini merupakan tantangan untuk menjalankan sistem demokrasi.
Saya ingin membuktikan bahwa Zionisme itu bertolak belakang dengan demokrasi. Israel selalu menganggap demokrasi dan kesamaan sebagai sebuah tantangan terhadap keamanan mereka.

Sampai kapan Anda akan tinggal di Israel yang bersikap diskriminatif terhadap minoritas Palestina?
Saya bertahan di sini bukan karena saya ingin mempertahankan status kewarganegaraan. Ini adalah tanah air saya dan saya tidak akan meninggalkan tanah air saya. Israel yang pendatang. Kami akan terus berjuang melawan rasisme di tanah air saya.

Jika PBB memberi pengakuan terhadap negara Palestina September mendatang, Anda akan pindah dari Israel?
Saya tidak akan pernah meninggalkan tanah air saya. Pengakuan itu hanya merupakan penyelesaian terhadap penjajahan Israel dan bukan solusi atas penindasan dan diskriminasi terhadap rakyat Palestina.

http://www.tempointeraktif.com/hg/timteng/2011/07/19/brk,20110719-347272,id.html

WHO TOLD YOU ISRAEL WASN’T A DEMOCRACY?

WHO TOLD YOU ISRAEL WASN’T A DEMOCRACY?

July 18, 2011 at 11:23

Israel is the ‘Only Democracy In The Middle East’ where a Palestinian can be elected to the Knesset and be silenced by the zionist majority. That’s Democracy, isn’t it?

*

Israeli Arab MK Hanin Zuabi will be stripped of her right to address the Knesset and to participate in committee votes until the end of this parliamentary season, the Knesset Ethics Committee ruled on Monday.

*

MK Hanin Zuabi. Photo by: Tomer Appelbaum

*
Arab MK stripped of further parliamentary privileges for role in Gaza flotilla

Balad MK Hanin Zuabi will no longer be allowed to address Knesset or vote in committee debates; last year, she lost her diplomatic passport, entitlement to aid for legal assistance, and right to visit countries without ties to Israel.

Israeli Arab MK Hanin Zuabi will be stripped of her right to address the Knesset and to participate in committee votes until the end of this parliamentary season, the Knesset Ethics Committee ruled on Monday.

The decision to penalize Zuabi, a lawmaker from the Balad party, comes in the wake of her participation in the Gaza-bound flotilla last year. Zuabi, who sailed on the Turkish-flagged Mavi Marmara, had already had certain parliamentary rights revoked by Knesset last July.

Zuabi will still be allowed to vote in debates at the Knesset plenum, the ethics committee ruled Monday.

The MK dismissed legitimacy of the committee’s decision, declaring that the question of “whether my actions were legal or not will be determined by the court, and not by a committee comprising a rightist majority”.

In the wake of Zuabi’s participation in the flotilla, the Knesset voted last year to revoke three of her key privileges as Knesset member: her diplomatic passport, entitlement to financial assistance for legal assistance and the right to visit countries with which Israel does not have diplomatic ties.

Zuabi in turn petitioned the High Court of Justice in order to have her privileges returned, claiming that the aim of stripping her rights was to limit MKs’ “political activities, especially those of minority representatives.” The petition also accused the Knesset of overstepping their authority.

The Israeli Arab MK was embroiled in another controversy last week when she pushed a Knesset guard who was seeking to remove her from the plenum hall, an incident for which she apologized thereafter.

Zuabi was being ushered out of the parliamentary session after interrupting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech and after being called to order three times by Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin.

The parliamentary workers’ committee had threatened to withhold services from Zuabi if she did not apologize. The MK said she had been trying to free herself from the guard and leave the hall on her own.

Watch: MK Hanin Zuabi on the Turkish-flagged Mavi Marmara last May

Even the New York Times, known for its endless support of Israel, is questioning the undemocratic nature of new Israeli Laws in THIS Editorial….

*

Not Befitting a Democracy

Israel’s reputation as a vibrant democracy has been seriously tarnished by a new law intended to stifle outspoken critics of its occupation of the West Bank. 

http://desertpeace.wordpress.com/2011/07/18/who-told-you-israel-wasnt-a-democracy/

 

Arab MK stripped of further parliamentary privileges for role in Gaza flotilla, http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/arab-mk-stripped-of-further-parliamentary-privileges-for-role-in-gaza-flotilla-1.373859

Gilad Atzmon: Jewish Democracy for Dummies

Monday, July 18, 2011 at 10:17AM Gilad Atzmon

In the 'Jews Only State', democratically elected politicians are suspended from the Parliament for basically being Palestinians and representing Palestinian interests. I can only guess that this is what the Israelis mean when they insist upon being called the ‘Only Democracy in the Middle East’.
The Knesset's Ethics Committee decided today to suspend MK Hanin Zoabi (Balad) from all Knesset activities until the end of the current session which ends in two weeks, following her participation in last year's Gaza flotilla. According to the Ethics Committee, 'participation in flotilla does not fall within an MK's legitimate freedom of action.'

I guess that Israel doesn’t really need enemies, it brings itself down pretty effectively.

To read more: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4096788,00.html
http://www.gilad.co.uk/writings/gilad-atzmon-jewish-democracy-for-dummies-1.html