The Only Democracy in the Region Just Banned Arab Parties
A few days ago, Yaman wrote about the obvious contradiction between pro-Israeli propaganda proclaiming Israel’s belief in freedom of the press, while at the same time Israel denies journalists access to Gaza, killing journalists and bombing media building.
The same propaganda campaign he cited faces another contradiction. Haaretz just reported that the Israel parliament, the Knesset, banned today Arab parties from running in the upcoming elections. It is important to note that since Israel has no binding legal document of rights, the parliament is acting within its legal powers. The great rights of citizenship, despite the pro-Israel PR, can be arbitrarily denied to anyone according to the whims of Israeli nationalists. Today’s news is a case in point.
The parliament accused the Arab parties of “incitement, supporting terrorist groups and refusing to recognize Israel’s right to exist.” The Arab parties, which hold 7 of the 120 seats, are the best representatives of Palestinian-citizen political interests.
Arab Knesset members Ahmed Tibi and Jamal Zahalka, political rivals who head the two Arab blocs in parliament, condemned the decision. Tibi said “it was a political trial led by a group of Fascists and racists who are willing to see the Knesset without Arabs and want to see the country without Arabs.”
While Israel ethnically cleanses Gaza, or would if the Palestinians were also not closed in, it politically cleanses its representative institutions.
It is also key to note that this prevents any Israeli political parties seeking a peace deal to bring Arab parties into the ruling coalition. The far-right assumes this will help them fight any peace deals, and they are probably right. Many Arab voters will be left no choices and even less voice in the Jewish state’s political system.
The Knesset’s willingness to sacrifice the rights of non-Jewish Israelis foreshadows an ugly future when the non-Jews, namely the Palestinians, approach parity and then numerical superiority, over the Jews of Israel (just compare the birth rates). What will the Knesset do then?
[tarboush tip: Fadi]
As an atheist (non-Arab) living in Israel, this is by far a most appalling decision. This is a country that I will be glad to be called a “traitor” in.
But,Israel is a state based on ethnic and religion grounds… So how can a state based on religion reduce discrimination?
Actually, if you had read the article in Haaretz, you would have noted that the Knesset hasn’t generally banned arab parties, but rather the particular arab parties which don’t believe that the Knesset has the right to exist. There are still Arab members of Knesset in other parties.
This is good,
Allowing a few Palestinians into the Knesset went a long way to cover up Israel’s real partheid policy, may be the leaf has fallen off…
I’m all for banning those two parties. They’re fascist and anti-democratic parties. Any democracy in its right mind would do it. But Israel shows a double standard by not banning several other parties which deny Israel’s right to exist as a democracy, and wish to turn it into a complete ethno-theocracy. Among them Kadima, Likud, “Nash Dom Israel” etc.
By banning only Arab parties it shows what an apartheid state it really is. In any case, there’s nothing democratic about the state of Israel.
Congratulations Israel, you have now reached the level of democracy of 1934 Austria. Only a little more to go to reach the final goal – Germany 1933.
This happens every election cycle, and the Israeli supreme court overturns the Knesset decision. Nothing new, everyone move on.
I expect it will be overturned by the court, but we’ll see. Anyone note the irony in the last sentence of the article?
“Pordes remarked that the last time a party was banned it was the late Rabbi Meir Kahane’s Kach Party, a list from the 1980s that advocated the expulsion of Arabs from Israel.”
I wonder how Kabobfest would have reacted to that?
Why would you wonder? Pretty indifferent i suppose, there are plenty of other parties in Israel, whose members join Israeli governments (cabinets), that openly advocate for the expulsion of Palestinians.
I like this Avi guy. Do you have a blog Avi?
Roy, you missed the point. You quoted the last line about Kach as if it is something to be proud of, but this is ironic. Kach was banned supposedly because it advocated expelling Arabs from Israel (which Yisrael Beiteinu also supports today and is still there as Avi noted); however, fast forward a few years, and now the Knesset is expelling Arab parties. So what are you boasting about, now that the Knesset has taken the first step towards adopting Kach’s policies?
Whether the decision is overruled or not, it is extremely disturbing. I am sure the Arab MKs (non-Zionist) will not be having a fun time there. This only highlights how racist Israeli society is, when the best hope the Arab parties have might be the courts.
Let’s see if I have this straight: Balad and United Arab List-Ta’al don’t accept Israel as a Jewish state and Tibi et al call for armed conflict against Israel and destruction of the state.
And the rest of Israel is racist?
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha, oops that felafel must have gone down the wrong pipe.
Nope, you have it backwards. Israel does not recognize the right of Palestinians with citizenship to exist. They ask that Israel be a state of its citizens, and Israel says it wants to be a state for Jews only. How do you expect them to react?
You quoted the last line about Kach as if it is something to be proud of, but this is ironic.
Maybe that’s why I said it was ironic, and didn’t say it was something to be proud of.
Please read better.
Israel says it wants to be a state for Jews only
Apparently you have a problem with facts.
You quoted the last line about Kach as if it is something to be proud of, but this is ironic.
Maybe that’s why I said it was ironic, and didn’t say it was something to be proud of.
Please read better.
Israel says it wants to be a state for Jews only
Apparently you have a problem with facts.
This thing is a mess all around.
Luckily, it’s all political kabuki theater, and the Arab parties aren’t actually getting banned.
Wish there was more actual embrace of the important qualities of the Israeli state by the Arab parties, though.
Especially wish they were willing to ally with secularists on issues like gay rights, blasphemy, the role of religion in the state, etc.
well this relly hurts, whatever jew is doing.