The vision of an Arab-free Knesset

[bemildred]

MK Zevulun Orlev's rage was not provoked by last week's pogrom at Jabel Mukkaber, where right-wing protesters attempted to storm the house of the terrorist behind the Mercaz Harav attack; rather, the National Religious Party lawmaker's anger was sparked by a remark made by Balad chairman MK Jamal Zahalka, who claimed Jerusalem was occupied land and that he refused to recognize a law stating otherwise. "If each member of the Knesset decides which laws to recognize on an individual basis, then you will be the first to suffer," he informed Zahalka, "and I will see to that personally."

Truth be told: As a member of a party that supports illegal outposts, Zevulun would be best advised to keep a low profile on the subject of the rule of law. But what really matters in this story is the new habit of threatening Arab Knesset members; the dizzying increase in incitement, curses and insults leveled at them, a spike that has gone almost without protest or the involvement of the Knesset Ethics Committee.

The main reason behind this wave of vitriol is, probably, Yisrael Beiteinu leader MK Avigdor Lieberman's belief that elections are in the offing. After the Mercaz Harav attack, Lieberman told Arab MKs that the current government is full of "weaklings. "Believe you me it's temporary, and you're temporary," he said. "Another government will come and take care of you just like the Kuwaiti government takes care of things." Kuwait's government, according to Lieberman, plans to expel all the participants in a memorial for slain Hezbollah leader Imad Mughniyah. Of course, the National Union Party could not afford to trail behind, so its leader MK Effie Eitam made this promise to Arab MKs the day after a protest in the Israeli Arab town of Umm al-Fahm against Israel Defense Force activities. "A day will come when we will drive you out of this house and from the national home of the Jewish people," he said. Usage of words like "fifth column," "enemies" and "traitors" has become an inseparable part of Knesset routine.

Meanwhile, right-wing MKs are pushing a number of bills aimed at making the Knesset off-limits to Arab lawmakers. Orlev and Yisrael Beiteinu's Esterina Tartman have introduced two separate bills that would disqualify people who visited enemy states from being an MK. Arab lawmakers consider visits to Arab states an inseparable part of their job. Hadash chairman MK Mohammed Barakeh said: "If we are given a choice of being faithful to our people or being in the Knesset, then I bid the Knesset farewell. I don't want it." Zahalka said: "At the current rate of legislation, the Knesset will be Arab-free."

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/967364.html

[stranger81]

1. Wow. Not encouraging, but unfortunately, not surprising either. [n/t]

[bemildred]

2. "Not encouraging" seems like a good description.

"Polarized", "divisive", and "volatile" come to mind too.

[LeftishBrit]

3. A far-right-party-free Knesset wouldn't be a bad idea

I used to favour pure PR electoral systems until I found out about their effect on Israeli politics.

[bemildred]

4. While I sympathize, I disagree.

These loons needs to be dealt with, like loons of any other stripe. They will not be up to anything good if left to their own devices. Legislative bodies need to be inclusive to be legitimate. What is needed is dialog, confrontation, and a fair certainty that they will be slapped around if they get out of line or break the law.

[subsuelo]

8. A decent education would help too

(Note the qualifier: "decent")

[bemildred]

9. A waste of time, by and large.

One needs to make the boundaries clear and the consequences clear, one needs to keep the dialog going, if for no other reason than to see what they are up to; one does not want them to be able to stew in isolation; but conversion of attitudes and moral reformation are not to be "educated" into unwilling students by acceptable methods. Part of the problem Israel has with it's rightists is that they get away with so much that is theoretically illegal. That is pernicious in many ways, and not just for their Palestinian victims.

[subsuelo]

10. conversion of attitudes ...?

"conversion of attitudes and moral reformation are not to be "educated" into unwilling students by acceptable methods"

I'm afraid I'm not following you there, can you rephrase or expand?

[bemildred]

11. You can't compel them to be nice people. nt

[subsuelo]

12. You not a believer in education?

[bemildred]

13. I'm not a believer in much of anything.

I like learning things, but most of it I did because I wanted to.

[subsuelo]

15. I believe education does open minds

Opens a person to new ways of thinking, to different points of view, to tolerance, and to understanding. By 'education' I do not necessarily mean being forced through formal, standardized school systems either. And of course, it doesn't work for everyone. But it helps, IMO.

[bemildred]

18. Sigh. I'm not against education, I've been guilty of being educated myself.

I have more teachers than you would believe in my immediate family. I've done a bit of teaching myself. But there are limits to what can be taught and who you can teach it to.

[subsuelo]

19. Not trying so say you were against it, just curious as to your opinion

As well as expressing mine. :)

[bemildred]

20. My pleasure to explain then. nt

[bemildred]

5. Arab MKs storm out of Knesset when Lieberman speaks

Members of the Arab political parties and of the left-wing Meretz Party stormed out of the Knesset plenum on Monday when the Chairman of Yisrael Beiteinu, Avigdor Lieberman, entered the hall. This move was reminiscent of a practice instituted in the days of the late right-wing extremist Meir Kahane.

Those who walked out were protesting Lieberman's recent campaign against Arab MKs, and his express desire to "take care of them."

Lieberman entered the hall precisely when his fellow party member Lia Shemtov was presenting the party's no-confidence proposal over the state's powerlessness in handling the Arabs. Following the terror attack at the Jerusalem yeshiva Mercaz Harav three weeks ago, Lieberman said "what joy there was in Gaza after news of the murder became known." He explained to the Arab MKs that "the current government is made up of wimps, but believe me, it is temporary, just as you all are temporary here. Another administration will soon rise and we will take care of you."

The Chairman of the Arab party Hadash, MK Mohammed Barakeh, said that "Yisrael Beiteinu is a bankrupt party trying to remain relevant on a wave of incitement against Arab citizens. For that end, it is adopting a Kahanist agenda, and therefore it is appropriate that we treat them the way Kahane was treated."

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/967866.html

[azurnoir]

6. so Arab parties and Meretz walked out

because they had nothing to say, so when Yisrael Beiteinu broke away it was because?

[azurnoir]

7. Arab free Knesset

first step towards an Arab free Israel, at least in the "minds" of the right wingers?

[stranger81]

14. Interesting that the Israeli cheerleading squad hasn't had a word to say about this article yet . .

I guess if it's not something bad happening to Israelis, it's either (a) an antisemitic lie; or (b) not worth the time to read or comment on.

[breakaleg]

16. Basically stuff like this, stuff like settlement expansion, is an aberation, and not a reflection

of Israel and its intentions when it comes to the pro-Israel crowd. I guess they take that approach as a way to rationalize these things in their minds.

[eyl]

21. "Israel and it's intentions"?

Are you claiming there's a pan-Israeli agreement or official intent to rid the Knesset of Arabs? Care to substantiate that?

And to be brutally honest, while Leiberman's party are, by and large, a bunch of assholes, the Arab MK's* shouldn't make things easier for them. When MK's lead boycotts of Arab youth listing up for NAtional Service because they don't want to be "Israelified", or incite riots (or at the least, pour gasoline on the fire) on false pretences, or praise an organization at war with Israel as an "heroic resistance", or travel to an enemy country in defienace of the law they're supposed to uphold - in short, make every effort to paint themselves (and by extension, the public they represent) as not only "other", but as opposed to becoming part of Israel - it's small wonder there's hostility towards them.

(and as for insults and curses, they might want to dig up transcripts of some of the late Taufik Ziad's statements in the Knesset - they were often, um, "earthy")

*I'm using "Arab MK's" here as shorthand for those MK's of the "Arab parties" - my criticism does not apply to MK's like Nadia Hilou

[Vegasaurus]

22. All this falls on deaf ears

Israeli Arabs want all of the "good" of Israel, but still want to align themselves with the "cause" of the Palestinian Arabs.

It's interesting that none of those Israeli Arabs have any interest in living in a future Palestinian state, they just want to support "resistance" from their own protected status within Israel. So they still prefer Israel's democracy, good economy, etc., but have to work against Israelis and Jews every chance they get.

[eyl]

24. That's a somewhat overbroad statement

I've heard it said that the Arab MK's and politicians tend to be rather more extreme than their constituency. Even in the Knesset, you have people like the aforementioned Nadia Hilou who don't fall into that trap.

[subsuelo]

17. The inevitable switching of topics approaches near

It's only a matter of time. You'll see.

[sabbat hunter]

23. instead of expelling the Arab Knesset members

or all arabs, can we expell Orlev and Lieberman?