Israeli Democracy: Epic Fail

[Fishman]

Israel bans Arab parties from running in upcoming elections

Israel on Monday banned Arab political parties from running in next month's parliamentary elections, drawing accusations of racism by an Arab lawmaker who said he would challenge the decision in the country's Supreme Court.

The ruling by parliament's Central Election Committee reflected the heightened tensions between Israel's Jewish majority and Arab minority caused by Israel's offensive in the Gaza Strip. Israeli Arabs have held a series of demonstrations against the offensive.

Parliament spokesman Giora Pordes said the election committee voted overwhelmingly in favor of the motion, accusing the country's Arab parties of incitement, supporting terrorist groups and refusing to recognize Israel's right to exist. Arab lawmakers have traveled to countries listed among Israel's staunchest enemies, including Lebanon and Syria.

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The 37-member committee is composed of representatives from Israel's major political parties. The measure was proposed by two ultranationalist parties but received widespread support.

The decision does not affect Arab lawmakers in predominantly Jewish parties or the country's communist party, which has a mixed list of Arab and Jewish candidates. Roughly one-fifth of Israel's 7 million citizens are Arabs. Israeli Arabs enjoy full citizenship rights, but have suffered from discrimination and poverty for decades.

Arab lawmakers Ahmed Tibi and Jamal Zahalka, political rivals who head the two Arab blocs in parliament, joined together in condemning Monday's decision.

"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," said Tibi.

Together, the Arab lists hold seven of the 120 seats in the Knesset, or parliament.

Tibi said he would appeal to the high court, while Zahalka said his party was still deciding how to proceed.

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.

http://haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1054867.html




Comments:

• My very own Gaza thread! Now I can watch crazy people bashing each other and feel a warm glow of satisfaction knowing that it was all my own fault! :statisfie
• If you are a lurker and want to read a thread without the usual ''OMG dem jewz r eeeeevil! Falesttteeeeeen!!!! :raging:'' comments, go here (CFC off-topic section).
• Whilst this move is better than how Hamas butched the political opposition, this certainly puts down the old 'Israel is our friend because it is the only democracy in the middle east' argument. It shows that unlike supporting western countries, they willingly give in to their anger and throw away one of the few things about them that was better than their neighbours.

EDIT:
New info from BBC website. Apparently it wasn't all Arab parties but a specific two:

Israel disqualifies Arab parties

Israel's election authorities have voted to ban two of the three main Arab political parties from running in next month's general elections.

The Central Election Committee (CEC)voted overwhelmingly to ban the United Arab List-Ta'al (UAL-Ta'al) and Balad, accusing them of supporting terrorism.

An MP for UAL-Ta'al said the move was racist and he would appeal against it.

Arabs make up about a fifth of Israel's population and hold seven of 120 seats in the Knesset, or parliament.

Israeli Arabs have full citizenship but often complain they suffer from discrimination.

'Election strategy'

The 30-member panel voted 26-3 with one abstention to disqualify Balad, and voted 21-3 with eight abstentions to disqualify UAL-Ta'al.

The committee is composed of representatives from Israel's major political parties.

The measure was proposed by the National Union and Israel Beiteinu, two ultra-nationalist parties.

The motion claimed the two Arab parties supported terrorism and "did not recognise Israel's existence as a Jewish and democratic state", Knesset spokesman Giora Pordis told the AFP news agency.

The Israeli high court has until Friday to rule on the decision - the deadline for submitting Knesset lists.

The Arab members of the committee walked out of the session before the vote was held, after a stormy debate about the Israeli military's operations in Gaza.

"This racist government want us out of the Knesset during the war on Gaza," Mr Tibi told the BBC's Fouad Abu-ghosh.

"They are accusing us of supporting the terror while they are killing children in Gaza," he added.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/7825032.stm

 

[Fishman]

:bump1:

 

[Keltoi]

This really depends upon the decision of the Israeli Supreme Court. Lawmakers can vote and pass anything, but the real basis for constitutional law is the Supreme Court. I'm not aware of what the Israeli constitution states in terms of voting rights and democratic representation, so what that Supreme Court will decide I have no idea.

 

[Whatsthepoint]

I am incredibly disappointed.

 

[Keltoi]

I'll be disappointed if the Supreme Court upholds that vote. If they don't the system has done its job...depending upon the nature of the law, which I'm not familiar with. I assume there is a right to form political parties.

 

[aamirsaab]

All hail Israel: Champions of democracy and justice (!)

 

[Najm]

AsSalamOAlaikum WaRehmatuAllah WaBarkatuhu

Yay!!! I wonder what happened With 1.5 million in Gaza and 2.5 million in the West Bank? Well lets see....

Hamas was chosen democratically to represent Palestinians in the 2006 Parliamentary elections. Hamas was able to secure for itself more than the minimum required 50% of seats in a 78%-turn-out-election that was described as fair and clean by observers.

As Guardian states...

"Democrats will rightly applaud the 78% turnout in Wednesday's elections to the Palestinian parliament, which were remarkably fair, free and peaceful. George Bush and Tony Blair, who set such store by promoting democracy in Iraq and (selectively) elsewhere in the Middle East, should be delighted. The only problem is the result: preliminary figures show a stunning victory for the Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas"

All we should be saying is.....

All hail Israel: Champions of democracy and justice (!)

FiAmaaniAllah

 

[Suomipoika]

We ban parties that are unconstitutional (and rightfully so), but as long as they are rightwing racist parties, no one is particularly concerned or dissapointed. If the accusations are true, I dont see how any parties doing what these two are doing would not be banned in Finland or in quite a few other democratic countries. Refusing to recognice the country and collaborating with the enemy, not only they would be banned, we would probably see a death penalty for treason during wartime from most states.

If the accusations are true, the evil leftie nationalist in me doesnt see why they should not be banned.

All hail Israel: Champions of democracy and justice (!)

Hail Israel: Champions of democracy and justice (!)

Shouldnt we atleast see how the process ends before crucifying dem evil jews?

 

[Keltoi]

We ban parties that are unconstitutional (and rightfully so), but as long as they are rightwing racist parties, no one is particularly concerned or dissapointed. If the accusations are true, I dont see how any parties doing what these two are doing would not be banned in Finland or in quite a few other democratic countries. Refusing to recognice the country and collaborating with the enemy, not only they would be banned, we would probably see a death penalty for treason during wartime from most states.

If the accusations are true, the evil leftie nationalist in me doesnt see why they should not be banned.

Good point. If these parties are indeed voicing an anti-Israeli platform then it is well within the right of the Israeli political system to bar their participation.

 

[The_Prince]

We ban parties that are unconstitutional (and rightfully so), but as long as they are rightwing racist parties, no one is particularly concerned or dissapointed. If the accusations are true, I dont see how any parties doing what these two are doing would not be banned in Finland or in quite a few other democratic countries. Refusing to recognice the country and collaborating with the enemy, not only they would be banned, we would probably see a death penalty for treason during wartime from most states.

If the accusations are true, the evil leftie nationalist in me doesnt see why they should not be banned.



Hail Israel: Champions of democracy and justice (!)

Shouldnt we atleast see how the process ends before crucifying dem evil jews?

dem evil jews killed up to 1000 people. most of them civillians.

 

[Whatsthepoint]

We ban parties that are unconstitutional (and rightfully so), but as long as they are rightwing racist parties, no one is particularly concerned or dissapointed. If the accusations are true, I dont see how any parties doing what these two are doing would not be banned in Finland or in quite a few other democratic countries. Refusing to recognice the country and collaborating with the enemy, not only they would be banned, we would probably see a death penalty for treason during wartime from most states.

If the accusations are true, the evil leftie nationalist in me doesnt see why they should not be banned.



Hail Israel: Champions of democracy and justice (!)

Shouldnt we atleast see how the process ends before crucifying dem evil jews?

Why don't they start with their right wing racist parties????
As weird as this may sound, this is much worse for me than what is happening in Gaza.:raging:
If they go about with the ban, and the supreme court doesn't uphold the decision, I'm gonna withdraw whatever support I have for Israel.

 

[Keltoi]

Why don't they start with their right wing racist parties????
As weird as this may sound, this is much worse for me than what is happening in Gaza.:raging:
If they do it, and the supreme court doesn0t uphold the decision, I'm gonna withdraw whatever support I have for Israel.

Right wing racist parties are a little different than an enemy of a country wishing to have political parties in the system. I understand your sentiments, but from what I understand of the parties wishing to be recognized as legitimate, they have platforms that deny the right of Israel to exist. Can you imagine the U.S. or the U.K. allowing such parties to join our political process? I don't think so. In the case of the U.S. at least, such a party would be barred in the blink of an eyelash. That is not a threat to democracy if those who wish to form political parties are against the system they are asking to join.

 

[Najm]

Why don't they start with their right wing racist parties????
As weird as this may sound, this is much worse for me than what is happening in Gaza.:raging:
If they do it, and the supreme court doesn0t uphold the decision, I'm gonna withdraw whatever support I have for Israel.

Peace...

Great!!!! Nice to know, your desires control you and your importance comes first

Whats-the-point?....

Withdraw!!!!:rollseyes

Peace!!!

 

[Whatsthepoint]

Right wing racist parties are a little different than an enemy of a country wishing to have political parties in the system. I understand your sentiments, but from what I understand of the parties wishing to be recognized as legitimate, they have platforms that deny the right of Israel to exist. Can you imagine the U.S. or the U.K. allowing such parties to join our political process? I don't think so. In the case of the U.S. at least, such a party would be barred in the blink of an eyelash. That is not a threat to democracy if those who wish to form political parties are against the system they are asking to join.

Well, I'm kinda torn on the issue of non democratic parties contesting on democratic elections.
The article say, they want to ban Arab parties, not anti-Israeli parties.

 

[Whatsthepoint]

Peace...

Great!!!! Nice to know, your desires control you and your importance comes first

Whats-the-point?....

Withdraw!!!!:rollseyes

Peace!!!

well, forgive me, I'm not a native English speaker and I was slightly angry with Israel so I may have chosen an inappropriate word.
what do you mean, desire and importance?

 

[Zico]

Who said Isreal had democracy to begin with? LOL

 

[Whatsthepoint]

Who said Isreal had democracy to begin with? LOL

Let's not exaggerate. Israel is and will be a democratic country, as Keltoi stated, even the world's supreme democracy bans political parties from contesting. Anyway, if they do ban all Arab parties, regardless of their platform, you could say the democracy in Israel is deteriorating

 

[Najm]

Let's not exaggerate. Israel is and will be a democratic country, as Keltoi stated, even the world's supreme democracy bans political parties from contesting. Anyway, if they do ban all Arab parties, regardless of their platform, you could say the democracy in Israel is deteriorating

Peace...

4th Post in a row!!! Are you sure, you are you?:blind:

JoKeS

Peace...

 

[Fishman]

Refusing to recognice the country and collaborating with the enemy, not only they would be banned, we would probably see a death penalty for treason during wartime from most states.

Why don't they just ban the specific parties that they believe to collaborate with the enemy then, rather than imposing a blanket ban on all Arab parties? As the CFC thread states, some of the Arab parties don't make any statements more radical than simply opposing the idea of Israel being a Jewish state, but people take this as being against Israel's very existence.

 

[Whatsthepoint]

Why don't they just ban the specific parties that they believe to collaborate with the enemy then, rather than imposing a blanket ban on all Arab parties? As the CFC thread states, some of the Arab parties don't make any statements more radical than simply opposing the idea of Israel being a Jewish state, but people take this as being against Israel's very existence.

there are several severely anti-clerical parties in Israel, I'm not sure whether they're opposed to Israel being called a Jewish state though.