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A terrible idea indeed.

Jill

via Christopher Hayes, Israel bans Arab parties from running in the upcoming elections.

Matt makes an interesting point when he says:

One of the most hopeful and impressive aspects of Israeli society, in my view, has long been the relatively cordial relations between the country’s Jewish majority and the “Israeli Arab” minority group of non-Jewish Arab Israeli citizens who live on the Israeli side of the 1948 ceasefire line. The relationship hasn’t been without its problems and allegations of discrimination, but by the standards of multiethnic polities Israel has done pretty well, and Israel’s friends could plausibly claim that Arabs with Israeli citizenship enjoyed more civil and political rights than did Arab citizens of Egypt, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, or the rest.

And as Spencer points out, it’s pretty troubling when a country that prides itself on being the “Mideast’s only democracy” disenfranchises 20 percent of the population based on race. Hopefully the Israeli Supreme Court will turn this one around. Any Israeli legal scholars in the audience with insights?

29 thoughts on A terrible idea indeed.

  1. “it’s pretty troubling when a country that prides itself on being the “Mideast’s only democracy” disenfranchises 20 percent of the population based on race.”

    this is seriously frightening. so much for that democracy.

  2. If parties must be banned, it might be fair to ban any party that doesn’t expressly endorse either a one state or two state solution to the conflict. But how many parties would be eligible under such a rule? I suspect Meretz and Kadima, but any others?

  3. I’d say I can’t believe the Israeli Supreme Court will allow this to move forward but then again everything I read in the news makes me want to bash my head against the wall, so I won’t hold my breath in expectation of common sense to reign supreme

  4. I blogged about the move here — but there’s plenty of background to unpack here (none of which conflicts with the instinctive and absolutely correct instinct that this is an appalling decision that is devastating to Israel’s claims to be a modern liberal democracy).

    1) “Arab parties” is being used as ambiguous short-hand here — what Israel did was ban two particular Arab parties from running in the next election, not “Arab parties” in general. Of course, those two Arab parties are the only two currently with representation in the Knesset (the Israeli Communist Party — “Hadash” — is integrated between Jews and Arabs, and there are Arab MKs scattered amongst the other parties). But there are other smaller Arab parties running in the upcoming races, most notably the Arab Centre Party

    2) The Israeli Supreme Court is likely to overturn the decision — this same move was attempted a few times in the past, and thus far the Israeli high court has consistently shot it down. The only party ever successfully banned in Israel is the fanatically racist Kach Party formed by the late Rabbi Meir Kahane (now considered a terrorist organization by Israel and the United States). That case was what set the precedent for when a party can be banned in Israel, namely by:

    (1) negation of the existence of the State of Israel as the state of the Jewish people;
    (2) negation of the democratic character of the State
    (3) incitement to racism

    3) Parties that definitively support a two-state solution include: Kadima, Labor, Meretz, Gil, and reportedly the United Arab List as well — that’s 64 MKs out of 120 total. Add in Shas’, which is surprisingly “swingy” on the issue for a religious party, and the total moves to 76. Subtract the UAL, and the total is 60 — exactly half the parliament.

    Hadash and Balad (3 MKs each) both support two states but oppose having remaining Israeli state be “Jewish”.

    Parties flatly opposed to a two-state solution include Likud (12 MKs), Yisrael Beiteinu (11 MKs) National Union/National Religious Party (9 MKs).

    I don’t know the position of United Torah Judaism (6 MKs)

  5. Religion is a disease. Poverty is a disease. Overpopulation is a desese. Lack of education causes the disease of the mind.
    Feminism is the most important movement the world will ever have. All countries where women do not have sexual and political rights are sh*t holes.
    Men dominate religion yet statisticly do almost 90% of the violence. Why would any women listen to some guy named god about ethics and morality? Lets give the women half the power- preferebly ones who are not diseased with religion, and see how nice the world could be. Humm?

  7. Economics:

    Religion is a disease. Poverty is a disease. Overpopulation is a desese. Lack of education causes the disease of the mind.

    Wait–wait, just a second–

    Overpopulation is a desese. Lack of education causes the disease of the mind.

    I think I need more of a magnifying glass.

    … desese. Lack of education causes…

    Oh…oh, sweetheart.

  8. Um, actually the best answer, but not insightful enough to “get it”. Umkay.
    Ah, i think it was -oh I don’t know- some dude named John something or other who said “no religion”. Like- um, i guess if there were none, no one would have anything, um, to fight over. No boundaries of countries, no dick tater tot. BUt that will never happen. So even talking about a SOLUTION is rediculous- they have to fight- if they can;t fight whats the point of living? It will never, ever stop. EVER.

  9. But whatever- I guess fighting is fun, and religion is awesome and hopeful, and what faith is about. Gosh, science is so- silly as a way to find resolve. I like our imminent extinction, or Idocracy. I mean, if Luke wilson will be around, thats not so bad. I think that movie is SO AWESOME AND helpful to this very situation. I mean yea, it is the bigger picture, but whatever, god will save us all in the end- it is not a symptom of a bigger problem.

  12. Well, they banned parties, but not Arab MKs; several non-Arab parties have Israeli Arabs among their MKs. This isn’t *exactly* *simply* racist, but of course it’s depressing and wrong-headed that they’re treating the Arab parties as total fifth columns instead of just internal dissidents.

    Meh. Still better to be Arab in Israel than… anywhere else…

  13. Economics,
    If you’re trying to point out the superiority of science and rationality over religion, I don’t see how quoting an idealistic pop song advances your argument.

  15. Economics,

    No boundaries of countries

    You SERIOUSLY believe the only reason countries have boundaries and wars is religion? Wow, just wow. It’s as if things like limited natural resources and cultural differences and racism don’t exist!

    Muslims and Jews spent large chunks of history getting along reasonably well (certainly better than Jews and Christians did during those times). It’s not all about religion there, either. And the Mongol Empire was exceptionally religiously tolerant, but the Mongols still liked to conquer people and take their stuff. They didn’t care what religion people practiced as long as they acknowledged the Mongols as their rulers and provided tribute and labor.

    I’m not going to argue that religion is always or even often a force for peace and brotherhood, but blaming all the world’s ills on religion is spectacularly simplistic.

  16. “Still better to be Arab in Israel than… anywhere else…”…

    Really?

    Are you an Arab? Are you living with second-class citizen rights in Israel? Or first class in almost any other country, where laws prohibit apartheid based on religion?

  17. Pingback: Gaza news and blog updates - Kitties Attack!

  18. “Still better to be Arab in Israel than… anywhere else…”

    well, now, that’s just factually incorrect, but ok.

    Economics, what in the good lord’s name are you talking about? I can’t even respond to your arguments because they make absolutely no sense.

  20. Fucked up, yes. Disenfranchisement… I think the original post needs to be clearer about specifying this was NOT a move to outlaw Arab Israelis from voting or being elected to the Knesset.

    Not only is there is widespread criticism of this move from many major Israeli political parties, but one of the people on the committee who voted for it openly admits that “I know it won’t stand up in the Supreme Court, and rightly so, because there is no evidentiary basis for the [committee’s] decision.” It’s a stupid and offensive symbolic move they know will be overturned, not genuine evidence of an apartheid state.

    David in post 4 does a good job illuminating the background and details. I do think it’s worth highlighting again that the only successfully banned political party in Israel’s history was an uber-right-wing Jewish Israeli nationalist one.

  21. Well, hey, it’s a modern economy with more freedom of speech than you’ll find anywhere in the Arab world, more womens’ rights than you’ll find anywhere in the Arab world, more due process than you’ll find anywhere in the Arab world, more reasonable laws than you’ll find almost anywhere in the Arab world, more Democratic rights than you’ll find anywhere in the Arab world, more individual liberties than you’ll find anywhere in the Arab world. And, *even with this latest action*, assuming such action gets shot down by the supreme court, Arabs aren’t second-class citizens except with regard to involuntary conscription, to which they’re not subject. There may be social inequality, but legal equality is there, and the social and legal liberties accorded Arab citizens of Israel are far ahead of anything you’ll find in the Arab world. It might be better to be a rich Saudi than a poor Israeli Arab, but is it better to be a *poor* Saudi than a poor Israeli Arab? Is wealth and economic opportunity our only standard?

  23. I wrote a piece at City of Ladies about this latest issue (I’ll repeat: FFS, Israeli government) and about the problematic attitudes of American Jews, particularly of the older generation, towards the conflict:

    Tzedek?

    To clear things up: it’s not all Arab parties that are being banned, but it’s two of the three major ones. Reasons cited are denial of Israel’s right to exist and support of terrorist groups. These two parties (Balad and United Arab List-Ta’al) support a two-state solution; I talk in my piece about how a two-state solution is the only possible way to make things fair and right for everyone while keeping up some kind of Jewish-default state. (Also about how Jewish Democrats are completely Republican when it comes to Israel.)

  24. I live in a relatively poor Arab country, and despite societal problems here, I’ve yet to meet anyone who’s dying to move to Israel – even among people who have family there. Some of those uncivilized, unenlightened, scaaary Arabs care about their homes and countries, and take a measure of pride in them, y’know.

    More importantly, who the hell are you to decide whether or not it’s “good” to be a poor Saudi or anyone else for that matter? Condescend much? Saudis are individuals, just like any other group of people. Plenty of conservative Muslims love life in Saudi Arabia, and not all of them are the ones driving Ferraris. I could never relate to that way of life, I doubt you could either – but stop pretending that the Arab world is some sort of monolith, and that everyone here experiences life in exactly the same way.

    Sheesh.

  25. You know what… It’s amazing how racism against Arabs is considered cool by some, even when you are in a progressive atmosphere.

    Tell you what, Flash, the next time a police officer shoots an unarmed black man in the States – why not comfort his parents with something like – “but hey, why aren’t you grateful you don’t live in, like, Ghana? I mean, there’s poverty there! Where are your priorities?!”

    Do Rush Limbaugh proud. Those ungrateful dark people – how dare they complain, you know?!

  26. Well, hey, it’s a modern economy with more freedom of speech than you’ll find anywhere in the Arab world, more womens’ rights than you’ll find anywhere in the Arab world, more due process than you’ll find anywhere in the Arab world, more reasonable laws than you’ll find almost anywhere in the Arab world, more Democratic rights than you’ll find anywhere in the Arab world, more individual liberties than you’ll find anywhere in the Arab world. And, *even with this latest action*, assuming such action gets shot down by the supreme court, Arabs aren’t second-class citizens except with regard to involuntary conscription, to which they’re not subject. There may be social inequality, but legal equality is there, and the social and legal liberties accorded Arab citizens of Israel are far ahead of anything you’ll find in the Arab world.

    Dunno, Flash, Lebanon was doing pretty hot until–wait–oh, right. Shoot. Huh.

    Also, pal, how are you defining “the Arab world”? Anywhere Arabs live? Anywhere majority-Arab? Anywhere with, like, Muslims or something? Because the “Arab world” in my world is wherever there are Arabs–and that’s the whole world. And so’s “the Muslim world”–a terrifying place that’s somehow managed to have far more female heads of state than most “Western” countries I can think of put together.
    And you know what? Most of them are probably not eating their hearts out wishing they could live in enlightened Israel, where even barbarians like themselves are accorded a significant portion of the rights of citizens, despite their apparent constitutional ability to govern themselves. Poor backward folk.

  27. RE: (1) negation of the existence of the State of Israel as the state of the Jewish people”

    Just so everybody understands; you can’t be recognized as a legitimate political party unless your platform endorses Israel as a “Jewish State.” That means if you want Israel to be a secular democracy that grants equal rights to all its citizens regardless of religion you would not be allowed to be a recognized political party. This was the rule BEFORE the Arab political parties were banned. It’s essentially the same as being able to vote for any political party in Iran (which requires parties to affirm Iran as an “Islamic State”). By the way, in Israel your religion is displayed on your ID card / drivers license so the Jewish soldier or police can check to determine whether you are the wrong religion when you go to a movie theater or to the shopping mall. If you are an Israeli Arab and you marry a Palestinian your spouse can’t live with you in Israel. And on and on…

  28. RE 27. noodles:
    Just a quick correction, only older National ID cards (teudat zehut) have the religion displayed on them. All National ID cards issued after 2001 or 2002, somewhere around that time, do not have the religion displayed on them (such as my own National ID card).

    Also, not all soldiers in the IDF are Jewish. You probably meant to say Israeli soldier or police. Either way, soldiers and police usually aren’t standing guard in malls or movie theaters, but rather just hired security guards.

  29. Just so everybody understands; you can’t be recognized as a legitimate political party unless your platform endorses Israel as a “Jewish State.” That means if you want Israel to be a secular democracy that grants equal rights to all its citizens regardless of religion you would not be allowed to be a recognized political party.
    I know. It’s screwed up. (I talk about this in my piece also. *advertises piece*) And people tout Israel as so much better than all those Middle Eastern theocracies.

    I hope the courts overturn this before the election, it’s BS.

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