Israeli Elections -- Bad Omens
Israelis have gone to the polls today to elect a new parliament and new prime minister. The latest polls suggest that Kadima Party leader Tzipi Livni is closing in on right wing Likud Party leader Benyamin Netanyahu, but even if the more moderate Livni wins, she'll have to reach out to other parties to form a government, and the fascist-like Yisrael Beiteinu party is closing in on third place, making it the king-maker. The Israeli left is either dead or in hibernation, and likely to play a small part in this effort.
Netanyahu promises to expand the settlements and make no territorial concessions. If elected there will be no efforts at working toward a 2 state solution. The Yisrael Beiteinu party platform calls for a 2 state solution, but one that requires Israeli Arabs to either leave or take an oath of allegiance to the Jewish state -- not all that democratic really.
I pray for a miracle here, but the US, if this rightward trend continues is going to have to put pressure on Israel, lest trends toward apartheid lead to full blown apartheid in the occupied territories. Pray for George Mitchell!
Netanyahu promises to expand the settlements and make no territorial concessions. If elected there will be no efforts at working toward a 2 state solution. The Yisrael Beiteinu party platform calls for a 2 state solution, but one that requires Israeli Arabs to either leave or take an oath of allegiance to the Jewish state -- not all that democratic really.
I pray for a miracle here, but the US, if this rightward trend continues is going to have to put pressure on Israel, lest trends toward apartheid lead to full blown apartheid in the occupied territories. Pray for George Mitchell!
Comments
I understand your concern with the direction of the Israeli political establishment, but I want to point out of facts that should soften your concern.
a) As history has shown us, peace agreements negotiated with the Israeli right wing are longe lasting than those on the left. Take Egypt, for example, it was negotiated by Menachem Begin, a rightist, and it's one of the most successful peace agreements in history. Yitzhak Rabin, who was a radical leftist, negotiated the sloppiest agreement with Arafat, who had no intention of giving up his terrorist habits.
2) The Israeli right can execute more difficult choices than the left. Ariel Sharon, the epithemy of extreme right, is the one that closed down settlements, both in 1979 on the Sinai peninsula and in 2005 in Gaza. The left doesn't have the courage to take difficult action; they're only good to promote ideas.
3) Avigdor Lieberman, the head of the semi-racist Yisrael Beiteinu extreme right party, has come a long way from his extreme past. In fact, he has long abandoned the policies you are mentioning -- removing Arabs who are not loyal. He now suggests annexing Arab towns to the West Bank in exchange of annexing settlements to Israel.