Azmi Bishara last week (April 22nd.) announced his resignation from the Israeli Knesset amid a controversial investigation on charges of collaborating with the enemy (i.e. Syria whom Israel is still technically at war with.) and aiding Hezbollah during the recent Israeli attack on Lebanon.
Bishara is one of the small number of Arab Israeli's that make up the current Knesset (Arab Israeli's hold 12 out of 120 of the seats in the current Knesset.) and this isn't the first time Bishara among other Arab members of the Knesset have come under fire. In the 2003 national elections the right wing Herut party attempted to ban Bishara's Balad party (Also known as the NDA.) and another Arab party Ta'al headed by Ahmad Tibi from the elections on charges of supporting terrorism and for not accepting Israel's status as a Jewish state. The ban was approved and passed by the Committee but was later appealed and overturned by the Israeli Supreme council. This followed a previous charge in which he was stripped of his legal immunity, a right given to all members of the Knesset (And most other forms of parliament in other countries around the world.) to allow free and open discussion of political ideas without fear of political persecution.
Bashiri now claims to have been the victim of political intimidation and conspiracy because of his outspoken views against the use of military force against the Palestinians and the treatment of Arabs as second class citizens within the state of Israel. Ahmad Tibi the leader of the Ta'al party also claims to have been subjected to simillar treatment because of his views and opinions on israeli policy.
But while we see the likes of Tibi and Bashiri being politically discriminated against and ostracized for their left wing views and some would even go as far to say simply because of their race we see far-right wing parties coming to the forefront of Israeli politics. One clear example of this has been the rise in strength of Avigdor Lieberman's Yisrael Beiteinu party who now holds the position of deputy Prime Minister and who's party has now become a member of the coalition Kadima government now in power.
Avigdor Liberman has been a very controversial figure in Israeli politics for quite some time for his outspoken hard-line extrememist ideas. The Haaretz newspaper compared him to Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in his extremities. Amoung his most controversial ideas have been those to destroy the Aswan dam and drown Egypt for collaborating with the PLO, the drowning all Palestinian prisoners held by Israel in the Red Sea even going so far as to offer the buses to take them there, the execution of all Arab members of the Knesset and the expulsion of all Arabs living within the state of Israel among other blood curdling declarations. A number of MK's (Members of the Knesset.) show deep oposition to Lieberman's ideas and policies and one member of the Knesset even resigned after his appointment as deputy Prime Minister.
A few years ago scholars, politicians, writers and academics were warning of the extremism in Israeli politics represented by the likes of Lieberman and his Beiteinu party but most simply discarded him as representing only a very small minority of Israeli public and political opinion. It is beyond most people's worst case scenarios that this man is now the deputy Prime Minister of Israel and topped a 2006 poll of who Israeli's would like to see become the next Prime Minister. The thought that this man could become the next Premier of Israel is quite honestly a very disturbing and worrying though.
You have to wonder to what extent this sudden tip to the far right in Israeli politics is represented in Israeli public opinion as whole. Is it merely the result of a small group ambitious heavy handed politicians scrambling for power or is it genuinely representative of a new-found hardline anti-Arab, anti-Palestinian sentiment in the people of Israel. A country who's public opinion just a few years ago showed strong support for peace with Palestine and was even strongly critical of Israel's policies.
It seems ever since Ehud Barak and his goverments failure to achieve peace with Palestine at the camp david talks the Israeli people have been sliding evermore to the right. Perhaps Barak's failure was viewed as a sincere and genuine drive for peace by Israel but ended in total failure. Essentially the only things Israel got out of the talks was a reignited intifada an intensification in attacks and anti-Israeli sentiment within Palestine. Israel lost confidence in the possibility of forming a lasting peace with Palestine and reconcile their differences and so fell back on right wing tendencies. The matter was further confounded by the election of Hamas in the 2006 Palestinian elections and the threats made by Iran's Ahmadinejad and would explain the sudden rise in popularity of people like Lieberman and Beiteinu and other right wing political parties. Unfortunatley a step toward the right is a step backwards for the Israeli people and a step away achieving peace. A peace wanted on both sides, a peace needed for the security of Isreal and a peace needed for the liberation of the Palestinian people.
Bishara is one of the small number of Arab Israeli's that make up the current Knesset (Arab Israeli's hold 12 out of 120 of the seats in the current Knesset.) and this isn't the first time Bishara among other Arab members of the Knesset have come under fire. In the 2003 national elections the right wing Herut party attempted to ban Bishara's Balad party (Also known as the NDA.) and another Arab party Ta'al headed by Ahmad Tibi from the elections on charges of supporting terrorism and for not accepting Israel's status as a Jewish state. The ban was approved and passed by the Committee but was later appealed and overturned by the Israeli Supreme council. This followed a previous charge in which he was stripped of his legal immunity, a right given to all members of the Knesset (And most other forms of parliament in other countries around the world.) to allow free and open discussion of political ideas without fear of political persecution.
Bashiri now claims to have been the victim of political intimidation and conspiracy because of his outspoken views against the use of military force against the Palestinians and the treatment of Arabs as second class citizens within the state of Israel. Ahmad Tibi the leader of the Ta'al party also claims to have been subjected to simillar treatment because of his views and opinions on israeli policy.
But while we see the likes of Tibi and Bashiri being politically discriminated against and ostracized for their left wing views and some would even go as far to say simply because of their race we see far-right wing parties coming to the forefront of Israeli politics. One clear example of this has been the rise in strength of Avigdor Lieberman's Yisrael Beiteinu party who now holds the position of deputy Prime Minister and who's party has now become a member of the coalition Kadima government now in power.
Avigdor Liberman has been a very controversial figure in Israeli politics for quite some time for his outspoken hard-line extrememist ideas. The Haaretz newspaper compared him to Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in his extremities. Amoung his most controversial ideas have been those to destroy the Aswan dam and drown Egypt for collaborating with the PLO, the drowning all Palestinian prisoners held by Israel in the Red Sea even going so far as to offer the buses to take them there, the execution of all Arab members of the Knesset and the expulsion of all Arabs living within the state of Israel among other blood curdling declarations. A number of MK's (Members of the Knesset.) show deep oposition to Lieberman's ideas and policies and one member of the Knesset even resigned after his appointment as deputy Prime Minister.
A few years ago scholars, politicians, writers and academics were warning of the extremism in Israeli politics represented by the likes of Lieberman and his Beiteinu party but most simply discarded him as representing only a very small minority of Israeli public and political opinion. It is beyond most people's worst case scenarios that this man is now the deputy Prime Minister of Israel and topped a 2006 poll of who Israeli's would like to see become the next Prime Minister. The thought that this man could become the next Premier of Israel is quite honestly a very disturbing and worrying though.
You have to wonder to what extent this sudden tip to the far right in Israeli politics is represented in Israeli public opinion as whole. Is it merely the result of a small group ambitious heavy handed politicians scrambling for power or is it genuinely representative of a new-found hardline anti-Arab, anti-Palestinian sentiment in the people of Israel. A country who's public opinion just a few years ago showed strong support for peace with Palestine and was even strongly critical of Israel's policies.
It seems ever since Ehud Barak and his goverments failure to achieve peace with Palestine at the camp david talks the Israeli people have been sliding evermore to the right. Perhaps Barak's failure was viewed as a sincere and genuine drive for peace by Israel but ended in total failure. Essentially the only things Israel got out of the talks was a reignited intifada an intensification in attacks and anti-Israeli sentiment within Palestine. Israel lost confidence in the possibility of forming a lasting peace with Palestine and reconcile their differences and so fell back on right wing tendencies. The matter was further confounded by the election of Hamas in the 2006 Palestinian elections and the threats made by Iran's Ahmadinejad and would explain the sudden rise in popularity of people like Lieberman and Beiteinu and other right wing political parties. Unfortunatley a step toward the right is a step backwards for the Israeli people and a step away achieving peace. A peace wanted on both sides, a peace needed for the security of Isreal and a peace needed for the liberation of the Palestinian people.
