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Supporting the only (sort of) democracy in the Middle East...

... is often given as one of the reasons for unwavering US support of Israel.

Of course, that democracy has just banned its two largest Arab parties (Balad and UAL-T) from participating in the upcoming Knesset elections, which will prevent more than half the Arab Israeli citizens already in the parliament from running for re-election.

These have to be extremist parties, right? Parties dedicated to the destruction of Israel, right?

Well, not exactly:

The Arab parties earned the ire of the most hawkish elements in the Israeli government by publicly opposing the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip. Balad likewise made enemies by explicitly calling for equal rights for all citizens of Israel, regardless of national or ethnic identity, which the ruling Kadima Party said would “undermine Israel’s identity as a Jewish state.”


I'd come up with a really snappy sentence to end this post, but--with both the US Senate and House having voted nearly unanimously in favor of giving Israel a blank check--I'm so astounded to find that this anti-democratic act doesn't penetrate the American psyche that I'm....

Comments

Hube said…
From the AP's article on same:

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 some of Israel's staunchest enemies, including Lebanon and Syria.

That would've been enough for the Obama-compared-to Abe Lincoln to have them thrown in jail and/or exiled from the country.

Just sayin'.

(Nevertheless, interesting article and points made, Steve.)
Hube said…
Oh, in the AP story it also [interestingly] mentions that the last party to be banned was the far-right Kach Party, led by the late Rabbi Meir Kahane. It advocated the expulsion of all Arabs from Israel.
tom said…
It didn't happen in the US & it doesn't involve any pop-culture icons. it might have scrolled across CNN's bottom of screen news ticker a few times, but that is probably the extent of the MSM TV coverage it got.

Instead of penetrating the American psyche, you'd be lucky if half the 0.01% of the population that actually gets their news by reading noticed that it happened.
Delaware Watch said…
It's also illegal to talk about Israel's nuclear weapons program in Israel making it immune to criticism about it. How's that for democracy?
Anonymous said…
There is too much war in the world, peace between gaza and israel will be good for all.
Hube said…
Is that true, Dana? I didn't know that. I know the program isn't "official;" however, one can get jailed for asking about it/opining on it?

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