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Last update - 10:17 10/07/2008 The ever-rising price By Ze'ev Sternhell Tags: Citizenship law, Israel The cost of the existence of the Jewish nation-state as an occupier is constantly on the rise. In an article published here two weeks ago, Haaretz publisher Amos Schocken took the bull by the horns: Israel is on the way to apartheid. Indeed, the "temporary" changes in the Citizenship Law from 2003, followed by attempts by Justice Minister Daniel Friedmann to remove the new legislation from judicial oversight, are another phase in the desperate search for ways to build a wall between people as a substitute for an international border. If such a border had existed between Israel and the state of Palestine, it is reasonable to assume that the number of marriages between Israeli citizens and foreigners would be very limited, and the idea of special legislation for Arab Israelis would not have even come up. This is only one more aspect of the damage caused by our inability to put an end to the occupation. In fact, like other national movements, Zionism had a great deal of difficulty assimilating universal values except those like self-determination, which were in keeping with national claims. Zionist socialism was the first victim of national particularism. As long as the occupation of the land was ongoing, up to the victory in the War of Independence, the price may have been inevitable. However, it very quickly emerged that socialism had been dealt a mortal blow. The habits, concepts and principles that had been shaped during the days of the the pre-state Jewish community were too strong to change after the establishment of the state. Nevertheless, in other areas, especially at the beginning of the post-Ben-Gurion period, great progress was made, as attested among other things by the abrogation of the military government in 1965. Advertisement The Six Day War took Israel back an entire generation. It has now become clear that colonial rule encourages the mixture of populations, and occupation requires seeking destructive solutions in terms of human rights. We should not delude ourselves: A democracy of lords will not last long. If we consciously create second-class citizens, if we anchor discrimination in a law armed against the intervention of the Supreme Court - the only gatekeeper of our liberty - we necessarily undermine the foundations of democracy. Universal rights are the heart and soul of a democracy; the moment these are denied to some segments of the population, they will eventually wither away for everyone. The worst thing of all is anchoring discrimination in law: then it becomes the norm, and society becomes accustomed to it. People will be able to sleep peacefully then, too. After all, the Knesset has spoken, and this is a country of law and the rule of law. Anyone who would turn to international courts would be considered a traitor, because after all, everyone persecutes the Jews. If the International Court in The Hague finds that the laws of the land do not conform to the rules of justice, and it notes that some norms, when trampled, call for those who trample them to be removed from the family of nations, its judges will be considered anti-Semites. It should be noted that barbaric laws existed not only in the worst dictatorships known in the 20th century, but also in the democratic United States. Less than 50 years ago, cruel racial oppression prevailed in the southern United States. Thus it is not enough for a law to pass in the Knesset for it to be worthy of a free society: Its content must meet the test of universal norms. No other people in the world should know this better than the Jews. Their expulsion and destruction were made possible because first of all it was declared that universal norms - thanks to whose victory in the French Revolution the Jews were liberated - endangered the nation. Subsequently special laws for various populations replaced them, and at the end of the process the Jews ceased being considered human beings. Special laws for Jews, known as race laws, were enacted in the 20th century in the three largest countries in Western Europe, which shows that everyone is capable of everything. The Citizenship Law discriminates against a certain category of citizens and it is therefore illegitimate. In this case the practical, reasonable solution is an international border. Even then, not all the problems will be solved; far from it. But a conflict between countries is always less severe than a conflict between sects or ethnic groups. Moreover, the more one looks at the reality emerging here, the deeper the awareness that if an end is not put to the occupation, the occupation will put an end to the Jewish state. If territories are not evacuated, it will be the settlements that at the end of the day will establish a common political framework for everyone living between the Jordan and the Mediterranean, thus creating a multi-national, multi-cultural, androgynous entity, turning Zionism into a passing episode. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Smoking kills Tehran slams McCain for saying cigarettes could be used to kill Iranians. Case of deja vu Olmert and his office chief Shula Zaken were accused of similar charges back in 1991.   1.   Secular prophet... 10:34  |  Esther 10/07/08   2.   Typical demographic fear tactics 10:39  |  David G 10/07/08   3.   What will the image of Israel be in 5 years? 10:42  |  Natallie Durson 10/07/08   4.   Its already an aparthied state. 10:57  |  Ibrahim 10/07/08   5.   Israel, the abused child becomes the abusing adult 10:59  |  Michael 10/07/08   6.   #1 David G 11:05  |  David S 10/07/08   7.   Deja vu 11:19  |  Sam 10/07/08   8.   Nathalie Durson 11:44  |  Avraham 10/07/08   9.   Choices 12:06  |  T. Breaden 10/07/08   10.   living in a zionist bubble - apartheid is racism 12:55  |  elle klein 10/07/08   11.   2~# 13:00  |  A.M. 10/07/08   12.   With the Palestinians are in disarray and the world 13:58  |  Akram Zekaria 10/07/08   13.   #2 missing the point 14:10  |  T. Breaden 10/07/08   14.   Such arch-Israeli names,Zeev,Amos,Amira,Akiva-all hating Israel 14:35  |  Absolute Sweden 10/07/08   15.   Re David G #2..."It is only a question of will." 14:54  |  Esther 10/07/08   16.   Sternhell`s claim not backed by evidence 15:27  |  Realist 10/07/08   17.   Z`Ev Sternhell 15:52  |  Baruch Hashem 10/07/08   18.   Your Ideals are misplaced Israel is a Jewish Country for Jewish 15:56  |  Shachar 10/07/08   19.   Go to France 16:08  |  Herbert Kaine 10/07/08   20.   They gave this zero a prize, incredible 16:22  |  Ilan 10/07/08   21.   Inhumane laws are everyday stuff 16:27  |  TimothyL 10/07/08   22.   No state should be forced to admit citizens of a hostile entity 17:18  |  McQueen 10/07/08   23.   Sternhell should go live in Sderot- enjoy HIS ideas in action! 17:25  |  The Historian 10/07/08   24.   But we retreated from Aza - that`s why sderot is being bombed! 17:28  |  The Nonsense Exposer 10/07/08   25.   Author should move to Otef Aza - Enjoy LandforPiss he supported 17:31  |  Moishe 10/07/08   26.   To #6 David S 17:48  |  David G 10/07/08   27.   #is #2, David, proposing that West Bank Arabs be allowed to vote? 17:53  |  newageblues 10/07/08   28.   Another idiotic, exaggerated, anti-Israel editorial from haaretz 18:03  |  yeah 10/07/08   29.   The ever-rising price 18:19  |  Peter M 10/07/08   30.   israel be strong! 18:30  |  southerner 10/07/08   31.   Not on the way to aparthied; it hhas been there for awhile 18:37  |  American in NY 10/07/08   32.   The Ever Rising Cost of Lefty Idiocy 18:38  |  tod zuckerman 10/07/08   33.   Correction, Israel is Priceless! It is eternal Jewish state 19:27  |  David 10/07/08   34.   "Apartheid" is Libel 19:34  |  Scharker Yid 10/07/08   35.   Sharker Yid # 34 20:07  |  American in NY 10/07/08   36.   Israel is not an occupier. Israel is a liberator 20:14  |  David 10/07/08   37.   Whats wrong with Aparteid ? 20:32  |  harold 10/07/08   38.   Hey David 33 Israel isn`t eternal. It`s stolen from Canaanites. 20:51  |  Michael 10/07/08   39.   Just Haaretz parroting the hamas theology 20:53  |  Arie 10/07/08   40.   Haaretz proving why its talkbacks are havens for antisemites 20:56  |  Arie 10/07/08   41.   to David G # 36 21:08  |  Yossu 10/07/08   42.   To Natalie-the image of Israel in 5 yrs? 21:20  |  Arie 10/07/08   43.   The idea of Israel confronts uncomfortable realities 21:23  |  Robert 10/07/08   44.   arie 40 21:59  |  potobac 10/07/08   45.   The COST to WORLD ECONOMY much greater 22:08  |  candida 10/07/08   46.   This is not new, Leftists, Arabs, Antisemites declared Israel 22:38  |  Genuine Tosefta 10/07/08   47.   35, American in NY re: apartheid 22:49  |  Gideon 10/07/08   48.   The sooner That Israel.... 00:20  |  Gray 11/07/08   49.   #40: Talkbacks are havens for morons, maybe? 00:32  |  Ruth 11/07/08   50.   To 41# --Yossu -- That is fine by me 00:49  |  David G 11/07/08   51.   Israel is far worse than apartheid South Africa ever was 01:18  |  Chanalau, Tova 11/07/08   52.   Sternhall trying to alter doomed course 03:08  |  Truth 11/07/08   53.   Can A Jewish State Exist With a Majority of Secular Lefties And 05:28  |  Joseph.E 11/07/08   54.   TOVA 05:37  |  Jane 11/07/08   55.   To Avraham #8 - Your Statement is Totally Inaccurate! 06:02  |  Monitor 11/07/08   56.   to #18 Shacar Maybe we should work on a Christian only USA! 06:09  |  Monitor 11/07/08   57.   # 43 Robert - Totally Agree! 06:49  |  Monitor 11/07/08   58.   #45 To candida the candid 08:45  |  Hastaroth 11/07/08   59.   An article I didn`t write 09:48  |  Joe 11/07/08   60.   The Chanalau Phenomenon is far worse than Nazi Germany 10:48  |  Genuine Tosefta 11/07/08   61.   WAKE UP YOUR IN THE GODAMN MIDDLE EAST!!!!!!!!! 18:40  |  Ariel Ben Gurion 11/07/08   62.   Gideon # 47 Lets do continue re: Jewish apartheid 18:31  |  American in NY 12/07/08   63.   mixing o f religion and politics responsible 22:12  |  Jo 12/07/08

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