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Last update - 09:29 29/10/2006 It's not racism, it's just patriotism By Zvi Bar'el A racist, a transferist, a hater of Arabs, an embarrassment to democracy; indict him, expel him from the Knesset - these are only a few of the curses hurled at Avigdor Lieberman by politicians and publicists. It is as if Lieberman were something the cat dragged home from the Lebanon war garbage dump and not the house cat itself. Indeed, it seems that the anger is not about what Lieberman says or plans to do "with the Arabs in Israel," but is directed instead at Ehud Olmert and the Labor Party for being ready to sit with the abomination. What has not been said is that it is spin designed to help Olmert survive, that Olmert and Benjamin Netanyahu are one and the same, that the Labor Party is a rag and that the left-wing parties will evaporate if they agree to sit with Lieberman. The "spin" was annoying. Perhaps Lieberman, the man, was indeed hard to swallow. But no one said anything about the essence of the party, Yisrael Beiteinu. About the fact that a Kahanist offshoot was able to germinate in Jewish society, to develop branches and toxic fruits, and to take Israeli politics by storm. Not a single political party took to the streets to protest the very existence of a party based on a racist platform, not a peep was heard when the extreme right-wing, settler parties attacked Lieberman, claiming that he is lending legitimacy to the creep Olmert, the same "scoundrel" who championed the unilateral disengagement and planned, before fleeing back to his hole, to also carry out a unilateral realignment. Until just a moment ago, these law-flouting settlers believed Lieberman was a friend - and he turns out to be a traitor. They also have no problem with the Lieberman platform. Advertisement "Transfer? What's the big deal?" I remember a longtime settler from Neve Dekalim saying. "Just like they expel us from our land, we can also expel them, and it isn't even their land." The fascist alliance between the settler-style right and the Lieberman-style right is, therefore, accepted as self-evident. After all, what is the difference between Effi Eitam, who spoke about expelling Arabs, and Lieberman? The political doctrine is identical, and so is the political path. Both sit in the Knesset spouting the slogan that Israel is for the Jews. Excuse me, Israel is for the patriots. And who else can be a patriot? This is the equation of identity that the extreme right has succeeded in planting: Your loyalty to the homeland is measured by how anti-Arab you are. This is the heart of the trap in which the left is caught. Because it turns out that in order to expel fascism, the left-wing parties must be portrayed as protectors of the Arabs in Israel, to tell the public that they are opposed to the expulsion of Arabs, that racism is prohibited in the Jewish state. But such statements, like it or not, are a political trap from which there is only one way out: It's not important what Lieberman says or thinks, the Labor Party's master formulators say, the important thing is what he will do. It is as if thoughts, ideas and racist notions have a bedroom of their own, a sealed room that does not affect the public. And so, it is easier to give an Arab a position of deputy minister or committee chairman - as long as one is not seen as an "Arab lover." It is easier to issue a directive to teach about the Kafr Qassem massacre, than heaven forbid quitting the government. Let's put the Arabs aside for a moment, they say in the Labor Party, we have a "social agenda" and we need to sometimes compromise a bit for its sake. "Compromise a bit?" Ah. But even this social agenda pertains to one society, the Jewish one. There are no Arabs in it. It turns out that Arabs are a burden. They hinder proponents of equal rights from appearing as true patriots. Indeed, with 78 MKs in the coalition - Israel has not had such political stability in generations - it is possible not only to design agendas but also to realize them. But this is stability that will not advance any agenda - neither equality of rights for Arabs nor a political process. Only the stability of the principle of transfer can be preserved there, in a warm and comfortable place in the center of Israeli politics. Even more grievous, this is the same government stability that will please the voters who will also support Liebermanism in the next elections. Bookmark to del.icio.us   UN hushes Human Rights Council observes moment of silence for Gaza 'martyrs.' Hitler's sign Document shows that British spies hired a flamboyant astrologer in World War II.   1.   all racists and fascists once claimed to be patriots 10:07  |  KMS 29/10/06   2.   Barel: When you have no argument, you turn to slogans 10:08  |  AA 29/10/06   3.   it`s not racism 10:24  |  joe 29/10/06   4.   Population transfer between Pakistan and India - Racism? 10:39  |  Ariel 29/10/06   5.   Zvi Bar`el 10:44  |  Choni 29/10/06   6.   A Nation without constitution 10:52  |  Lena 29/10/06   7.   joe 11:02  |  A.M. 29/10/06   8.   All That`s "Left": Pathological Hatred of Bibi 11:13  |  Ovadiah ben Avraham 29/10/06   9.   Most Palestinians have already been transferred 11:28  |  Lebanese admirer 29/10/06   10.   The outpost of racism 11:31  |  Marco 29/10/06   11.   Transfer of Arabs. 11:34  |  Lebanese admirer 29/10/06   12.   Lieberman 11:36  |  Boris Gorbis 29/10/06   13.   Lieberman is not for transfer, but for the two states solution 11:38  |  Shlomo from Tel-Aviv 29/10/06   14.   When facts hurt, ignore `em! 11:42  |  Z Lando 29/10/06   15.   To Lena #6 11:44  |  Choni 29/10/06   16.   It`s not Journalism (either!) 11:45  |  Z Lando 29/10/06   17.   schlomo 11:52  |  A.M. 29/10/06   18.   "author" of the Jewish constitution? 12:04  |  Andreas 29/10/06   19.   Lena 12:07  |  Jasmine Murphy 29/10/06   20.   To Choni 12:07  |  Lena 29/10/06   21.   Lieberman says what many think as Arabs support Hezbollah 12:13  |  arthur 29/10/06   22.   lebanese admirer "the creation of the jewish state was a fluke" 12:21  |  zadok the priest 29/10/06   23.   how sad!!! 12:23  |  wadha 29/10/06   24.   lebanese admirer 12:24  |  zadok the priest 29/10/06   25.   how will it be in 2050 12:45  |  Danny 29/10/06   26.   zeev`s point 12:49  |  zadok the priest 29/10/06   27.   zeev and jordan 12:54  |  zadok the priest 29/10/06   28.   This is not racism or fascism but only a matter of good sense!! 12:54  |  Moshe 29/10/06   29.   zeev the bedouins of jordan do not do 12:57  |  zadok the priest 29/10/06   30.   Giving away your home..... 12:57  |  Lebanese admirer 29/10/06   31.   Zadok the Idiot 13:20  |  Lebanese admirer 29/10/06   32.   lebanese admirer "can you name another nation" 13:33  |  zadok the priest 29/10/06   33.   lebanese admirer name calling is for the birds 13:51  |  zadok the priest 29/10/06   34.   lebanese admirer name calling is for the birds 13:52  |  zadok the priest 29/10/06   35.   EASTERN JEWS AND LOYALTY... 13:52  |  Messaoud 29/10/06   36.   Ariel in Kfar Sava #4 13:54  |  CHGODMK 29/10/06   37.   lebanese admirer "the palestinians are assimilated" 13:55  |  zadok the priest 29/10/06   38.   CHFCUKMK 14:17  |  Ariel 29/10/06   39.   Zadok 14:31  |  Lebanese admirer 29/10/06   40.   #3 14:35  |  Michael 29/10/06   41.   Messoud 14:42  |  Lebanese admirer 29/10/06   42.   Messoud 14:42  |  Lebanese admirer 29/10/06   43.   Ariel in Kfar Sava: You Prove My Point Again 14:44  |  CHGODMK 29/10/06   44.   for all those who like 15:07  |  cool 29/10/06   45.   Funny Lebanese admirer, I don`t remember there being a palestine 15:14  |  David 29/10/06   46.   Messaoud has got it backwards 15:23  |  Richard 29/10/06   47.   messaoud and mizrahim 15:30  |  moshe gabbai 29/10/06   48.   Love & hate 15:35  |  Altalena 29/10/06   49.   lebanese admirer only part of palestine replaced 15:35  |  zadok the priest 29/10/06   50.   Leftist ignorance 15:42  |  Gene 29/10/06   51.   lebanese admirer "the arab states were right 15:44  |  zadok the priest 29/10/06   52.   #35 Messaoud, MIDDLE EASTERN JEWS 15:45  |  Smadar 29/10/06   53.   lebanese admirer to messoud on mizrahim 15:46  |  zadok the priest 29/10/06   54.   #35 Messaoud, Forgot to mention what officer did do 15:51  |  Smadar 29/10/06   55.   Moshe Gabbai#47... THERE ARE EXPERIENCES... AND EXPERIENCES 15:54  |  Messaoud 29/10/06   56.   Never again? 15:54  |  Dani Reiss 29/10/06   57.   Palestinian Passports 15:57  |  Lebanese admirer 29/10/06   58.   Sephardi Jews 16:00  |  Lebanese admirer 29/10/06   59.   #13 that`s not what he says 16:01  |  Rebekah S 29/10/06   60.   Just More Leftist Hysteria 16:04  |  Terry 29/10/06   61.   Just More Leftist Hysteria 16:04  |  Terry 29/10/06   62.   To Jasmine 16:06  |  Lena 29/10/06   63.   To 35. Messaoud Arab Jews 16:06  |  Altalena 29/10/06   64.   Gene: Leftist Ignorance 16:11  |  CHGODMK 29/10/06   65.   #41, LEBANESE ADMIRER FROM BEIT JALA 16:14  |  Smadar 29/10/06   66.   To 52 Smadar Babylon 16:18  |  Altalena 29/10/06   67.   To Jasmine what about a society in which you lose pluarlism 16:51  |  Richard 29/10/06   68.   ariel you are right 16:55  |  michael 29/10/06   69.   That right Dani Reiss, because Israel isn`t allowed 17:04  |  Richard 29/10/06   70.   #3 Joe 17:27  |  Boycott 29/10/06   71.   Arab Jews 17:28  |  Danny 29/10/06   72.   #4 Ariel 17:33  |  Boycott 29/10/06   73.   Voluntary Transfer and the Lines of Hate 17:38  |  Ronnie Wolman 29/10/06   74.   #16 Choni 17:41  |  Baal 29/10/06   75.   CHGODMK: Is racism in the Gene`s 17:51  |  Ronnie Wolman 29/10/06   76.   Richard 18:06  |  Jasmine Murphy 29/10/06   77.   zadok re naming another nation 18:19  |  quizzical 29/10/06   78.   Palestine Exist 18:25  |  Mervat El-Khatib 29/10/06   79.   What transfer? 18:26  |  Jon Purizhansky 29/10/06   80.   It is just a reaction to the Arab parties 18:27  |  Herbert Kaine 29/10/06   81.   Sephardi = Arab 18:31  |  Lebanese admirer 29/10/06   82.   Jasmine 18:34  |  Lebanese admirer 29/10/06   83.   Lebanese admirer, Giving away your home..... 18:40  |  Bruce 29/10/06   84.   Did Bar`el support the Geneva Accord? 19:02  |  David Teich 29/10/06   85.   Evidence? This piece is not worthy of publication 19:12  |  Shalom Freedman 29/10/06   86.   RIGHT OF RETURN, YES. EXPLUSION, NO 19:13  |  Timothy 29/10/06   87.   `racism is prohibited in the Jewish state` 19:18  |  Colin Wright 29/10/06   88.   To all the racists 19:20  |  Marc T. 29/10/06   89.   #5 Choni that`s a real Gem from you in the GALUT 19:29  |  Ari ben Yisrael 29/10/06   90.   Choni#5 You write 19:32  |  Peter Dale 29/10/06   91.   Israel needs to move towards the Saudi view 19:48  |  Ronnie Wolman 29/10/06   92.   garbage. you are trying to win your argument backwards 20:02  |  ralph 29/10/06   93.   To 88 Marc. Racists 20:19  |  Altalena 29/10/06   94.   To 71. Danny. Arab Jews 20:35  |  Altalena 29/10/06   95.   Israel`s Land Grabs....83 20:36  |  Lebanese admirer 29/10/06   96.   #64 CHGODMK 20:50  |  Gene 29/10/06   97.   Is this kind of like... 20:58  |  Abir 29/10/06   98.   #85. Good point, Shalom Freedman 21:10  |  Polybios 29/10/06   99.   #81. Sephardi not exactly = Arab, but close 21:22  |  Polybios 29/10/06   100.   It`s not racism, it`s just patriotism 21:30  |  n_erber 29/10/06   101.   messaoud "jews buying land in iraq" 21:34  |  zadok the priest 29/10/06   102.   massaoud "it was not the iraqi people who treated you badly" 21:37  |  zadok the priest 29/10/06   103.   lebanese admirer there is no doubt that sephardi 21:48  |  zadok the priest 29/10/06   104.   # 3 joe.YES,YES,YES A HUNDRED PER CENT CORRECT... 22:26  |  Kathy 29/10/06   105.   82 Leb Ad 22:32  |  Jasmine Murphy 29/10/06   106.   Palestine Exist. 22:49  |  Maria 29/10/06   107.   antihuman paper 22:51  |  Mark Tarshis 29/10/06   108.   when did you last here of arabs uprooting jewish olive trees 22:52  |  Danny 29/10/06   109.   CHFCUKMK and Ronnie off the Wall Man 22:53  |  Gabe1 29/10/06   110.   Joe & Kathy transfer more moral than racism? 23:09  |  Danny 29/10/06   111.   Re #4 Ariel wrong: India-Pakistan pop. transfer is not an excuse 23:18  |  Jon A. Friedman 29/10/06   112.   #36, CHGODMK 23:24  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 29/10/06   113.   Talking to transfer advocates 23:32  |  Tosefta 29/10/06   114.   RE: #11 Transfer of Arabs. 23:42  |  David 29/10/06   115.   Peace by Dany from Beirut 23:45  |  TOMY 29/10/06   116.   "Ye shall know them by their works." 23:58  |  Maureen Ann 29/10/06   117.   CHGODMK & Ronnie on transfer 00:07  |  peter 30/10/06   118.   Racism isn`t Part of Israeli-Jews Lexicon , 00:27  |  Joseph E . 30/10/06   119.   Ronnie Wolman 00:42  |  CHGODMK 30/10/06   120.   Misguided Gene #96 00:52  |  CHGODMK 30/10/06   121.   RE: A Nation without constitution 00:58  |  Yosef 30/10/06   122.   My Friend, Cipora #112 01:02  |  CHGODMK 30/10/06   123.   APPORTIONING HATRED 01:11  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 30/10/06   124.   Peter in Montreal 01:12  |  CHGODMK 30/10/06   125.   Joseph E. #118 01:17  |  CHGODMK 30/10/06   126.   Israel`s Land Grabs....95 01:21  |  Bruce 30/10/06   127.   CHFCUKMK #119 01:41  |  Gabe1 30/10/06   128.   #117, peter 01:44  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 30/10/06   129.   Ben Gurion aka Tosefta 01:46  |  Gabe1 30/10/06   130.   Ben Gurion aka Tosefta 01:46  |  Gabe1 30/10/06   131.   Cipora Julianna Kohn 01:53  |  CHGODMK 30/10/06   132.   Tosefta: Aint that easy being Gureen 01:59  |  Ronnie Wolman 30/10/06   133.   #119 02:03  |  JOJO 30/10/06   134.   Cipora Julianna Kohn 02:18  |  CHGODMK 30/10/06   135.   Peter: On `They` 02:19  |  Ronnie Wolman 30/10/06   136.   Cipora Julianna Kohn 02:19  |  CHGODMK 30/10/06   137.   # 14 Z Lando.QUITE RIGHT Z. LANDO... 02:21  |  Kathy 30/10/06   138.   #122, regarding Ariel 02:24  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 30/10/06   139.   CHGODMK: Rantings 02:26  |  Ronnie Wolman 30/10/06   140.   land for peace 02:33  |  Jo Jo 30/10/06   141.   Jon A. Friedman, India and Pakistan is a good example 02:34  |  Bruce 30/10/06   142.   # 45 David. ANOTHER THANKS.YOU ARE THE THIRD ONE THIS EVENING 02:40  |  Kathy 30/10/06   143.   In Answer to "Lebanese admirer" 02:45  |  Johnny 30/10/06   144.   # 60 Terry. THANK GOODNESS FOR YOUR LIGHTING UP MY NIGHT... 02:46  |  Kathy 30/10/06   145.   To Tommy 02:48  |  Danny 30/10/06   146.   Cipora Julianna Kohn #128 02:52  |  CHGODMK 30/10/06   147.   History and CHGODMK 03:01  |  Johnny 30/10/06   148.   # 62 Lena.re:Jasmin. ALL WELL AND GOOD LENA DEAR GIRL.BUT! 03:01  |  Kathy 30/10/06   149.   Land Grab 03:04  |  Danny 30/10/06   150.   I have watched as one nation I love became 03:06  |  Mark Lincoln 30/10/06   151.   Johnny in Stockholm #140 03:26  |  CHGODMK 30/10/06   152.   Your Patriotism is Racist by definition! 03:31  |  Teodoro 30/10/06   153.   # 128 Copora J.K. BRIEFLY,YOU ARE MISTAKEN.ILL TELL YOU WHY ... 03:49  |  Kathy 30/10/06   154.   #150, Mark Linccoln 03:55  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 30/10/06   155.   Are we forgetting something?!! 04:05  |  BenAbuzaglo 30/10/06   156.   Cipora:Mark Lincoln`s whole agenda 04:09  |  Ronnie Wolman 30/10/06   157.   #153, Kathy 04:20  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 30/10/06   158.   Jewish Self-Defense..not Racism 04:28  |  dan 30/10/06   159.   #156, Ronnie 04:52  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 30/10/06   160.   HOW ABOUT LEFT WING RACISM AGINST THE SEATTLERS? 04:55  |  LEFT=RACISM 30/10/06   161.   ZVI BAREL IS RACIST HIM SELM FOR CALLING ALL RIGHT WING RACIST 04:57  |  FIRE ZVI BAREL 30/10/06   162.   TO # 9--THE PALS ALREADY HAVE A STATE OF THEIR OWN--JORDAN 04:57  |  US Citizen 30/10/06   163.   ZVI BAREL IS MORE RACIST THAN THE KKK. 04:58  |  THE TRUTH IS BETTER 30/10/06   164.   To #37 05:02  |  Archbishop 30/10/06   165.   ZVI:IF YOU ARE NOT WITH THE LEFT THAN YOU ARE RACIST. 05:04  |  HAAREETZ=RACIST 30/10/06   166.   To # 149--Money Grab... 05:06  |  US Citizen 30/10/06   167.   ONLY THE LEFT WING IS NOT RACIST 05:07  |  LOOK OUT RACIST 30/10/06   168.   kick em out 05:08  |  tony 30/10/06   169.   ONLY THE RIGHT WING COULD BE RACIST? 05:09  |  ARE YOU SURE 30/10/06   170.   ONLY THE RIGHT WING COULD BE RACIST? 05:09  |  ARE YOU SURE 30/10/06   171.   YOUR PATRIOTISM WILL BE SEEN AS RACISM 05:12  |  HAAREETZ=RACIST 30/10/06   172.   Let Israel be "racist" and survive 05:15  |  David Ben-Ariel 30/10/06   173.   MONSTROUS BLINDNESS 05:30  |  Lebanese 30/10/06   174.   22 #zadok the priest ......force of arms!!! 06:24  |  Sam 30/10/06   175.   Main things 06:50  |  Omar 30/10/06   176.   162#US Citizen: Judaism is a religion 06:52  |  Sam 30/10/06   177.   #173, Lebanese 07:09  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 30/10/06   178.   CHGODMK et al 07:31  |  peter 30/10/06   179.   A WORLD PARIAH FOREVER 08:20  |  indrajaya 30/10/06   180.   # 125 CHGODMK @ Phoenix , AZ , USA 08:34  |  Joseph E . 30/10/06   181.   CHGODMK`s ignorance 08:44  |  Avi David 30/10/06   182.   # 57 Lebanese admirer 10:40  |  Josef 30/10/06   183.   #177 Cipora Thank You 20:18  |  eva 30/10/06   184.   Do the Jewish people not have any memory left? 05:24  |  Zak Lamont 14/12/07   185.   pffft 06:29  |  arab/jew/whatever 05/03/08

Today Online MI: Iran arming Hezbollah with missiles via Turkey Responses: 138 Leviev: Zionism is bankrupt due to 'new American religion' Responses: 68 Moshe Arens: It was too much to hope for that the IDF would invade Gaza Responses: 38 Rosner: Americans have a favorable view of Israel, especially Republicans Responses: 29 Israeli scientists wonder: Could seaweed power the world? Responses: 23 More Headlines 16:19 Abbas backs off truce demand, says talks to resume 14:09 Cabinet to IDF: Continue operations to halt rocket fire 14:25 Gilad Shalit's French lawyers to Israeli gov't: Let us go to Gaza 13:59 MK Eitam to Arab MKs: One day we will expel you from Israel 16:40 Jewish teen tortured in same Paris suburb where Ilan Halimi was killed 03:42 MI: Iran arming Hezbollah with missiles sent via Turkey 10:52 Clinton scores crucial wins in Texas, Ohio; McCain wins GOP nomination 14:26 Gov't places 120 fortified bus stops in rocket-plagued Sderot 02:23 IDF officers: We faced fierce but unorganized resistance in Gaza 11:04 Leviev: Zionism is bankrupt because of 'new American religion' 12:30 Ahmadinejad suspends talks with EU after UN resolution against Iran 09:17 What's wrong with Obama? Previous Editions Select Day 04 mar 03 mar 02 mar 29 feb 28 feb 27 feb 26 feb 25 feb 24 feb 22 feb 21 feb 20 feb

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