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Abusing democracy
By Avigdor Lieberman
Tags: Jews, Israel, Knesset, Arabs

In an opinion piece published in Haaretz on March 24, "The Vision of an Arab-free Knesset," Shahar Ilan wrote: "Those who seek to cast them [representatives of the Arab public] out will engender a process which, in a short period of time, could lead to the formation of an Israeli Arab parliament, calling for autonomy or an uprising in Israel."

Unfortunately, aspirations for the creation of an Israeli Arab parliament, and for Arab autonomy in Israel, have been harbored for years by the leaders of Israel's Arab community. In a document entitled "The Future Vision of the Palestinian Arabs in Israel," drawn up by the National Committee for the Heads of the Arab Local Authorities in Israel, the manner in which this process would unfold is presented in detail.

It should be added that making statements like "We will never recognize Israel as a Jewish state"; participating in the funerals of, and memorial services for, mass murderers; burning the Israeli flag; hurling rocks at vehicles; perpetrating near-lynches of Jerusalem municipal inspectors; and defining Israel Defense Forces operations intended to protect Sderot's residents as "crimes against humanity" - all contribute to the continued escalation exacerbated and supported by the Arab leadership in Israel.
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I know of no other state that would allow its citizens such freedom of action. During the Falklands War, Argentinean soccer players on English teams were forced to return to Argentina. Only two weeks ago, in Spain, in a soccer match between Athletic de Bilbao and Valladolid, during a minute of silence for the member of a local council who had been assassinated two days earlier, fans shouted slogans supporting the Basque underground, ETA. Spain's state prosecutor's office immediately launched an investigation to identify those who had shown lack of respect for the murdered official's memory and his family; such disrespectful behavior in Spain is a crime punishable by a prison sentence.

Only in Israel can citizens take the law into their own hands; only in Israel is lawlessness the law of the land. Article 5 of the National Flag, Symbol and Hymn Law specifies that "those who dishonor the national flag or national symbol ... or who employ the national flag or national symbol in a manner dishonoring the flag or symbol, are liable to a prison sentence of up to one year ..." Nonetheless, burning and otherwise dishonoring the Israeli flag have become routine actions. Every week assemblies are held in Arab towns throughout Israel; they are attended by members of the Arab leadership and include the burning of the Israeli flag. Yet the law that exists in our lawbooks is never enforced.

Article 144, Section D(2) of Israel's penal code specifies that "those who issue a call to perpetrate an act of violence or terror, or who express praise for, sympathy with, or encouragement for an act of violence or terror, or who voice support for, or solidarity with, such an act ... are liable to a prison sentence of up to five years."

There is no need to remind ourselves of the events of October 2000, nor of the Or Commission that investigated them, which concluded that, "there are solid grounds for asserting that the messages [of the Arab leadership] ... contributed substantially to the events that occurred in October 2000, through the encouragement and incitement of the public to adopt an aggressive, confrontational stand against the state and the police force acting on its behalf to maintain law and order."

Is the law enforced? Of course not.

The attempt to assign the Yisrael Beiteinu party negative labels and to represent our position on the Jewish people's rights to this land as racism and as incitement against the Arab population is a distortion of reality. I see no difference between the actions of Tali Fahima [who served a prison sentence for aiding Palestinian militants] and those of former Knesset member Azmi Bishara. The same holds true for Neturei Karta's Rabbi Moshe Hirsch and Sheikh Ra'ad Salah, leader of the northern branch of the Islamic Movement. Naturally, I do not support the violent struggle that the Higher Arab Monitoring Committee is promoting against young Israeli Arabs interested in volunteering for national service, who are turned into pariahs in Arab society.

The only demand that can and should be made of Israel's citizens - whether Jewish, Muslim or Christian - is that they be loyal to the state and its values as a Jewish state. Just as the Jews of Morocco are loyal to its king, Israel's minority groups must be loyal to the state they live in. I am not advocating the silencing of protest or any infringement of freedom of expression; however, legitimate protest must be distinguished from the abuse of democracy.

MK Avigdor Lieberman is chair of the Yisrael Beiteinu party.
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  1.   Democracy? Israel? After a fashion, maybe 10:41  |  Natallie Durson 28/03/08
  2.   " We must never say `What does it matter to me.." 10:42  |  Atilla Karagözoğlu 28/03/08
  3.   Seems that Article 144, Section D(2) is Selectivly Applied 10:50  |  Johan Odin 28/03/08
  4.   "Never be afraid of telling the truth" 10:51  |  Atilla Karagözoğlu 28/03/08
  5.   The rt. Hon. Mr Lieberman - Cool Down! 10:52  |  Bader S Abu-Ghosh 28/03/08
  6.   Secularism 10:53  |  ... 28/03/08
  7.   " to change traditional institutions with modern institutions" 10:56  |  ... 28/03/08
  8.   "Teachers are the one and only people who save nations" 11:00  |  ... 28/03/08
  9.   Haaretz at least you spared us Julie Burchill, Melanie Philips 11:01  |  Chanalau, Tova 28/03/08
  10.   "Those who want to live their lives without doing anything .." 11:05  |  ... 28/03/08
  11.   ?Freedom and independence is my character.? 11:06  |  ... 28/03/08
  12.   "As they have come, so they will go." 11:08  |  ... 28/03/08
  13.   We don`t want Lieberman living under our flag 11:11  |  Tzfonit 28/03/08
  14.   The reality is even worse than described in this article 11:13  |  Shalom Freedman 28/03/08
  15.   !nutullie and the reason she posts total rubbish 11:15  |  v hardman 28/03/08
  16.   " ....true master is the peasant." 11:16  |  ... 28/03/08
  17.   " .. to discourage sentiments of jealousy, avarice and hate." 11:21  |  ... 28/03/08
  18.   To Natallie: Abuse democracy 11:58  |  Altalena 28/03/08
  19.   Israeli `Democracy" 12:18  |  Charlotte 28/03/08
  20.   Exceptions for Indigenous Populations 12:25  |  yitz 28/03/08
  21.   I know of no other state 12:37  |  jj burke 28/03/08
  22.   # 2..Attilla, this illness can be defined.. 12:53  |  Stephen 28/03/08
  23.   Lieberman 12:54  |  Anon 28/03/08
  24.   Imagine Durson if American Jews demanded a separate Jewish flag 13:11  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 28/03/08
  25.   To JJ Burke. Minority /majority & the laws 13:15  |  Altalena 28/03/08
  26.   Do the Left wants a terrorist country in Israel ? 13:16  |  Akram Zekaria 28/03/08
  27.   Johan Odin,in neighbouring Denmark pal arsonists 13:21  |  Absolute Sweden 28/03/08
  28.   1# Natalle Durson. So what do you call Saudi 13:41  |  Akram Zekaria 28/03/08
  29.   Woes and woes... 13:51  |  Esther 28/03/08
  30.   What about him? 13:58  |  Joseba 28/03/08
  31.   Call any Any Arab Country not an Islamic State and you will have 13:58  |  Akram Zekaria 28/03/08
  32.   Soccer players on English teams? 14:08  |  Chris Linthwaite 28/03/08
  33.   Always brings a smile 14:10  |  Chris Linthwaite 28/03/08
  34.   Israel is the unique Jewish state 14:40  |  victor sondos 28/03/08
  35.   Tzfonit you talk for yourself, don`t say `we`, say `I` 14:41  |  jennifer 28/03/08
  36.   semites destined to fight one another for eons 14:45  |  bozhidar bob balkas 28/03/08
  37.   why should they? 15:03  |  Sarah 28/03/08
  38.   Only in Israel? 15:23  |  mlk 28/03/08
  39.   so why don`t you apply the law to your jewish falks? 15:27  |  Zaki 28/03/08
  40.   Lieberman Talks As If There Is Equality 15:36  |  Yaakov Sullivan 28/03/08
  41.   I hate to admit it, but Lieberman is (at least partly) correct... 15:52  |  Swiss (Dino) 28/03/08
  42.   The Rt. Hon. Mr Lieberman - Think Again! 16:03  |  Bader S Abu-Ghosh 28/03/08
  43.   26# Zeki You go to any Arab Country and try to 16:33  |  Akram Zekaria 28/03/08
  44.   How can they be forced to be loyal to another religion? 16:34  |  Fritz 28/03/08
  45.   democracy by the chosen, for the chosen, on stolen land 16:36  |  not chosen 28/03/08
  46.   Thanks Lieberman! 16:37  |  Sharif Hafez 28/03/08
  47.   #31 The Swiss Dinosaur`s naivety strikes back 16:51  |  Hastaroth 28/03/08
  48.   Hey Jennifer #25 16:59  |  Tzfonit 28/03/08
  49.   #31 more ordure from the swiss banker 17:09  |  v hardman 28/03/08
  50.   #5 & 32: "Right Honourable" or "Comrad"? 17:21  |  Scientist 28/03/08
  51.   I agree 100% with Liebermans editorial 17:57  |  Haldrik 28/03/08
  52.   mean minded suggestion, first step to a police state 18:21  |  The Northern Wind 28/03/08
  53.   Lieberman seems to forget that the Arabs........... 18:26  |  Deborah 28/03/08
  54.   # 49 v hardman 18:31  |  Swiss (Dino) 28/03/08
  55.   #24. Margie that is exactly what Jews have done.... 18:31  |  Deborah 28/03/08
  56.   All Arab Countries are Islamic States. 18:40  |  Akram Zekaria 28/03/08
  57.   Gaza proves State of Palestine isnt possible at this time 19:07  |  Joe 28/03/08
  58.   Anyone who burns an Israeli flag should be arrested... 19:22  |  Jordan 28/03/08
  59.   The Jews 19:22  |  American Christian 28/03/08
  60.   #58 Jordan in Canada 19:41  |  Chris Linthwaite 28/03/08
  61.   RE: Democracy? Israel? After a fashion, maybe 19:59  |  David Lerner 28/03/08
  62.   Deborah Jews pray for the welfare of the state they live in 20:17  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 28/03/08
  63.   To #1 Natallie Durson 20:27  |  Neutral 28/03/08
  64.   Yes American Christian #59 20:44  |  maimon 28/03/08
  65.   loyalty to the flag 20:50  |  hollingsworth 28/03/08
  66.   The Jews suffered a terrible thing in the 1940`s 21:09  |  hollingsworth 28/03/08
  67.   Lieberman is right on target 21:15  |  Brod 28/03/08
  68.   # 37 Sarah and add 21:15  |  Realistic Arab 28/03/08
  69.   Stolen is bad, not chosen? 21:39  |  Teddy 28/03/08
  70.   # 47 Hastaroth (2nd try) 21:54  |  Swiss (Dino) 28/03/08