MK Tibi: Israel is democratic for Jews, but Jewish for Arabs

Israel is also undemocratic and violating Human Rights for its 1 Million non-Jewish, non-Arab citizens. From being denied the right to marry, to buy ground, to be buried together with the husband/wife if he adheres to a different religion, to adopt children, to choose a religious school for the child if it is not Jewish according to the Israeli Rabbanut ( but may be according to the US-Rabbanut), and so on...

Arab countries are sovereign countries. Israel is not a sovereign country while it occupies and oppresses the Palestinian sections. So Israel is enforcing its laws onto people they have no jurisdiction over and unlawfully keep under siege, unlike Arab countries that can enforce its laws within its sovereign borders however it pleases.

South Africa was a democracy too (as long as you were white).

Israel is not a western country, it is a Middle Eastern country. That is why it has rightly been called "the only democracy in the Middle East". It is not honest for you and Tibi to say that this law is racist by the standards of western democracies when you have nothing to say about the Arab regimes who have laws preventing any Jew living anywhere that they control. That is the real racism in the Arab-Israel conflict and your double standard towards it proves that you also are a racist.

At least Israel admits to self identifying itself as being Jewish and is not hypocritical in it's identification. The West defines itself as being secular but Xmas trees etc are plastered all over public domains, plus Xmas programming is all over the radio and TV. Muslim areas of 7th century conquest like to pretend that they were always there from the getgo there by denying the the pre 7th century inhabitants their rights. Ain't no Palestinians before the Brits invented them but we are supposed to believe otherwise. Only Dhimmi's would.

Israel is indeed an western style democracy. But Israel is not a western democracy, nor need it to be , why should it? Only western democratic countries sees themselves like the ideal way, even you start wars all over the world the put this "western democracy" upon the people. So israel is western style, not western democracy. better would be speaken of middle east democracy. Israel indeed receives lot of donation but is not dependend on these , most of donations goes back to the donors. (like most of western donation money for third world countries returns back to the donators) At this moment even a level is reached that Israel would be better of without donations which would open its market for a lot of countries now not possible because restrictions in our freedom do bussiness with all our befriended nations without restrictions of the todays western donors.

It depends on what you mean by democracy. Sure Israel is more "democrtaic" than say Saudi Arabia . This does not mean that Israel does not institutionaly act in racist ways against the Palestininans ( citizens of the state of from the occupied territories). One can look at empirical data published by the Isareli govt. and see the systematic discrimination against the Arab poulation in Israel . In infrstructure spending ,sepdning on health , education , urban planning , social services etc. etc. Democrarcy is more than letting one or 12 persons in Govt. but to trat people "equaly" and build a civil society that is inclusive and not exclusive....

before "palastine" part was called israel and part was called yehuda. I do see the difference between Maroc and Israel Jews live for far more generations in Maroc then the todays Arabs in Israel. What important is that everybody has the same right and duties arab or jew . This should be , but is not... Dividing Israel in Israel and Palastine does not feel like deviding but more like giving a part away. Like Palastinians feels the same. (div. Palastine in Israel and Palastine is like giving a part away) Even if parted, When I walk in Palastine I can say this is Palastine but never will be able to say this is not Israel. I think for Palastines it wil be the same, you can call it Israel but you never will be able to say this is not Palastine. So deviding is only possible when seen as an administrative way. Israel a jewish country Palastina an arab country. Israel both for jews and arabs, and Palastine both for arabs and jews. every body with the same rigths that first

Israel subsists on the donations, support, and good will of western style democracies. Israel claims to be one. The Arab states make no such claims.

Nice to know that Israel is Jewish and democratic. I have a feeling that Tibi doesn't like either. THREE CHEERS FOR ISRAEL!!!

How are you? All the best for the New Year Regards

If you do not want Arabs to live in a town you can invent millions of reasons to keep them out. This law just add one more. All the same if the real reason of a measure is to keep someone out because his religion or his ethnic background it is discrimination. The measure should be crushed by any normal court.

Private entities, entirely allowed to discriminate for any reason (except for Federal equal rights legislation) somehow manage to decide just who gets to purchase shares that will entitle them to own a unit in the building... and are allowed to make their decision without providing a single bit of information as to the why's and wherefores, PERIOD. I can see how such a law can get translated into a Kibbutz or Moshav, which is, in reality, a corporate collective. But from a wider 'town and city' perspective, it doesn't read well from the outside. Of course, before one rends their own garments, a moment should be taken to realize that Yemen is losing the last of its 300 some odd Jews without a tear shed, and there are laws that prevent Jews moving to and living in all 22 member states of the Arab League and most likely the wider range of OIC states.

Saying that Israel is jewish is different than maroc is arabic... Can't you see a difference? There are christians and muslims, living in their homeland of palestine "now Israel", how can you eliminate these 20% of israel population and say that Israel is Jewish???

Note that Mr. Ahmed Tibi is a member of Knesset, and is free to pronounce these speeches, which are then widely published in the main newspapers. IMO this in itself is the best indication of a level of democracy in Israel.

Am I correct that you have no problems with communities in the rest of the world setting up laws where Jews can't live in their midst? We used to have that in some parts of the US, and we made it illegal.

There is no doubt that this is systemic discrmination, discrminatory policy that is inherent in the system, furthermore, it is able to be exploited in a non-systemic way. There is a better way to achieve the end and not cause the commotion: If the purpose as written in article is to ensure financial viabiility of residents, make property taxes high with a rebate program after X years, money can initially be used for infrastructure development, and rebate will be issued following capitalization of investment. If Purpose is to ensure that religious creeds are tolerated, accepted and accomodated. Then issue by laws, that will make it undesirable for persons who do not observe said creeds to live there. For example, no driving, loud music/TV or BBQ on shabbat. This will mkae the area undesirable for secular jews like myself and Arabs, and this way you are not discriminating on the dirty lines of ethnictiy and religion but what is consider cleaner lines of Creed.

So can the Arab majority in East Jerusalem use this law to keep out new Jewish residents? Maybe the Palestinians in the West Bank could designate themselves a "small community" and keep out the settlers - they certainly practice an "incompatible lifestyle."

What is wrong with a small community wanting to keep outsiders out of their community if they feel they will not fit in with communal way of life? If you define how many people must reside in a communtity to call it a small one and for it to allow discriminotary then whats the problem. This bill can work both ways. If arabs live in a small communtiy of a certain size but they don't want jews moving in they they will be allowed although they also understand that once they reach a certain size they are not allowed to pick and choose anymore. In Israel BOTH jew and arabs live in ghetto like societies and they prefer it that way. It might not be western culture but its how people want to live their lives here so let people have their ghettos as long as they understand that if it grows beyond a certain point they won't be allowed to keep others out. As for Tibi the only reason he is in the Knesset is to try & undermine the country from within not because he cares about Israel

so what? israel is jewish also for jewish moslems christians , for everybody israel is jewish. Like Maroc is an arabic country if you are jewish moslem or christian maroc, maroc is a arabic country for evreybody . So what is Tibi's problem?

Tibi is one of the first Arabs I've heard that seems to have got it that Israel is a Jewish state. Maybe he should negotiate instead of Abbas and his cronies.Good start.