Comment / Israel wants to push Palestinians back into cycle of violence

Israel has been waging a bitter battle in recent months against human rights activists and the non-violent struggle by Jews and Arabs against the occupation. To this end, the state has made use of the most questionable means available to it.

They are attacking on all fronts, and it is hard to believe that their actions do not represent official policy. As such, without the citizens noticing it, Israeli democracy is once again heading in the direction of the "democracies" of Russia and Egypt.

It began with harassment and unwarranted arrests of the leaders of the Bil'in and Na'alin demonstrations. When these did not have their desired effect, the army declared the area of the villages a closed military zone on Fridays.

For the next six months, whoever goes to these areas in order to demonstrate will immediately be charged with entering a closed military zone and will be brought to trial.

Designating a closed military zone is a draconian legal measure that limits basic human rights and is meant to prevent security risks, not protest. Of course, the army has never adopted a like tactic to prevent, for example, the rebuilding of illegal outposts after they have been razed. Only the protests of the left and the Palestinians are allowed to be prevented without any limits.

The harassment and the arrests made by the army and the Shin Bet may have failed to break the protests at Bil'in and Na'alin, but they worked in Jerusalem. During the past few years the police have managed to crack down on quiet civil protests in Silwan using these methods. They are now using similar policies in the neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah.

The settlers there, who are immune, use violence against the residents, especially women and children. The residents turn to the police, which take their time in arriving and do not arrest anyone.

After the Arabs lose their patience, one of them responds with a shove, is immediately arrested for aggravated assault and is brought to trial only after a lengthy waiting period in custody. Sometimes charges of aggravated sexual harassment are brought against residents for nothing more than using strong language. This is happening here and now.

The same method is being implemented by the security forces in Hebron and in the southern Hebron Hills. One of the activists in the struggle for grazing areas for the Bedouin, who have been stripped innumerable times of their lands by the army and the settlers, was charged with cutting a wildflower and has been held for a week. Children and adults, mostly from families linked to groups like B'tselem, are arrested on a near daily basis on false accusations.

The effectiveness of these measures is enormous because in addition to the fear element, the process is so expensive (hiring an attorney, posting bail, etc.) that the activists are unable to meet the costs, even if the legal process does result in the release of those who have been arrested.

At the same time, the state is waging a campaign against human rights groups. Not only does it send its senior officials to European capitals to convince the governments there to prevent funding for these organizations, but in recent days the Justice Ministry has begun working on legislation that will make funding these organizations with foreign donations nearly impossible.

This is the look of the only democracy in the Middle East - one that cannot suffer even non-violent protests by Jews and Palestinians, or the activity of human rights groups, Jewish or Arab, that expose its true colors.

Beyond the issue of democracy, are we to understand that the state is destroying the channels of peaceful protest in order to push the Palestinians back into a cycle of violence? This would then allow it to go back to wrapping itself up in self-righteousness and argue that it is combating terrorism. After all, this is what it considers to be its forte.

The writer is a fellow at Scholion Research Center at Hebrew University and an activist in Ta'ayus - Arab-Jewish Partnership.