Netanyahu leading the fight against Israel's peace activists
Right-wing parties blame Israel human rights organizations for aiding what they call 'campaign to delegitimize Israel', and have turned them into a scapegoat.
Haaretz Editorial Tags: Price tag Yitzhak Rabin Knesset Benjamin Netanyahu West Bank Israel settlements JerusalemThe "price tag" graffiti sprayed on the home of Hagit Ofran of Peace Now on Tuesday is part of a consistent delegitimization campaign against left-wing organizations. Virtually not a day goes by without peace activists suffering threats to their lives or damage to their property. On the eve of the 16th memorial day in honor of former Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, who fell victim to a campaign of incitement by the extreme right, it seems that the lesson has not been learned.
Ministers and Knesset members have turned Israeli human rights organizations into scapegoats. The right-wing parties, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu leading the band, blame these organizations for aiding what they call a "campaign to delegitimize Israel." This is their substitute for ending settlement construction in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, which outrages all of Israel's supporters worldwide.
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The 'price tag' graffiti outside Peace Now official Hagit Ofran’s door reads 'Ofran, Rabin is waiting for you.' |
| Photo by: Tomer Appelbaum |
With the start of the Knesset's winter session, Netanyahu came out in support of a bill by his confidant, MK Ofir Akunis (Likud ), that would ban "political" nongovernmental organizations from receiving donations of over NIS 20,000 from foreign governments or international organizations. The term "political NGOs" is transparent camouflage for a law intended to stigmatize and shackle the activities of NGOs that focus on protecting the rights of minorities and monitoring the behavior of government agencies. The bill's explanatory notes state explicitly that it is intended to deal with "organizations acting in the guise of human rights organizations that seek to influence the political discourse, character and policies of the State of Israel."
Since they do not have any legal justification for shutting down these human rights organizations, Netanyahu and his colleagues are trying to achieve this goal via the parliamentary majority they command. As opposed to donations from unsupervised private sources, which also flow to right-wing organizations, human rights organizations receive aid from legitimate bodies like the United Nations and the European Union, which scrupulously abide by the rules of transparency.
The prime minister's active support for this idiotic bill shows that he has not internalized Vladimir Jabotinsky's teachings or Menachem Begin's legacy regarding the essence of democracy. All we can do is urge those of his colleagues who do care about preserving Israel's democracy - first and foremost Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin (Likud) - to stand in the breach.
קראו כתבה זו בעברית: הלקח של רבין לא נלמד
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Lets get this clear. They are not peace activists - they are pro-arab activists. PROOF - they NEVER condemn the arabs for anything - not for attacks, not for brainwashing their children, not for not keeping their side of an agreement - NOTHING!
Who is next, Santa clause against the left? Why not check your people, taking money from Israel haters to smear Israel, What do you call that? Patriotic, Honesty, supporting the right. What?
There seems to be an inexorable shift to extreme right wing views and policies in Israel. It is associated with a bunker mentality and 'us against' them attitudes'. Netanyahu is encouraging this trend. He must realise however that he can no longer keep talking about wanting peace but doing all he can to undermine the basis for it. He has antagonised nearly all western leaders with his empty words and promises. The settlement policy in particular is showing Israel to be an expansionist state and alienates public opinion around the world. Israel and the right wingers don't see it but it is very obvious. Let's hope that the Israeli Govenment doesn't embark on a wild adventure against Iran. It could bring in Hizbullah, Syria and Hamas and enflame the whole region.
The bill will prevent foreign governments from buying influence in Israeli domestic politics. This bought influence comes at the expense of every Israeli voter regardless of their politics. Few if any other countries allow this.
When will I get my check?
Those peace activists are the enemies of their own country, acting also for material gain and public attention and recognition. Shame on them.
of the Israeli political spectrum since Israeli society has become overpoweringly nationalist and religious due to constant presence (maintenance) of the conflict with the Palestinians as well as demographic and socioeconomic shifts happening in recent two decades (strongly nationalist Alyah from the former USSR, superior birth rate within religious sectors of the society, and the introduction of greedy privatization as the genesis for the tycoons and ruthless capitalism) and thus tends to support political right and extreme right agenda. That’s the reason why Tzipi Livni and her party Kadima, who won last elections, could not form a government by themselves although Livni and her party Kadima are far from being considered left wing. Consequently, PM Netanyahu has the support of Israeli electorate to annihilate an insignificant political pro-peace minority in the country and further advance right wing agenda that amongst other includes attempts to impose political will on the Supreme Court, the Academia, and so forth.
has long ago became Sturmtrupp of right-wing parties wth the same methods and goals.
Netanyahu does not want peace. It would make him irrelevant. Haniyeh does not want peace. It would make him irrelevant. Ahmadinejad does not want peace. It would make him irrelevant. All these right-wingers are each others' best friends, while pretending to be bitter enemies. They have a goal in common which is sustained conflict at a (they hope) manageable intensity, so they can stay in power. If only the people would stop paying attention to what they say. Or better yet: lock the warmongers up in a "Big Brother House" and broadcast it all around the Middle East. The people would see how cynical and ridiculous these men really are.
imagine if an organiztion in the USA was funded by the government of iran or china with the purpose of changing the political result in the country. imagine any other democracy where foreign governments would set up local NGO's fund them and set them loose to attck the body politik of the target country. that is what is happening here. it is outrageous. these israeli citizens have all the right to organize and petition their government for any policy they chose. they do not have a right to front for a foreign government under the guise of a local NGO. it is despicable and no country with an iota of self respect would allow it
It is a non governmental organization, your suggested "local NGO" is precisely the opposite. This proposed new legislation targets actual NGO:s and it is based on their political views, as such it is a grave violation of the freedom of expression. It will be another sign that Israel is moving away from democracy and it will harm the international community's view of Israel.
This can happen only in Israel, a greater democracy than any western country . This kind of activists, receiving money from foreign country, would be considered traitors in any country, judged and jailed as such. But we are our greatest enemy, so we allow this kind of nonsense.
Seems the U.S. allows AIPAC to do what your decrying. Example A. US veto of UN Resolution on illegal settlement building.
There is no such animal as "local NGO". All NGO are supported by some governments/parties/millionairess outside country it resides in. Some NGO are good, some are bad and ALL interfere in country's internal matters
NGO's in other democratic countries receive money from foreign sources including individuals and the UN. They are not "judged and jailed." Try again.
It's not unreasonable to try to stop Iran from gaining nuclear capability given the rhetoric from Ahmadinejad... but I question if Ahmadinejad is representative of Iran, and I also question if both sides have exhausted other conflict resolution methods. If it weren't for the spectre of nuclear fallout, I'd say Netanyahu should stick to his guns... but the nuclear aspect changes everything dramatically for me.
I believe the influence from the outside of both the right and the left, media, organizations, politics of pressure from the outside has been a disaster; it has blurred the distinction between where Israel begins and ends and what is outside and inside. If we are an independent state we can manage on our own with our own media, intellectuals and monies I object to an ignorant Left that doesn't know Hebrew as much as an ignorant Orthordoxy that doesn't understand human rights, democracy. If we trace back from the 80's when we first asked the outside help of the "Left" exactly what have we gotten from them. What counts, Aliyah, that is seats in the Knessett we never got from them and I am particularly thinking of MeretzUSA which is from this standpoint a complete waste of time.
"Settlement construction ... outrages all of Israel's supporters worldwide". Sorry, Haaretz, you don't speak for me. Oh, and like many, many others, I don't consider what you do 'supporting Israel'. Quite the contrary.
It is far from unusual to see Israeli flags flown at the racist and extreme right wing English Defence League (EDL) rallies in the UK.
"Naturally, the common people don't want war, but after all, it is the leaders of a country who determine the policy, and it is always a simple matter t drag people along whether it is a democracy, or a fascist ditctatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. This is easy. All you have to do is to tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in every country." Hermann Goering, Htler's Reich-Marshall at the Nuremberg Trials after WWII.
those compassionate individuals carrying out "price-tag" attacks against peace activists and arabs are clearly motivated by a desire for peace.
If they were truly interested in Human Rights, they would defend all sectors of the population - not just arabs and they would defend Israel against the barrage of lies coming from all sides.
I wonder what you have in mind, Londoner? The biggest lie I know of is the "israeli Defence Force". An army which has repeatedly invaded other countries and practises a brutal occupation in the West Bank has nothing to do with "defence".
as long as they are YOUR human rights activists.