Tikun Olam-תיקון עולם: Make the World a Better Place

Punitive 'Bishara law' criminalizing living-while-Arab

As far as its minority Palestinian citizens are concerned, there is no rule of law in Israeli society.  That’s why I use the term “misrule” in my post title.  There is no democracy for them.  As Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Kotsk used to say in a different context: “there is no justice and there is no law.”

Two shocking developments transpired today in the Knesset.  A new bill passed its first reading, named for that despicable traitor (though neither charged nor convicted) Azmi Bishara which would strip a member of all pension, salary and other financial benefits if suspected or convicted of supporting terrorism.  Let me single out the salient phrase: if suspected of supporting terror.  How the hell do you strip an elected Knesset member of a benefit provided to them by Israeli law based on a suspicion?  If this isn’t one of the more outrageous travesties to be discussed in that Hall of Jackals called the Knesset, I don’t know what is.

And the hate of Jewish members isn’t reserved for Bishara, who is erroneously described in this Ynet article as having “escaped” from Israel (he left with full knowledge of the Shabak).  A Likud member cast derision on a sitting member, Haneen Zoabi and warned her ominously that she would be next:

MK Miri Regev (Likud) answered Zoabi in the same manner she used after the Gaza flotilla: “Go to Gaza you traitor”

…”Bishara is travelling on the axis of evil between Iran, Syria and Hezbollah, he gives them instructions on how to attack us with missiles – and we need to pay him money. There is no country in the world that pays traitors a salary. Our work will not be done until the traitor who took part in the Gaza flotilla isn’t here.”

Far be it from a Knesset member to express thoughts that have any basis in reality.  At the time, there were vague claims in the Israeli media attributed to unnamed Shabak sources that Bishara had aided Hezbollah during the Lebanon war.  One of the really clever inanities they suggest is that Bishara actually scouted out targets and coordinates for Hezbollah gunners.  But there was never so much as an indictment brought against Bishara, let alone a conviction.  He is uncharged and yet this idiot gets to scream utter rubbish from the most august hall in the nation.  Of course, she can get away with this nonsense because she has parliamentary immunity, the very protection she wishes to strip from Bishara and Zoabi, and frankly all Palestinian legislators.

The bill’s sponsor even had the temerity to utter this outright lie in characterizing it:

Sanctions must be taken against every person, without religious racial and sexual or national discrimination who is suspected of breaking the law – and who does not present himself to law enforcement authorities.

What nonsense.  Every Israeli knows for whom this law is intended.  Indeed, Bishara’s name “graces” it.  And we all know who and what he is: Arab.

Though I often find myself disagreeing with Meretz, its leader made a statement that contained what was missing in the entire Knesset debate, common sense:

Meretz party chairman Chaim Oron stood out for saying: “A rapist, a murderer of children and thieves don’t get their pensions taken away. Of all the injustices in the world, the harshest must be the one carried out by Azmi Bishara?

Note, the reporter’s comment that Oron “stood out” for having an ounce of common sense and decency.  The Knesset, I’m afraid to say, has become a house of ill-repute, filled with hatred and racism.  A place in which a majority bays for blood.  Yes, I know a few readers will point out that this is just a first reading and the bill faces many obstacles before final passage.  All I can is thank God for that.  But why does it even have to come to this?

Sorry to say, I’m not done yet.  Anyone here remember taking those Civics or American History classes in high school in which you learned the basics of the constitution?  One of the fundamental rights was the right to an attorney, right?  Not in Israel.  If you’re a security suspect (that is, not even indicted, just jailed under suspicion), Shabak can routinely deprive you of the right to consult your attorney.  Sure, the prohibition has a time limit.  But it is routinely extended, unless lawyers make a big stink as they did in Ameer Makhoul‘s case, which led to him having the unusual privilege of actually meeting his attorney before his conviction.

Well, now there’s a new bill proposed by those wonderful inmates of the House of Misrule better known as the Knesset.  Not content with the Shabak’s ability to run roughshod over the few rights a Palestinian Israeli has, they want to prevent a suspect from being denied access to an attorney for A YEAR!  But it gets worse.  The Public [In]Security minister in this wacky government actually believes that allowing a suspect to meet with his attorney will aid and abet further crimes:

The bill, introduced by Public Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch, aims to keep lawyers from helping their clients “carry out offenses that endanger the security of the public or the state from within jail.”

In other words, the purpose of lawyers isn’t to fulfill the State’s obligation to protect the rights of the accused; rather, the purpose of lawyers is to promote criminality!  I swear, sometimes I feel as if I’m looking over the railing at the inmates of an insane asylum as they throw food, chairs, whatever at each other.  And I say this will great sorrow and no sense of glee whatsoever.  Israel is a country that is near to my heart.  But look what these imbeciles are doing to it.  To paraphrase Jeremiah: how does the nation sit alone that was once welcome among the nations?   A nation of such high hopes and dreams come crashing down amidst hate, fear and authoritarianism.

Remember that quaint concept: the rule of law?  You can kiss it goodbye.  Yoni, we hardly knew ye.