My friend, Stefan Merken, brings me news of a particularly hideous column (in Hebrew) from the Israeli rightist daily, Maariv, dealing with last week’s riots in Hebron. It was written by Kalman Libskind, a reporter for the paper. Before I quote from it, keep in mind that the Israeli Supreme Court ruled that Hebron’s House of Contention, from which 200 extremist settlers were evicted last week, was purchased fraudulently from its former Palestinian owners. For that reason, the Court overturned the sale and returned the building to its former owner:
Fake Democracy
In a country where the justice system is political, a media that [sic] makes no room for a flow of opinions, where half the nation finds no place in the media discourse, it should come as no surprise that the only communication tool left them is the rock.
The youth gathered at Beit Hashalom in Hebron have skipped school these past 2 weeks but the lesson they received from the government of Israel in civics was more than they could have ever received in the classroom. The conclusion of the lesson is that in a place where the government uses democracy to advance its own agendas, the only venue of protest left is that of violence.
We’ve got to parse this statement for its rich well-spring of anti-democratic thought. Note that the Israeli justice system, which in reality is by no means “political” or even particularly sympathetic to “left-wing” causes or political ideas, becomes a hostage to some sort of far left political cabal.
As for the media “lockdown” on coverage of the settler movement, please note that Libskind is publishing this piece in Israel’s largest-circulation daily, and one that is quite right of center; which is of course the reason they chose to publish it. Not to mention Libskind’s far-fetched claim that “half the nation” supports the settlers. A truer number might be 20%, if that.
What is especially striking is the tone of deep grievance the author adopts in discussing Israeli democracy. Instead of being a fair, balanced system in which differing political ideologies struggle for expression, Israeli democracy is some sort of crooked system. Essentially, “the fix is in.”
Laughably, Libskind calls the State of Israel, the “State of Tel Aviv,” as if this was the same as calling it Sodom and Gomorrah (Tel Aviv being known among settlers and the militant Orthodox as a den of vice and iniquity). With such a divide between religious and secular, right and left, settler and green-line Israeli, the question may be properly asked–can these two camps live together in the same State?
I say something once more that I’ve said many times here. These ideas are noxious, pernicious, and profoundly threatening to Israeli democracy. And I don’t mean this in some far-fetched, distant sense. I mean it literally. There are settler groups which call the state a fraud and call for its overthrow and replacement by a halachic theocratic (and ultimately authoritarian and even fascist) State. This is sedition. This is treason. This is John Brown at Harper’s Ferry. With the stark difference being that at least Brown wished to mobilize an uprising to free the slaves; while the settlers wish to, in effect, enslave the Palestinians and subject them to Jewish domination.
To me, these settlers are the equivalent of Samson, eager to bring down the pillars of the building in order to “take out” his Philistine enemies in one bold, daring act of total destruction. They are nihilists whose raging slogan seems to be “apres nous, le deluge.”
They must be condemned by every right-thinking Jew and Israeli. And they must be combated by our own federal government, which provides tax exempt status for groups like the Hebron Fund and the Central Fund for Israel, raising millions every year to support this budding threat to the Israeli state.
Maariv isn’t Israel’s largest-circulating daily – Yediot is. Also, it’s misleading to say that “Maariv defends settler riots” anymore than it would be to say that the “Guardian defends the one-state solution” on the basis that it occasionally publishes op-eds written in favour of such a plan. It’s clear that an op-ed should not be understood as representing the editorial line of the paper.
First of all I’ll object to the use of the Noun “Settlers” on the jewish Fundamentalists on the West Bank. Their activities are rather unsettling. According to US Law is what they do various acts of terrorism.
Furthermore: Hebron Fund and Central Fund for Israel should have their Assets frozen
together with Lev Leviev and Sheldon Adelson ,whatever they have left.
As I suspect few Congressmen in US share my Terminology in this case I am willing to “settle” for “Colonialists” naming those Freaks, but Settlers they are not.
@Alex Stein: Both pts are well taken. I wrestled w. that headline & decided to leave out the word “columnist.” It may not be the editorial position of the newspaper, but the fact that they published such a shockingly extremist piece I thought warranted a strong, dramatic headline on my part. In my opinion, there should be editorial control & discretion exerted in deciding what to publish. Some opinions should be beyond the pale. If Maariv doesn’t believe this opinion IS, then it should be made to take ownership of its decision.
Evelyn Gordon wrote pretty much the same thing a few months ago in the Jerusalem Post (unfortunately it is no longer on line). She points out how over and over, the Right plays by the democratic rules and then the Israeli Leftists Establishment overturns them, so the Right ends up feeling that there is no point is participating in the system and that they are disenfranchised. The classic example was Ariel Sharon winning a big victory in 2003 promising not to destroy Gush Katif, and then him turning around and doing it. In order to get some sort of public legitimization for his betrayal of the voters he called a Likud Party referendum, calling it a “vote of confidence in his leadership”. This was a group of 100,000 people. He promised to honor the results. He lost the vote overwhelmingly but he turned around did the opposite. He then refused to call national elections or a national referendum to get a mandate, knowing he would lose. He openly bribed 2/3 of the LIkud Knesset members who were elected on the same platform, handing out jobs and money to them to get them to go along with his perfidy. Now, I know what you and those who justify this say “the only thing that matters is 61 votes in the Knesset”. Fine. But just don’t expect us to grant any legitimacy to this.
Richard…you are again displaying what seems to me to be contradictory beliefs…on the one hand you are always denouncing Israel as a racist society and its government as a oppressor of the Arabs, yet in this piece, you suddenly become the patriot again, talking proudly about “Israeli democracy”. If Israel’s regime can treat the Arabs badly (and sometimes it does), then it can also treat Jews badly and anti-democratically and its legal Establishment can make a mockery of the “rule of law” as they did in the case of the house in Hevron.
You should recall that polls show Israelis have very little faith in government institutions like the Knesset, the police, etc.. According to polls, the Israel Supreme Court once had a level of 90% support in the belief that it was working democratically for the good of the country. That has dropped to something like 35%. The large majority of Israeli see the hypocrisy in the “rule of law mafia” (Haim Ramon’s term) and its hyperpoliticization.
Richard,
My understanding is that the High Court of Justice did not rule on the ownership. It determined that the matter needs to be settled by the courts. It ruled that until such time, the state of Israel should take possession of the building. I am happy to be corrected by a reference to the actual ruling.
B”H
“It ruled that until such time, the state of Israel should take possession of the building.”
They ruled that the government can take possession of the building until the issue of ownership is resolved not that it should or must do so.
B”H
What would you rather chose if given an option to do so Jews being able to freely buy houses in Hevron city of our patriarchs and the capital of King David or the continuation of the abuse of justice system for political purposes which will eventually result in the total overhaul of the system
as described in the book bellow:
[comment edited for violation of comment rules–Meir Kahane in an impermissible source for this blog.]
@Sol Salbe: Reader David Twersky also corrected my misimpression about the ruling. Thanks. The Court ruled that there were enough questionable aspects of the property transaction that the State should take control of the building till the court can clear them up.
B”H
Your comment rules don’t mention Rabbi Meir Kahane [comment edited for violation of comment rules]
https://www.richardsilverstein.com/comment-rules/
@Ariel:
They do now.
If you read my former comment rules it should be crystal clear, at least by inference, that Kahane is treif here.
B”H
Your comment rules don’t mention Rabbi Meir Kahane [comment edited for violation of comment rules]
Common, the expression (Hashem yinkom dmam -May Hashem Avenge his blood) cannot violate comment rules it is a traditional expression placed after the name of a murdered Jew.
As in :
Victims of Holocaust (May Hashem avenge their blood!)
Victims of the political murder at Altalena (May Hashem avenge their blood!)
Victims of the terrorist attack in Mumbay (May Hashem avenge their blood!)
Rabbi Meir Kahane hy’d or in English (may Hashem avenge his blood!)
What rule does any of this violate?
Or will you write one up right now just to be as clear as possible?
Your about page mentions that you learned in JTSA didn’t you learn such basic Jewish customs?
@Ariel: I will not allow any commenter here to indicate support for avenging the death of Meir Kahane. I don’t believe in vengeance. There is all too much of it in the world. It’s what Al Qaeda wants. It’s what the Hebronistas want. It’s what Meir Kahane wanted. It’s what you want. It leaves me heart sick because it will result in the destruction of civilization as we know it.
@bar_kochba132: God what a boring rehash of old rightist history & claims. You & I know that had Sharon lived he would have called a national election & won hands down over the non-entities that would’ve been thrown up against him. You think Netanyahu or Barak could’ve come remotely close to beating him? What a laugh.
I believe in Israeli democracy and that it should live up to that democracy. Its treatment of its Arab citizens is a betrayal of its democratic principles, just as extremist settlers betray (or perhaps a better word would be “despise”) Israeli democracy.
Haim Ramon WOULD see the judiciary as a “mafia” since he ran afoul of it in a most unfortunate & nasty way if you’ll recall. I wouldn’t use Haim Ramon as yr poster boy if I were you. He richly deserved the thrasing he received at the hands of the justice system.
@Ariel: I will not allow any commenter here to indicate support for avenging the death of Meir Kahane. I don’t believe in vengeance. There is all too much of it in the world. It’s what Al Qaeda wants. It’s what the Hebronistas want. It’s what Meir Kahane wanted. It’s what you want. It leaves me heart sick because it will result in the destruction of civilization as we know it.
– Richard, I agree with you on the above. But it still leaves me wondering why you’ll take the word of a Mumbai terrorist that murdering Jews is an anti-Israel act. In fact, not only will you take their word for it, but you’ll tell everyone at Guardian CiF that this how the murders should be interpreted. Curious double standard.
B”H
# On December 12th, 2008 at 10:06 pm
Richard Silverstein said:
@Ariel: I will not allow any commenter here to indicate support for avenging the death of Meir Kahane. I don’t believe in vengeance. There is all too much of it in the world. It’s what Al Qaeda wants. It’s what the Hebronistas want. It’s what Meir Kahane wanted. It’s what you want. It leaves me heart sick because it will result in the destruction of civilization as we know it.
Dear Richard
It seems to me that while you don’t believe in calling for vengeance of the murder of someone with whom you strongly disagree such as Rabbi Meir Kahane [comment edited for violation of comment rules] but when Seva Brodsky facetiously suggested you jump of a bridge and that he would even push you concluded your reply to his comment invoked the wrath of G-d on him and his children by calling for his name and memory to be erased “Y’mach shimcha v’zichroncha.”
So when it comes to yourself being attacked even verbally attacked you are not as quick to forgive and turn the other cheek as when it comes to others.
@Ariel: I have politely asked you not to call for vengeance for the murder of Meir Kahane & yet you continue to use the term “Hy”d” (which in none other than calling for vengeance). Cut out that s(^t. The next time you violate my comment rules you’ll be history. If you want to be here follow the rules or you won’t be.
Seva Brodsky didn’t “facetiously” say he would be happy to push me off a tall building. That’s your & his after the fact interpretation. Once I publicized his statement & called it for what it was all of a sudden it became a good joke among friends. Damn straight I’d call the wrath of God on anyone who’d threaten me with death as he did (even “facetiously”). When bullies threaten I don’t distinguish what their “real” intent might be. I take every threat seriously as if the perpetrator is fully willing to do what they write. I have children & would like to see them grow up. There are too many nutcases out there like Seva & others any one of whom might be just crazy enough to actually DO something they’ve threatened in writing.
So no, I don’t forgive that crap nor do I turn the other cheek nor would you if you experienced as much of it as I do.
B”H
So no, I don’t forgive that crap nor do I turn the other cheek nor would you if you experienced as much of it as I do.
I have also experienced threats and curses on the web in email and onthe phone after the HaAretz article in February 2007 in particular.
I have not responded the way you do, but more in line with the way you ask others to do thus I was able to turn many who uttered these threats and curses into friends or at least cause them to be more respectful toward my point of view.
PS. By the way I am curious do you say prayers like Av Harachamim
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Av_HaRachamim#English on Shabbos or did you delete them from your prayer book?