14 thoughts on “Israel Plans Prosecution of Ameer Makhoul, Uri Blau – Tikun Olam תיקון עולם إصلاح العالم
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  1. It’s hard to call Meretz a left-wing party anymore. They support Israel’s policy in the occupied territories, and they cheered “Cast Lead” as a needful operation.

    Their response to human rights violations by the shabak is only to be expected, sad to say.

  2. RE: “American Jews, you must come to understand that your Zionist dream has been reduced to this. What a tragedy.” – R. Silverstein
    MY COMMENT: “What’s the big deal?” – channeling Joe “The Schmo” Biden

  3. I think you are wrong about Meretz. The jews in Israel have shifted hard to the right in the last 10 years. You won’t find 1 in a hundred that will question the Makhoul issue, and Meretz knows that. Meretz went from 12 (10%) to 3(2.25%) because they were identefied with the palestinian strugle, not because they stoped fighting for civil rights.

    1. Meretz is not identified with the Palestinian struggle. It is identified w. opposing the Occupation. It has lost support not because Israel shifted to the right (it has). But because those who never lost their progressive values tired of Meretz’s temporizing.

  4. I have to disagree with you, Erez.

    True, Israeli society has veered to the right in the last few years, but this is not the reason why Meretz is falling.

    Instead of standing by their principles they adopted right-wing views in the hope of reaching new voters. The result is that they are no different now from Kadima, Avoda, or Likkud. They sound just the same, a group of power-grabbing opportunists, though perhaps with a cleaner criminal record.

    Their traditional voters, those who are actually left-wing (like me) don’t see any reason to support them anymore. Some vote tactically (eg to counter the power of Likkud and Bibi), and some vote lefter-wing, eg to Hadash who got 2 more seats on the last elections.

    If they were to do something about Makhoul they would have an opportunity to voice their opinions and expose their principles, but I don’t think they have any left.

    1. I have in the past voted for Meretz too, but I hope HaSmol Hale’umi will take their place. I’m happy with what they’ve been saying and presenting so far.

      And to understand that extent to which Israel has veered to the right, you have to look no further than around you and see that Meretz is considered by the majority of Israelis to be a _very_ leftist party. Most would go as far as Kadima as “acceptable”. Sad indeed.

  5. richard,

    i live in a country where the majority of the people support the patriot act.

    i live in a country where many think holding people without charge for indefinite periods of time is a good thing.

    i live in a country where the majority of people think what happens on 24 is the way to deal with terrorist threats.

    i live in a country where the majority believe that to deal with the illegal immigration problem, everyone should have to have papers.

    and guess what…you live there too

    so how about spending a little time fighting the erosion of democracy on our shores

    and as an american jew…to me…the zionist dream seems just fine..its the american dream that’s in the toilet

  6. Dear Richard

    What you quoted from Meretz leaders sounds indeed quite ridiculous but why include in your harsh words the whole “Israeli Jewish left”. Since the coming to power of the present Israeli government the Arab community is under severe attack, but also the Jewish left.

    Let me remind you: New Profile, New Israel Fund, Haaretz and most recently the attack on Israeli organizations calling for partial or total boycott of Israel. On top of the task of opposing the wrongs happening towards “the other” we are more and more also involved in maintaining ourselves. Maybe we could do better than we do. But on top of everything to read:

    “This is what the Israeli Jewish left has come to I’m sorry to say. Out of touch and really couldn’t be bothered to care enough to know”

    that’s not encouraging. (You didn’t right ” the left-Zionist political party Meretz” you wrote “the Israeli Jewish left”.)

    Beate Zilversmidt
    Gush Shalom

    1. Let me explain. My beef is not with Israeli Jewish peace activists or progressives. My beef is with those on the Israeli ZIonist left who have abandoned their moral principles because they believe that temporizing will offer them tactical advantages in elections. So there are many wonderful Israeli peace groups like Gush Shalom & the others you mentioned above and even a political party like Hadash for which I have respect. Many Israeli Jews participate in such efforts & I applaud it. I didn’t mean for my remarks to be interpreted in any way as lumping these groups in with Meretz.

      Though Meretz is considered on the Israeli left by some. I would call Meretz and its supporters liberal ZIonists.

      1. Thanks for the clarification, but let me just mention one thing to Meretz’ credit – which may have escaped your attention.

        The Meretz KMs did speak out in defense of Balad KM Hanin Zuabi when she was attacked unanimously by the government parties and Kadima alike. On that day, Meretz stood with Hadash and Balad against the rest.

  7. Imagine my surprise to learn that the US under Pres Obama isn’t that fond of “whistleblowers” either. Example – Shamai Leibowitz, Thomas Drake and Bradley Manning.

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