9 thoughts on “Israeli Election Results: Dead Heat – Tikun Olam תיקון עולם إصلاح العالم
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  1. I sincerely hope that Balad is not eliminated from the Knesset. If it is it is because of the utter stupidity of Ahmed Tibi and Hadash does not come out of it well either. The Joint List should have been preserved. The only good thing about these results is that Naftali Bennett and Ayelet Shaked will no longer be members of the Knesset.

    Oh and the virtual decimation of that hypocritical party the Israeli Labor Party is also to be welcomed

  2. Just wondering why you think the democratic order is the only one. It is not, with due respect.

    How does being Jewish cast Israel as an apartheid state? The UN recognises Israel as a Jewish state. Apartheid in Africa was over colour. In Israel it is over religion, like it is in many Muslim countries where Islam and Muslims are given preference. The UN does not object there.

    1. @ Yasmeen:

      The UN recognises Israel as a Jewish state.

      Nope. Not even close.

      Apartheid in Africa was over colour. In Israel it is over religion,

      Apartheid means ‘separation.’ It can mean separation by race or by religion or by ethnicity. It applies equally in S.A. and regarding Israel.

      No Muslim country is subjugating a neighboring people or country because they’re of a different religion, as Israel is.

  3. Richard, I think it was O’Rourke who called Netanyahu a racist, at least he did too, I was surprised because he’s already shown typical “progressive except on Israel”-symptoms.

    Concerning ethno-state you don’t have quote Spencer, Oren Yiftachel wrote a book with the title of “Ethnocracy: land and identity politics in Israel/Palestine” in 2006, Shlomo Sand also describes Israel as an “ethnocracy”, and Samy Smooha, the sociologist coined “ethnic democracy” some twenty years ago.

    1. @ Deir Yassin: Yes, of course it was O’Rourke. My bad.

      I’ve used the term “ethnocracy” many times as well in the past. But I like the particular term “ethno-state,” because it was voiced by a neo-Nazi to praise the so-called “Jewish state.”

  4. Thank you for your analysis. I disagree about Buttegieg. I think he is more progressive but in a quiet way. Anyway I have to say that the US policy or lack of helped bring Israel to this disastrous moment and Trump was just the icing on the cake. The population, though half seem to have the desire for something new, is seemingly hopelessly forever cowering with fears but heading for a Greek tragedy ( what they fear). The Arabs could have made a difference if they voted don’t you think? Maybe not because Ganz would not ally with them but maybe he would have found some nerve. And so Arabs must have felt it was all useless. Or maybe they want one state and a civil war instead. Or/and maybe they think (collectively, patiently, despondently) that Israel is doing so well destroying itself.

  5. [comment deleted: your comment was unmitigated garbage. Hardly a real fact in it. Read my comments very carefully and do not publish another comment here till you do. Opinions or statements of fact MUST be backded by credible sources. Something you heard or learned or read or believe doesn’t count without a credible source.]

  6. This election result is not surprising to me in the slightest, but the main point that seems to be missed by the media and American political observers in analyzing all of this is the fact that the Israeli “left” (more like right wing, at least according to European standards, the “right in Israel is fascist) cannot form a governing coalition without some Arab parties. The problem is that the mainstream “left” in Israel adamantly refuses to do this. It’s very easy for Buttegieg and O’Rourke to call Bibi out for who he blatantly is, but you’d never hear a prominent Democrat calling out the other side of the political spectrum for their own racism. The reality of the situation is that Bibi and his compatriots have aggressively spent the last twenty years decimating the left in Israel leaving the vast majority of the population leaning extreme right. For there to be a government led by the other side, they have to include at least some Arab parties in order to form a government. The problem is that the entire political spectrum in Israel is so racist that none of the major players would even consider doing this and those that would entertain it (for obvious reasons) get smeared as supporters of anti-semites. It doesn’t matter if the parties are pro or anti Zionist, self identified as Palestinian or Israeli Arab. The situation in Israel is so extreme that Gantz wouldn’t consider forming one with any Arab and that is blatant racism. If the Democratic party wants to begin pursuing a peaceful one state solution (even if they do it under the cover of salvaging the already moribund two state solution), then they have to start putting pressure on the “left” in Israel to form governments with Arabs. No matter how peace eventually comes about, the partnering of Israeli Jews and Arabs is key to making it work and the work in getting to that point has to start now. Hopefully, this failure by Gantz to topple a politically wounded Bibi will wake some people up to what needs to change in both Israeli domestic politics and how it is debated and pressured externally from the US and the rest of the world.

  7. Liam- I think Democrats as well as Republicans, have had their hands tied by self-serving politics here, especially now with Trump The. Obama administration and has not been able to even vote against Israeli settlements at the UN. The best we could do was abstain and that was a horror in some quarters. The US is no honest broker if it ever was. Obviously the Arabs do not care enough about their brethren as well.

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