After the last Israeli election, the virtual tie made it clear that there were only two paths to forming a new government: a minority government consisting of the centrist bloc supported from the outside by the Israeli-Palestinian Joint List; or a unity government of the Likud and its chief rival, Blue and White. When 61 MKs gave their assent to Benny Gantz forming a government, that number included the Joint List. It marked a major break with the past–with the Palestinian parties offering critical support to a Jewish candidate for prime minister.
As Gantz sought to form this minority government, rifts began to develop with the right-wing of his coalition, which objected to serving in a government which relied on even indirect Palestinian support. When two of these MKs threatened to bolt, Gantz seemed to hold fast. He made statements that were respectful of his non-Jewish partners. It seemed that Israel might cross a watershed in co-existence. For the last governing coalition relying on such support happened nearly a half-century earlier. Since that time, though there had been individual Palestinian government ministers, no non-Jewish party had ever been part of a government.
Even I, who harbor great skepticism about the possibility of full integration of Palestinians into Israeli society, wrote tentatively but hopefully of the prospect. Liberal Zionists, on the other hand, were almost in ecstasy:
It seems that a new and fascinating phenomenon is resulting in a real change in Jewish Israeli society. The Arab public longs for integration and for increasing its political influence to advance its interests and defend its rights. This striving toward “Israelization” and a shift in the traditional position on lending support to Zionist parties and cooperating with them are reshuffling the cards…
And this bit of delusional thinking from TV presenter, Shlomi Eldar:
The political constellation created by the latest elections offers an opportunity to build a Jewish-Arab coalition and foster Jewish-Muslim reconciliation. The political-social infrastructure of this partnership could be based on accepted democratic principles, such as equal opportunity, narrowing of socio-economic gaps, cultural autonomy and an end to the occupation.
Here is Haaretz’s leading liberal Zionist, Anshel Pfeffer:
…The fact that the overwhelming majority of Kahol Lavan…the Joint List, and…even Lieberman’s Yisrael Beiteinu, are prepared to vote together in support of a new government is a turning point in Israeli politics. The veto [against Palestinian participation in government] is beginning to crumble on both sides,
The prospect of Jewish-Arab collaboration signaled to them that the dream of the country’s Declaration of Independence would indeed be realized.
But true to form, Gantz dumped this plan and reverted to the unity government option. Though journalists have written extensively of the sense of outrage and betrayal felt by Gantz’s erstwhile partners, Moshe Yaalon and Yair Lapid, none have written about the Joint List and its response. As always, Palestinians are an after-thought, if they are even a thought at all.
I wouldn’t expect that Ayman Odeh and the other three parties in his coalition to be terribly surprised at the outcome. Palestinians, like African-Americans for 200 years before Brown v. Board of Education, were used to disappointment, to disrespect, and to betrayal. After all, Israel was founded in a fundamental betrayal of its non-Jewish minority: the Nakba. Everything that has come after has followed in the same vein.
Gantz’s abandonment of the minority government with its tacit alliance with Israeli Palestinians, reverts back to a model that all Israelis, both Jews and Palestinians, know and are familiar with. It’s the Palestinian as outsider, as other, as alien. The sabotage of the minority government is further affirmation that Israel as presently constituted can never be a true democracy. It can never be a state for all its citizens.
Benny Gantz betrayed not only his Jewish and Palestinian political partners. He betrayed Israeli democracy. But it’s not like that democracy was robust to begin with. At best, Gantz added yet another kick to its carcass.
I think you are confused about how coalitions are made in Israel.
At no point the Joint List had asked to be part of the government. It was a play to take down Bibi (which personally I hoped for and which you blamed me in the past for lying as if you know anything about me). The whole time the talks were about them giving support from the outside since Joint List didn’t want to be part of a government that will respond to attacks from Gaza.
And by the way, in 1948 the Jews were the minority but you never pass an opportunity to make an inaccurate statement just b/c it sound good.
@ Carmel yativ: I know as well or better than you how coalitions are made in Israel.
Why the hell would Joint List “ask to be part of a government” when they know that not only would it never happen, but the Party inviting them would be disowned by the racist electorate. So of course they don’t ask to be in the government. If they knew their request would be responded to positively or affirmatively? Of course they would want to be in the government.
It’s also laughable that you claim to know the internal deliberations of the Joint List and know why they did not want to be in the government. You made it up. But making shit up doesn’t pass muster here.
I have no idea what you’re talking about. I never said Jews were a majority in 1948.
I was not the least bit surprised when I first read recently that this coalition or arrangement with the Joint List did not come about. Benny Gantz who a lot of liberal Jews naively put their faith in, never meant to include them. Except for when Yitzhak Rabin was Prime Minister during the mid 1990’s when he was seriously working for peace with then Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, the Israeli Palestinian parties have never been a part of any Israeli governing coalition. And of course Yitzhak Rabin was killed by a Jewish settler after his very powerful speech for peace in Tel Aviv, as the Israeli Shin Bet(more or less equivalent to the American Secret Service) let the assassin into the square where Rabin spoke. I never expect anything good coming from Israel.
@ Walter Ballin: Palestinian Parties supported Rabin in 1976, his first term as PM, not in the 1990s.
Richard, When Yitzhak Rabin was Prime Minister in the 1990’s, did not Israeli Palestinian parties have an arrangement with Rabin’s governing coalition in which they voted with the government in the Knesset? Just asking.
Richard, To what I just commented, I did do a google search and I found this. “The government was also supported, but not joined, by Hadash and the Arab Democratic Party, which held an additional five seats between them.” But I correct myself, since I said it was a coalition. At least this is what I saw. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twenty-fifth_government_of_Israel
@Walter: The articles I am reading say the last time Israel had Palestinian Parties playing any role directly or indirectly in the governing coalition was in 1976-77 (if I have the dates right). Haven’t heard any reference to this being true of his 2nd term as PM in the 90s.
Not sure who’s right on this one. But I’ve heard the reference to the 70s so many times that I’m going to stick with that for now.
It’s also possible that the Joint List was going to play a more integral role in this government than those parties did in the 90s. I know Joint List was going to chair some major Knesset committees.
“ After all, Israel was founded in a fundamental betrayal of its non-Jewish minority: the Nakba”
Your words…
@ carmel yativ: How pathetic. Palestinians are now a minority. And they became a minority directly because of the Nakba expulsion of 1-million of them. It doesn’t matter whether they were a minority or majority in 1948. But if you want to include all the Palestinians in Israel and the Occupied Territories I concede they are a majority. And I’m looking forward to the time when there is a state of Palestine-Israel in which they are the majority. Then the sin of Nakba will have been redeemed. Keyn y’hi ratzon.
Just terrible. We had such hope and it’s gone.
“Don’t let it be forgot
That once there was a spot
For one brief shining moment
That was known as Camelot”
As far as I know there weren’t even any genuine Arab political parties within the Israeli political system in the 1970s, there were the socalled Arab satellite parties (cf wiki for introduction), but they were merely coopted lists mostly created by the Labor Party, and then different communist parties over time, dominated by Arab Palestinians just like Hadash today
What proof do you have that 100,000,000 Arabs were expelled in 1948. Not only are you a liar but a Tasha.
@ Jewdy:
1-million, you idiot. Not 100-million. For calling me a liar, you are moderated. Only comments which respect the comment rules, which you were directed to read and didn’t, will be published.
Meant 1,000,000. Where is your proof?
@ Jewdy:
You meant to write 1-million but wrote 100-million? How do you not distinguish the difference?
How many credible historical accounts have you read or researched about the Nakba? None. So don’t ask me for proof. I’ve read these historical accounts.
BTW, no Nakba denial here. It’s as bad as Holocaust denial. Read the comment rules if you intend to go there.