Moses turned the Nile red. Jesus turned water into wine. But Israel is doing one better. It’s kashering fascism. Back in the old days fascism was treif. If you were a fascist you were beyond the pale.
Now, the incoming Judeo-Nazi government says: we have every right to turn this country into a Jewish version of Nazi Germany because…we won an election fair and square. Here’s a lesson for all you college political science majors: you can, according to this theory, have fascism that is OK, as long as it is democratically elected.
This comment left here by one of this breed is an exemplar of this thinking:
…The incoming government is going to…right all the wrongs that have been implemented now for decades. It will not be to your liking, but it will be the result of a dulely [sic] elected government. If the people of Israel do not like what is done, next time around they’ll vote for others. But if Israelis do like what’s been done, they will be reelected. That’s the way democracy is. I would respectfully suggest that you accept this.
There are two glaring problems with this claim: first, no one “democratically elected” these 13 fascist MKs, who ran under the party banner of “Jewish Power” (a slogan reeking of Kahanism), to be a minister let alone run the government. The only thing the voters elected them to do was sit in the Knesset. It was Bibi Netanyahu, desperate to form a governing coalition that would return him to power and stifle the looming corruption trial, who “made” them. Without Bibi’s presto-chango political magic act, they would be nobody back-benchers.
The second problem is even more troubling: if we follow this claim to its logical conclusion, then another horrific leader of the last century was “democratically elected.” That’s right, Adolf Hitler. His Nazi Party won the most seats in the 1932 election and he became Chancellor. When Hitler chose to abolish elections and rule as dictator, he too claimed it was the will of the people who elected him. Except no German elected him to be Fuhrer (though of course, many Germans did support him for most of the era of the Third Reich).
This is what can happen when fascists and Nazis “win” an election.
Not to mention that many countries claim to be democracies because they hold elections. But they aren’t and the elections they hold are a sham. Russia, Belarus, Hungary, Algeria, etc. They all claim to be freely elected by “the people.” They claim their fascist agenda has been ratified by a vote of the people. But has it? In other words, elections≠democracy.
In case, you wonder what’s the latest outrage on the Israeli fascist agenda: one of them is the repeal of the anti-discrimination law. These fascists are reading from the MAGA handbook. They claim that ultra-Orthodox Jews may discriminate against anyone based on a “religious exemption.” They even read the US Supreme Court Hobby Lobby decision granting a similar right!
Incoming minister, Hebron colonist, and theo-fascist, Orit Strock declares it her life’s work to save doctors from the odious burden of treating LGBTQ patients. God told her so:
…It is inconceivable to force a Jewish doctor to violate Jewish law in a Jewish state “that was established after 2000 years of exile due to Jews who sacrificed their lives for the fulfilment [sic] of Torah”.
All of which proves that she doesn’t give two shits about medicine. The only thing she cares about is a God of Vengeance, who commands every decent Jew to stone Sodomites to death.
Another one of her colleagues declared if you own a hotel and don’t want a convention of LGBTQ people as guests, that’s kosher as far as he’s concerned: go with God. Yet another incoming religio-fascist MK who will be a senior official in the ] ministry, wants to prohibit women from serving in the army. Others want to prohibit women from public transportation, except on segregated buses.
Their ultimate goal is a Jewish theocracy governed not by democratic laws, but by halacha, Jewish law, with a divine seal of approval. But the way they get there is via “democracy.” The people of Israel will elect them to impose theocracy upon them. That makes the whole thing kosher.
These ultra-Orthodox con men and women do not believe in democracy. For them, it is a means toward an end. Just as a democratic election was, for Hitler, a means to power. In a truly democratic society, it is an end in itself.
Netanyahu has protested that none of these proposals will become law. He will see to it. However, Netanyahu’s position in his own government is so weak, and the power of the fascists so strong, that he may have no choice but to accede. But even if he is right, Judeo-fascists will run the Knesset agenda. There will be nothing but these horror-show bills for the next four years–or however long this God-forsaken government lasts.
The Biden administration has made tremendous strides in meeting the threat of Israeli fascism: it may declare that any Israeli accused of incitement or violence against Palestinians will be denied US entry. This will, without doubt, make Israeli settlers run with their tail between their legs. It will strike fear in their hearts and persuade Israelis to turn away from the fascist path. Without a doubt. But seriously, Biden is useless. Blinken–useless. The entire US political system: useless. Jewish communal groups: useless. Even the progressive Democratic caucus: slightly less than useless.
I have problems with this in that it implies that there has suddenly been a massive change in Israeli politics. In fact the logic of Zionist settler colonialism has been playing out since the establishment of Israel.
Don’t forget that the Nakba was carried out by ‘socialist’ Zionists not the Revisionists. It was under Labour Zionism that Israeli Arabs lived under military law. It was also Labour Zionism that sponsored the original settlers, inc. in Hebron. In other words there is a continuum in Zionism that extends to Gvir and Smotrich.
Indeed when Ayman Odeh physically prevented Ben Gvir for trying to enter the ward of a Palestinian hunger striker in hospital, Nitzan Horowitz joined in the general condemnation of him rather than attack Gvir for entering a hospital where had no right to be. That is the extent of how ‘left’ Meretz/Mapam is
About 20 years ago there was a political thriller was published in Israel entitled קוד כחול (Code Blue) about a right-wing religious coup-d’état.
It starts, “האם תיתכן הפיכה בישראל?”… “Could there be a coup in Israel?”
אין כל חדש תחת השמש – there is nothing new under the sun
“Here’s a lesson for all you college political science majors.”
Fascism that is democratically elected IS okay, because the alternative is a violent, anti-Fascist coup d’etat.
Fascism that is democratically elected, can be democratically unelected, whilst a violent coup d’etat destroys Democracy, and any hope for elections and representative government.
So easy!
@Bertrand: Baby Bibi calls for hanging police and prosecutors. Jewish Power wants to transform Israel into a Davidic monarchy and you have the unmitigated chutzpah to talk about an “anti fascist coup.” Are the 1,000 IAF veterans including a former chief of staff and air force chief who wrote the Supreme Court asking it to stop the theo-fascist coup, members of Antifa & coup plotters as well?
You are a liar and fraud of a human being. I would say you are shameful, but it would be a waste of breath. You have no shame
I’ll not allow you to cram words down my throat or misrepresent what I’ve already said.
I am democrat who resists any form of authoritarianism, whether it comes from the Right, or the Left (think Maduro, Daniel Ortega, or the Castro brothers).
“Are the 1,000 IAF veterans including a former chief of staff and air force chief who wrote the Supreme Court asking it to stop the theo-fascist coup, members of Antifa & coup plotters as well? ”
There has not been a theo-fascist coup, yet.
The Israeli judiciary should listen to the demands of the 1,000 IAF veterans and must strike down the efforts of Bibi and his allies to re-write the Basic Laws in order to further their Right wing agenda.
If the Israeli Supreme Court fails to do this, and sides with the Israeli Right, than their decisions must be vigorously protested, but ultimately accepted.
You are the monster. You are the one who recently declared that all forms of Palestinian resistance to the ‘Occupation’ are legitimate, thereby condoning the worst terrorist acts against innocent civilians.
@ Bertrand: Normally, I would ban someone outright for violating my 1-comment/thread rule. I won’t do it in this case. But I will moderate you, since I’ve warned you in the past and you deliberately chose to defy it. Not to mention that you use IP proxies, another no-no here. Moderation means I will approve your comments individually. But if you try to publish more than a single comment in a thread, you’ll be banned.
You don’t know the meaning of the word. A democrat is someone who believes in democracy. Israel is not a democracy. Once, it at least had some elements of democracy and made a pretence of being one. THere’s isn’t even a pretence left. And the reason you aren’t a democrat is that you will accept a theo-fascist government. You said so yourself.
As for the Supreme Court stepping in and stopping the coup: they can’t. Not only can’t they, but they won’t. The justices are all right wing apparachiks appointed there by Likudniks like Ayelet Shaked, whose politics are no longer fascist enough to get her elected. Some of them are even colonial settlers.
The final reason they won’t stop it is simply because they won’t be able to. The override law, which will surely pass, will simply override the court decision disqualifying it. It may set up a crisis (you can’t say “constitutional crisis,” since there is no constitution). But nine justices don’t stand a chance against 120 MKs. No, the court is dead as an independent body. And don’t believe me, many Israelis have said it before me. All that remains is to say a few prayers over it and send it to the morgue.
No, you aren’t innocent. Israeli soldiers aren’t innocent. Israeli settlers aren’t innocent. As for the killing of actual Israeli civilians, I might feel differently if so many times more Palestinians “innocent civilians” than Israeli weren’t killed. But they are. So they are the casualities of a brutal war waged by their own government and army. Actually, none of these innocent civilians would have to die if Israel agreed to compromise with Palestine. BUt it won’t. So Israeli civilians will continue to die, needlessly.
If you are a civilian, you are far more guilty than the average Israeli civilian, for you ratify this mass murder.
As for “the worst terrorist acts against innocent civilians,” your words are far more apt describing Israeli terrorism against Palestinians. As I’ve written many times here: 20 Palestinians are murderered for every Israeli. That makes you 20 times the monster I am.
So do I support resistance peaceful or militant? You bet. Here’s a terrific Israeli statement on this issue:
I value freedom, human rights, and justice far more than I value a tribal colony for thugs, thieves and murderers (and those who offer lies and apologetics for them, like you).
There is an Israel-Palestine that is possible. But Israel as it is, is a blot on Jewish values. A blot on human values.
Richard said: “No, you aren’t innocent. Israeli soldiers aren’t innocent. Israeli settlers aren’t innocent.”
What about Israeli infants and toddlers?
Innocent or guilty, Richard?
How do you like playing God?
Israeli infants and toddlers have almost never, except in a few rare cases, been victims. On the other hand, Palestinian babies and children have been murdered in the thousands by Israeli forces, not to mention the thousands of them arrested in violation of the Geneva Convention. Over 300 Palestinian children currently rot in Israeli jails. Some as young as 7 or 8. Do stop whining to me about Israeli babies. When you show a hundredth the emotion for Palestinian children as you do for Israeli, then you can talk. Till then…
Richard said :”As I’ve written many times here: 20 Palestinians are murderered(sic) for every Israeli.”
Assuming, arguendo, that Israel murders 20 Palestinians for every Israeli murdered by Palestinians, you fail to factor in that Shin Bet prevents scores of terrorist attacks every year.
https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-725829
https://www.timesofisrael.com/shin-bet-thwarted-over-450-terror-attacks-in-2019-chief-says/
@ Bertrand:
Irrelvant. No one knows whether the Shin Bet prevented 1 terror attack or 1,000. Even if it was 1,000, we have no idea whether the militants would have killed 1 Israeli or 10,000. All we have is their word and it isn’t worth a bucket of warm piss, as they say. We have actual dead on both sides we can count. That’s all that matters.
Richard
I completely agree with your analysis that fascism is never acceptable, even if it is “democratically elected,” and the present Israeli MKs who are promoting fascism were not elected to do that. They were simply elected to sit in the Knesset. I wish the American Jewish establishment (AIPAC, ADL, etc.) would adopt this position, rather than their sort-of reluctant acceptance of the new Israeli government, fascists and all.
But I am a bit confused by your final paragraph. I read the first sentence as sarcastic as revealed by the last sentence. Being a scientist I find sarcasm difficult to parse in political essays because in science one says what one means in as clear terms as possible.
best for 2023 jeff
@ Jeff: Yes. Sorry about that. I did switch over to sarcasm in that last paragraph. I wanted to express my outrage at US inaction in the face of Israeli fascism.
So what do those Jews in America who have been insisting on UNCONDITIONAL support for Israel in view of that country’s settlements in the West Bank and it’s oppression of the Palestinian people have to say about this, now that it came to this? The majority of American Jews as well as the majority of the American people oppose this UNCONDITIONAL support for Israel. Even J Street which is the more moderate of the Jewish peace organizations in the US, has called for reducing aid to Israel as long as that country oppresses the Palestinians.
A survey of young Israelis conducted by the “Yisod” association has shown that 60% of the Israeli public thinks that the future of democracy in the Jewish state is at risk.
The study asked participants to respond to the statement, “it is important that the State of Israel remains democratic.” An overwhelming majority of respondents (94%) responded in the affirmative. This remained true among the religious respondents, of whom 91% also agreed with the statement.
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-726000
Maybe Israel’s young generation will save her, the same way that young Americans helped save American democracy earlier this year.
https://www.brookings.edu/research/midterm-exit-polls-show-that-young-voters-drove-democratic-resistance-to-the-red-wave/
@Polly: I too would like to remain an optimism. But I’m afraid my optimism was exhausted long ago.
Polly and Richard, I also would like to be optimistic about this. However the situation in Israel seems to be worse than in the United States. At least in the U.S., in reaction to what Trump did and what the Republicans are doing now, more people turned out to the polls electing a Democratic majority to the Senate and to governorships and other offices around the country. There was no “red wave.” Normally the president’s party loses seats in the first midterm, but that didn’t happen this year. I don’t know how much hope I give to that, but maybe Trump will end up doing time and maybe more of his cohorts too.