Friday, May 1, 2009
Shulamit Aloni / Sadly, Israel is no longer democratic
The long-term evidence of abuse by soldiers against civilians at the checkpoints - including repeated instances of expectant mothers who are forced to give birth in the middle of the road, surrounded by armed soldiers who laugh wickedly - is no secret either. Day after day, year after year, the most moral army in the world helps to steal lands, uproot trees, steal water, close roads - in the service of the righteous "Jewish and democratic" state and with its support. It's heartbreaking, but the State of Israel is no longer democratic. We are living in an ethnocracy under "Jewish and democratic" rule.
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Has Israel ever been truly fully Democratic? Are there even any Western countries which are anymore?
ReplyDeleteIsrael takes what it wants of Democracy that helps it look Democratic and that helps and pleases its Jewish inhabitants, while it dismisses the rest which would help and please its Arab inhabitants...
Great piece, Aloni is a rare champion.
ReplyDelete"<span>The long-term evidence of abuse by soldiers against civilians at the checkpoints - including repeated instances of expectant mothers who are forced to give birth in the middle of the road, surrounded by armed soldiers who laugh wickedly - is no secret either. Day after day, year after year, the most moral army in the world helps to steal lands, uproot trees, steal water, close roads - in the service of the righteous "Jewish and democratic" state and with its support. It's heartbreaking, but the State of Israel is no longer democratic. We are living in an ethnocracy under "Jewish and democratic" rule."</span>
ReplyDelete"<span>Democracy exists in the State of Israel today only in the formal sense: There are parties and elections and a good judicial system. But there is also an omnipotent army that ignores legal decisions that restrict the theft of land owned and held by people who have been living under occupation for the past 42 years. And since 1992, as we mentioned, we also have the definition "Jewish state," which means an ethnocracy - the rule of an ethnic religious community that strictly determines the ethnic origin of its citizens according to maternal lineage. And as far as other religions are concerned, disrespect for them is already a tradition, since we have learned: "Only you are considered human beings, whereas the gentiles are like donkeys." </span>
ReplyDeleteGreat piece, Aloni is a rare champion.
ReplyDeleteYes she is. I had been following her news for many yrs. I met her at a conferece where she spoke in OPT one time, very nice approachable lady.
I respect honesty.