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15 November 2010 By Stephen
Lendman Disturbing signs are ominous. On
November 8, Israel demolished and ransacked a Negev
Bedouin Arab mosque in Rahat, removing it for Jewish
development. Professor Yousef Salamah called it "a
criminal act," done on the pretext that it was
unlicensed. "These are not new acts but were preceded
by many incidents and attacks, when the Israeli
authorities demolished dozens of mosques inside
Israel, turning some into museums, barns, restaurants,
synagogues and parking lots." Five Bedouins, Israeli citizens,
were arrested for protesting. Others were attacked. On
November 8, Haaretz writers Jack Khoury and Yanir
Yagnar headlined, "Defiant Bedouin(s) rebuild Rahat
mosque razed by state," saying: Along with a one-day general
strike, residents laid a foundation to rebuild. Yusuf
Abu Jama, local leader of the Northern Branch of the
Islamic Movement said: "If they continue to destroy
it, we will rebuild the mosque over and over again." Southern District commander
Yohanan Danino said: "The mosque was born in crime and
as a symbol of the radicalization and escalation of
the members of the Northern Branch of the Islamic
Movement within Rahat...." Look for another demolition and
more confrontation, denying Israeli Arabs equal rights
with Jews, but even theirs are eroding. Israel is now
unsafe for anyone challenging state authority, no
matter how repressive its policies. On November 8, Haaretz writer
Noah Kosharek headlined, "Supreme Court okays
Jewish-only buildings in Jaffa," saying: The Court approved three
apartment buildings solely for Jews in the mixed Ajami
neighborhood, "even as it implied that such a project
could constitute discrimination." Most modern states
reject segregation out of hand. Israel practices it as
policy. On November 9, at 3:00AM, Israeli
soldiers stormed Bil'in village, targeting two homes,
looking for Ashraf al-Khatib, a wounded demonstrator,
shot in the leg weeks earlier, protesting for village
rights. In recent years, Bil'in has been repeatedly
raided, its residents arrested for peacefully
resisting occupation and Israel's Separation Wall,
systematically destroying the village. On November 11, Haaretz writers
Nir Hasson and Shlomo Papirblatt headlined, "Gang
suspected of attacks on Arabs in Jerusalem," saying: "Young (Jewish) men have
reportedly been roaming in and around Independence
Park seeking Arabs to attack, trying to identify them
by their accent." Two already were assaulted. Also a
Chilean tourist mistaken for an Arab. In July, another
Arab was stabbed. Other incidents occur regularly,
too numerous to list, both in Israel and the
Territories. Besides wars, repeated incursions,
lawless land seizures, killings, arrests and torture,
they include middle-of-the-night home raids, assaults
against nonviolent protestors, farmers, fishermen,
women and children. Their crime: being Muslims in a
Jewish state or on land Israel occupies,
systematically stealing it dunum by dunum as well as
depriving non-Jewish citizens of their rights. Where
this ends worries many, including Uri Avnery, founder
of Gush Shalom, "The Peace Bloc." In his October 25 article titled,
"Weimar in Jerusalem: Israel on the Footsteps of Nazi
Germany," he said as a young boy he witnessed
firsthand: "the collapse of German democracy
and the ascent of the Nazis to power. The pictures are
engraved in my memory - the election campaigns
following each other, the uniforms in the street, the
debates around the table, the teacher who greeted us
for the first time with "Heil Hitler." For Averny and many others, the
"all-important question in Israel with growing concern
(is whether) the Israeli republic is collapsing. For
the first time, this question is being asked in all
seriousness." Netanyahu's Welfare Minister,
Yirzhak Herzog, worries that "fascism is touching the
margins of our society." He's wrong, says Averny. It's
"not only touching the margins, it is touching the
government in which he is serving, and the Knesset, of
which he is a member." Almost daily, Knesset members
introduce new repressive bills, including the Law of
Citizenship's Loyalty Oath amendment, requiring
non-Jews to pledge it to "the State of Israel as a
Jewish and democratic state." Otherwise, their
citizenship and residency rights may be revoked.
Perhaps also their freedom. Dozens of other repressive laws
have been tabled. Many more are coming, measures real
democracies won't tolerate. Avery said MKs have been "act(ing)
like sharks in a feeding frenzy," competing "to see
who can devise the most racist bill." It's not a uniquely Israeli
phenomenon. It's surfacing across Europe and in
America, its recent election sending a legion of
extremist bigots to Congress, joining many others
already there from both parties. Avery "always worried that
(Israeli) democracy was hanging by a thin thread, that
we must be on our guard every hour, every minute." As
in America, it's now "facing an unprecedented test."
Failing it leaves the door open to fascism. Again, like in America, the
choice is "peace or eternal war" and accompanying
repression. Peace requires equal rights for non-Jewish
citizens and Palestinians, notions Israel won't
countenance. As a result, Avery worries that "For the
second time in my life, I may have to witness the
collapse of a republic." Only an aroused public can
stop it. In a November 9 Haaretz op-ed,
Haifa University Professor Daniel Gutwein headlined,
"Israel needs a Leftist revolution to stop the
fascism," saying: "A social revolution on the left
is the necessary condition to stop (what's) seep(ing)
into the halls of government..." The Loyalty Oath, repressive
occupation, and denial of non-Jewish citizens equal
rights are most evident, but also much more. Eroding
social benefits and growing privatizations for
example. Combined they show "the transformation of
fascism from scattered, isolated 'weeds' to an
official policy." Neoliberal privatizations turn
"social services from citizens' rights into
merchandise which is gained via the merchandising of
citizenship itself," beside matters of equity and
affordability. Gutwein calls fascism "occupation by
other means, and as such it imports the logic of
occupation rule into Israel itself....At the same
time, in light of deepened social gaps caused by
privitization(s), fascism becomes an internal Israeli
mechanism of compensation, through which the
privatizing regime strengthens its hold on society."
Change requires a "social-democratic revolution on the
left" in time to stop it, one nowhere so far in
sight. Haaretz writer Gideon Levy
worries about issues reflecting growing repression and
fascism, including in his November 7 article titled,
"Dear American Jews, if you love Israel - criticize
it," saying: Criticize its "policy of force
and occupation....someone has to wean it from these
addictions. Like any other junkie, it is incapable of
helping itself. Thus the job falls to you" and Israeli
citizens. Israel's "arrogant behavior (makes) it
despised....The town is burning....Israeli democracy
is being torn apart; soon, it will no longer be
possible to talk about 'the only democracy in the
Middle East,' " no matter how nonsensical it is now.
Act, "Criticize it as it deserves." It's the first
step to change. In a September interview, Levy
commented on the political climate in Israel and
prospects for peace, saying that recent events showed
that "nothing was left of the Israeli Left, except for
some small, devoted, courageous groups which are still
active. Unfortunately, they are not very
influential." Why so? Because people believe
"there is no 'Palestinian partner' " when, in fact,
the opposite is true. It made him doubt the existence
of Israeli leftists. His main concern is extremist
governance under Netanyahu and a supportive Knesset. "(I)t's going to destroy Israel
from within. I think that Israeli democracy is now
facing its biggest challenge ever: a systematic
campaign against any kind of alternative voices." So
far, parts of the media operate freely, "because most
of (it) collaborate(s) with the occupation project,
and those of us - the very few - who go against the
stream, until now we were untouched, but this I don't
take for granted." Repressive laws have targeted
human rights NGOs and dissident academics. Conditions
are "deteriorating day after day. It might touch me
personally very soon but so far" not yet. Yedioth
Ahronoth, Israel's largest circulation daily, fired
writer B. Michael (Michael Berizon), known for
attacking Israeli politicians and the occupation
satirically. An epilogue in his last column
said he'd "been fired. Good-bye." Without explaining
further, his political views left him vulnerable. For
example, his denunciation of Cast Lead, saying: "There it is again, the cyclical
'deja vu war.' The same ceremonial bloodshed that
again is being poured into the hot lava that has been
leading the entire region to misery for dozens of
years now." With that type writing, it's
surprising Yediot Achronot kept him on for 15 years,
calling Gaza "a giant prison," saying years of Israeli
aggression reflects "one great butcher shop," and much
more just as harsh. Few mainstream journalists
anywhere approach that honesty or courage. Levy does it for Haaretz, calling
it Israel's most influential paper because it impacts
politicians, business leaders, and other parts of the
media, though less now than earlier. It's also read
globally, "but (don't) exaggerate" its importance. Calling Israel a racist state,
Levy said his views hardened over time. "(T)he more
Israel becomes nationalistic, the more the government
becomes violent and aggressive," the more radicalized
he's become. In his recent book, "The Punishment of
Gaza," he called Cast Lead a "wild onslaught upon the
most helpless population in the world." As for the current round of peace
talks, he unequivocally negative, seeing no hope in
them whatever, calling them "another scene in this
ongoing masquerade, another photo opportunity." Their
failure, in fact, may "lead to another bloodshed."
Commenting on how he persists, he responded saying "do
I have a choice? I can't change my mind. I will not
stop raising my voice as long as (I) have a platform"
to do it. Israel's lurch toward Gomorrah
jeopardizes everyone challenging state policy,
especially vocal journalists, academics, and human
rights activists, the very people authorities want
silenced. Stephen Lendman lives in
Chicago and can be reached at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.
Also visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com and
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guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the
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