Daily Times

Israel is officially an apartheid state. One that now has enshrined into law the second-classing of its Arab citizenry; both Muslim and Christian.

Earlier this week, Tel Aviv passed (by 62 to 55) votes a new “Jewish nation state” law. In real terms, this positions Hebrew as the country’s only official language. Meaning that Arab has been downgraded from official to “special” status. Not only that, the bill provides that the land of Israel — a reference to all of historical Palestine — represents “the historical homeland of the Jewish people”. Similarly, it identifies the Jewish people as enjoying the exclusive right to cultural and religious self-determination. Yet there are still those who term this latest development as little more than a symbolic move; on the grounds that the Arab minorities have long endured the humiliation of being treated as inferior beings. Therefore, so the argument goes, the new law simply serves up the already existing status quo.

Yet this is not entirely true. After all, it becomes harder to challenge discriminatory practice once legislation goes on the books. Then there is the not un-small matter of how this move came about by way of a parliamentary vote. Thereby underscoring how the democratic process does not always deliver the greatest good for the greater number; but rather safeguards the interests of particular power centres. This is something which with Pakistan is rather familiar. For it, too, is a nation built on a single religious identity that has, increasingly, battled against pluralism. The result being that prevailing bigotry towards minority faiths and sects simultaneously turns inwards; towards orthodoxy. And when this happens, ethno-sectarianism is often quick to follow.

That being said, some good has come out of the vote. Namely, the dissenting Jewish voices from within Israel. These include Benny Begin whose father, Menachem Begin, was a former Israeli Prime Minister and founder of the ruling Likud party. And while he did not vote against the bill, he did abstain. Even the powerful American Jewish Committee termed the new law disappointing; stressing how it “put at risk the commitment of Israel’s founders to build a country that is both Jewish and democratic”.

All of which underscores that the government of Benjamin Netanyahu does not enjoy the unconditional support of Jewish communities at home and abroad.  Moving forward, these groups need to use their relatively strong positions to speak truth to power. Telling those at the helm in Tel Aviv that the entering into force of such a prejudiced law is not being done in their name. They must, too, speak up for the Palestinians; who, having been robbed of the right to statehood for the last 70 years, are effectively living in what has been aptly described as the world’s largest prison. This is not to forget the question of challenging the Israeli regime’s continued efforts to paint the Middle East conflict as a religious one when everyone knows that illegal military occupation is the source of all the “troubles”.

Bluntly put, Jewish voices of reason are more or less the only hope left for the Palestinians. For only they can rouse the international community from its deep slumber and wilful myopia that has gone on for far too long. It is hoped that they will do their best.  *

Published in Daily Times, July 21^st 2018.