The Present Israeli Government is an affront to Human Rights

The present Netanyahu Government is filled with right-wing sycophants that are racist, divisive as well as some being potential felons under police investigation.

Some are even suspected of felonies such as PM Netanyahu (Case 1000, 2000) and MK David Bitan 1 (both under police investigation) and a few on the “waiting list” (Minister of Welfare and Social Services, Chaim Katz 2 as an example) as well as being surrounded by a plethora of extra-parliamentary tycoons, businessmen and even lawyers David Shimron, (Netanyahu’s cousin) 3, and Yitzchak Molcho 4 are suspected of involvement in an illegal submarine deal (Case 3000).

(L-R) Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's personal lawyer David Shimron, his former diplomatic envoy Yitzhak Molcho, his former bureau chief David Sharan, former deputy national security adviser Avriel Bar-Yosef and former commander of the Israeli Navy Eliezer Marom (Flash90)

Even in culture, the foul-mouthed, screaming Netanyahu sycophant, Miri Regev, Minister of Culture and Sport 5 is punting and funding what she views as culture and threatens to withhold state funding of cultural projects that do not conform to her Moroccan ancestry and Likud agenda. She doesn't know what culture is, especially western culture. This definitely does threaten Israel's once-vibrant democracy. Having grown up in apartheid South Africa, I remember the censorship or banning of cultural projects that did not conform to white government agendas outright.

Surely there is a certain feeling of déjà vu! Israel is a very different Israel to what it was 40 plus years ago. It is becoming less tolerant of those, who are different (non-Jews). The treatment of refugees is appalling. We have forgotten that we were once refugees as well. The settlements in the occupied territories are viewed as holy creations, including the settlers, most of whom are embedded with an extremist religious Zionist ideology. They appear above the law. Many of the settler offspring and their ilk are involved in the destruction of Palestinian property and go unpunished.

The present government is passing laws weakening the law courts and the police force in order to protect the potential felons in their midst. They pander to the ultra-Orthodox coalition partner religious coercion by passing laws such as the Minimarket Law making it illegal to open businesses on Shabbat.

There is also the Darfur in South Sudan and Eritrean refugee issue. The treatment of refugees from South Sudan and Eritrea is appalling and cruel.These refugees are being deported with some pocket money to countries in Africa where their lives are endangered. This is done because of the fear of Israel’s Jewish citizens being assimilated. It is as if Israel is deporting them to their deaths. Does this not remind us of a very evil power in Germany from 1933 to 1945? Nazi Germany had death camps to exterminate Jews that were not deported. In Israel, those who cooperate with the deportation authorities to send the refugees to their fate are also guilty of being accessories to murder. The Minister of the Interior, Arye Deri, is responsible for signing the orders of the expulsion of asylum seekers from Israel. He, himself, is an ex-convict as well as Shas Party chairman and his wife are under investigation for money laundering, fraud, breach of trust and tax offences. He views himself as a “Shomer Mitzvot” 6 (שומר מצוות) and part of that is “purity” of the Jewish People in his view.

Interior Minister Aryeh Deri (l) and his wife Yaffa seen leaving their home in Jerusalem, on May 29, 2017. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

This is an unforgivable tragedy. Israel has lost its Jewish heart and soul. The deportation of refugees (the racist right-wing regime refers to them as “infiltrators”) is cruel and heartless. We have lost our humanity preserving it for Jews only. Many of us had family who suffered the devastation and cruelties of the Nazi Holocaust and has forgotten what it is to be a refugee. These people are no threat to Israel’s security and if the government could allow a budget for their rehabilitation and absorption into Israel and its workforce this problem would be solved. Instead of the massive monthly salaries - 5000 shekels or $1452.82 - increase for Israel’s boorish cabinet ministers this money could be used for rehab and absorption.

Inspectors, who are responsible for sniffing out refugees for deportation are just “carrying out orders”. Sounds familiar? Many offspring of these refugees were born in Israel, speak Hebrew and are Israeli no less than the “Chosen People”. Israel is a signatory to Geneva Convention to the receiving of refugees - now they are squirming. They are no threat to Israel’s security. Israel is squandering lots of money today to give their boorish cabinet ministers a 5000 shekel raise in their monthly salary as well as the monies that go to sectarian ultra-Orthodox yeshiva projects for maintaining their putrid coalition. There is money to absorb these refugees and turn them into productive citizens by allowing them to work as well as being sent to other parts of Israel and not crowding them in south Tel Aviv under disgraceful living conditions as well as not being allowed to work legally.

The Holocaust survivors, handicapped, aged and the inadequate health system are under subsidized by the state. The government gave themselves an exorbitant rise in monthly salary, as mentioned earlier in this article, that they do not deserve.

The Netanyahu dynasty is ruling Israel. Yair Netanyahu, Bibi’s son has bodyguards and a luxury car at his disposal even when he frequents strip clubs of ill repute for his urges at the taxpayers' expense 7 as if we do not pay enough taxes already.

While I never agreed with Likud ideology, the previous generation of Likud members such as Late PM Menachem Begin, his mentor Ze'ev Jabotinsky and their associates (they would turn in their graves if they knew what had become of their Revisionist ideology), who cared more for Israel than the present lot of shenanigans that care for their Knesset seats and making a quick buck. They also get their support from many Israelis, who are racist.

References:

1. "Coalition chair MK David Bitan suspected of ... - The Times of Israel." 3 Dec. 2017, https://www.timesofisrael.com/coalition-chair-mk-david-bitan-suspected-of-receiving-bribes-money-laundering/. Accessed 19 Jan. 2018.
2. "Haim Katz - Wikipedia." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haim_Katz. Accessed 15 Jan. 2018.
3. "Legal Affairs: Who is Netanyahu's right-hand man, David Shimron ...." 20 Jul. 2017, http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Legal-Affairs-Who-is-Netanyahus-right-hand-man-David-Shimron-anyway-500274. Accessed 19 Jan. 2018.
4. "David Shimron | The Times of Israel." https://www.timesofisrael.com/topic/david-shimron/. Accessed 19 Jan. 2018.
5. "Miri Regev's Culture War - The New York Times." 20 Oct. 2016, https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/23/magazine/miri-regevs-culture-war.html. Accessed 19 Jan. 2018.
6. "Mitzvah - Wikipedia." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitzvah. Accessed 19 Jan. 2018.
7. https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/the-full-transcript-of-yair-netanyahu-s-wild-tel-aviv-night-1.5730342

The Commissars of Israel

The present right-wing Coalition Government of Israel, in the eyes of many of Israel’s right to the extreme right-wing section of Israel’s electorate, which, unfortunately, is the majority of the electorate, who view some of the cabinet ministers as representing Israel’s interests. Those on the left to centre left are increasingly viewed as traitors of Israel. This trend is, unfortunately, on the increase. 

Those connected with various criminal files (seen as victims of a hostile left-wing press in right wing eyes) are viewed as “fake news” to use a “Trump Esque” definition. It appears that any news negative to the Likud and its coalition partners, including the latter’s supporters, are viewed as close to treason. The ruling government views the police enquiries of Bibi Netanyahu and the indictment of Sara Netanyahu as a tactic of the left to create a situation conducive to Netanyahu’s downfall.

Even the rearguard, Yair Netanyahu,  Bibi and Sara Netanyahu's son, has been using anti-Semitic memes on his Fb page 1. as revenge for the indictment of his beloved mom, Sara. Papa Bibi never even reprimanded him for his shocking behaviour. No comment from Papa Bibi Netanyahu means tacit support for squirt Yair’s nefarious activity on his Fb page. Is it possible that Papa Bibi is priming Yair for becoming part of the “Netanyahu Dynasty” in the future? Who knows and who can predict?

What is not even surprising even though it should be is the support that Yair gets from many of Netanyahu’s supporters 2, despite the disgust expressed by many Jewish organizations beyond Israel’s borders and even political leaders within Israel itself.

The present Likud is a disgrace to Israel. It is such a far cry from its founding fathers, the Late Ze’ev Jabotinsky and Menachem Begin, who were liberals, believers in democracy and idealists that never sought their own personal aggrandizement like the present lot with its Commissars of Justice, Culture and Sport - just to name two outstanding examples. These two individuals - Ayelet Shaked (Justice Commissar) and Miri Regev (Culture and Sports Commissar) are the most outstanding examples. Another Commissar is the suspected fraudster, Arye Deri, Minister of the Interior 3.

While the police investigation of Netanyahu and his wife have raised speculation on whether Netanyahu will eventually be forced to step down, Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked said he would not legally be required to if indicted 4.

Ayelet Shaked wants to apply Israeli Legislation to the illegal settlements enterprise within a year and thus have de facto annexation of the settlements that are not recognized as part of Israel according to international law.

Shaked wishes to pack the Courts with conservative judges conforming to her and her party’s agenda of justice that is moving towards a fascist interpretation of the Jewish State that comes first and democracy comes second if not third. There are some very disturbing trends in Ayelet Shaked’s Ministry of Justice that are a threat to Israel’s democracy that appears to be moving towards fascism.

Ayelet Shaked

The other well-known commissar is the Minister of Culture and Sport, Miri Regev 5. She views her job as that of the national censor. In which country of the free world does the Minister of Culture and Sport decide what cultural projects in theatre, art, film and literature are deserving of state funding? Where does the Minister of Culture unilaterally decide that cultural projects that are not in line with her government agenda must be ostracized and viewed as potential fifth column and not deserving of state subsidies? Our Minister of Culture and Sport has become the Commissar of Culture as in totalitarian states under  Communist or Fascist dictatorships.

 She decides what is culture and what is not. She has introduced a "Culture and Loyalty Bill" in the hope that it will pass all three readings and become law. Anything that goes against her personal agenda and that of her party is ridiculed and stands a chance of not being granted state funding for cultural projects as if state funding comes from her pocket. She has a severe problem with cultural projects that do not tow her government line. She views these projects as serving the interests of Israel’s enemies. She is boisterous, loud, and exudes ignorance of culture that is not within her personal party agenda. An example of this was at the Cannes Film Festival, where her disgraceful behaviour brought no honour to Israel in her choice of dress 6.

She threatens artists and calls them enemies of Israel if their projects are not in accordance with her agenda.  She appears to gain admiration for her outspokenness by many of her Likud Party supporters and colleagues, who view her as the “custodian of culture” 7.

Miri Regev, the Commissar of Culture, in her controversial dress

 

1. Recently the Israeli film “Foxtrot” won the Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize at the Venice International Film Festival on Saturday, Sept 9th, 2017. The paranoiac Commissar of Culture, Miri Regev, viewed this achievement as a move by Israel’s enemies to discredit Israel. She never even saw the film but relied on the information supplied to her by her fellow party cronies 8. She has no idea what culture is and views anything beyond her narrow world view as anathema and inimical to Israel. This film received great acclaim. Only a warped biased mind can view it as being anti-Israel. The latest is that this Commissar of Culture has been snubbed by Israel's Ophir Awards Committee, which is Israel's Oscar Awards and has not been invited. She views herself as the custodian of Mizrachi culture. She deserves the snub as it symbolizes her lack of respect for those who are different and she creates unpleasantness with her threats as well as forcing acceptance of her agenda on culture.This occurred at the previous Ophir Award ceremony when she addressed the audience and created a rumpus. To quote her own words she said they must "Cut the Bullshit". Probably the only English sentence she knows as she illustrates the heights of her own boorishness. She claims that the snub is undemocratic. She, of course, is "democratic and tolerant - a true paragon of culture".

Commissars in cabinet posts in Israel do not bode well for Israel’s democratic future. It bodes well for the seedlings of fascism to take root and those in opposition to the right-wing Coalition Government will continue to be viewed as traitors to Israel as their mouths and minds will be clamped eventually.

1. "Israel prime minister Netanyahu's son under fire for 'anti-Semitic' social ...." 10 Sep. 2017, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/09/10/israel-prime-minister-netanyahus-son-fire-anti-semitic-social/. Accessed 12 Sep. 2017.
2. "Yair Netanyahu exposes Israel's own version of the 'alt-right' | The ...." 12 Sep. 2017, https://www.timesofisrael.com/yair-netanyahu-exposes-israels-own-version-of-the-alt-right/. Accessed 12 Sep. 2017.
3. "Deri questioned, 14 detained in corruption investigation - Israel News ...." 29 May. 2017, http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Authorities-arrest-14-on-tax-offenses-across-Israel-494196. Accessed 14 Sep. 2017. 
4. 3 Aug. 2017, http://www.newsmax.com/Headline/netanyahu-indictment-bribery-fraud/2017/08/03/id/805640/. Accessed 12 Sep. 2017. 
5. "Meet Miri Regev, Israel's Trump in high heels - Israel News - Haaretz ...." http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/1.690943. Accessed 14 Sep. 2017.
6. "Israeli minister's Jerusalem dress proves controversial in Cannes ...." 18 May. 2017, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/may/18/israeli-minister-miri-regev-jerusalem-dress-controversial-cannes. Accessed 14 Sep. 2017.
7. "Miri Regev's Culture War - The New York Times." https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/23/magazine/miri-regevs-culture-war.html. Accessed 14 Sep. 2017.
8. "Foxtrot Review: The Israeli Film Condemned by Israel's Cultural ...." 10 Sep. 2017, https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2017/09/foxtrot-review. Accessed 14 Sep. 2017.