The Right-Wing in Israel and Corruption

The year 2017 has ended and if we reflect back on that year we observe that despite PM Netanyahu’s claim that Israel’s diplomatic relations with the moderate Arab States have taken a turn for the better, this is an over-statement. It really is a case of “the enemy of my enemy is my friend”. This is certainly the case with Iran that is threatening the Sunni Arab States in the region and is filling the vacuum since the defeat of Daesh (or rather the weakening of Daesh). The Daesh idea of a caliphate still exists and the non-Muslim countries, as well as the Muslim countries, are still under threat as the Daesh tactics are now cells scattered in many countries of Europe. These cells are involved in lone terrorist attacks against innocent people and no country is immune. There will be more of the same in the coming year, unfortunately.

The trend all over Europe in their general elections is a strong move towards the centre-right and extreme right, including a move towards neo-fascism and its xenophobic tendencies. The flood of refugees from the Middle East and Africa is a factor that has resulted in this trend.

In Israel, this is also true. Israel has the most right-wing government in its history. Those who do not hold the right-wing Israeli Government Coalition view are ostracised and even viewed as traitors to Israel. The left wing in Israel has become weak and ineffective. Even the new leader of the Zionist Camp, Avi Gabbay, is certainly not left of centre. He is really Likud-lite and is dragging the so-called opposition towards a more right-wing direction in his effort to attract disgruntled Likudniks.

The main coalition partner - the Likud, has been troubled by a large number of corruption scandals of which much has been written in the Israeli media. The Likud support in Israel is not so high - only 30 seats out of 120 seats in the Knesset. The only reason why they are in power is that they managed to cobble a coalition of extreme right-wing parties including the ultra-Orthodox parties. This  has resulted in various controversial Bills - the Recommendation Bill, which limits the power of the police to investigate suspected felons, who are Knesset members as well as the weakening of the law courts

MK David Bitan, the ex-Likud Coalition Chairman 1, is being investigated for bribery, corruption money laundering and every day the case against him thickens as he is being interrogated by the police for the fifth time 2. Bitan and his replacement, MK David (Dudu)  Amsalem, were both very keen on pushing this Bill through. The former appears to have been keen on this Bill as he knew that he was on the road to a criminal investigation and probably wanted to ensure that he would have a trouble-free term in the Knesset. More business people close to Bitan are being questioned 3 by the police and are willingly spilling the beans to save their own skins and incriminating Bitan 4, their”cupboard love friend” even further. PM Netanyahu is also under investigation over receiving gifts for favours (Case 1000) as well as making a deal with the director of Yediot Ahronot, Noni Moses (Case 2000), to publish favourable reports about him in his newspaper. In the shady submarine deals (Case 3000) he still remains clear and is presumed innocent. Even Sara Netanyahu, Bibi Netanyahu’s wife, has been demanding presents from Bibi’s tycoon friends. Apparently, she is Bibi’s keeper and despite Bibi’s denials, she has much influence on her husband and in her own eyes is deserving of massive kickbacks. She may also be facing criminal charges.

 Another scandal involving Netanyahu is Case 4000 known as the “Bezeq affair,” this corruption scandal began with a special state comptroller report, published in July, on the problematic relationship between the Communications Ministry and Bezeq, Israel’s telecom giant. The report found that Shlomo Filber, director general of the Communications Ministry and a former top aide to Netanyahu, had been providing Bezeq with confidential documents and other information from which the company stood to benefit. Netanyahu had brought Filber to the Ministry of Communications after he fired Avi Berger, his predecessor at the job. Berger had been trying to advance a broadband reform that would have hurt Bezeq.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held seven meetings with Shaul Elovitch, the controlling shareholder of Bezeq, Israel's biggest telecommunications company, between 2013 and 2015, according to a report revealed in a freedom-of-information request.

All these irregularities occur because the Likud Coalition has been in power for too long. Netanyahu views Israel as his private playground. He seems to behave as if Israel is his private property and he can do what he wishes in the interests of Israel, which really is his own private interests to carry on the good life at others' expense. He is as stingy as Scrooge and he has his providers. It is unlikely that he will treat anybody for a meal at his own expense.

Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli Prime Minister, is suspected of being involved in bribery, fraud and breach of trust (REUTERS/Sebastian Scheiner/Pool)

Another pseudo-religious

Arye Deri

creep, Interior Minister Aryeh Deri, has been convicted and spent time in prison in the past, leader of the pseudo-religious ultra-Orthodox Shas Party is part of the Coalition Government. A more insensitive creature is hard to find. He treats refugees (Sudanese and Eritreans) with contempt and finds ways of expelling them thus endangering their lives. Israel is a signatory to the Geneva Fourth Convention concerning the status of refugees. The reason - “contamination” of the Jewish People is Deri's main concern. Israel’s present rulers are masters of double standards. They are always in the forefront in sending aid to countries suffering from natural disasters but their attitude to those in distress, who are non-Jews and arrive as refugees is deplorable! 5

Deri also consulted a rabbi to find a way of coercing a fellow MK, Yehuda Glick, who is mourning his wife’s (sitting shiva) death, to come and vote in the Knesset on a controversial Bill prohibiting certain businesses from operating on the Sabbath - the Minimarket Bill. All in the name of God to prevent desecration of the Sabbath. What a sanctimonious, double standard creature!  Deri and his “God-Fearing” wife, Yaffa Deri,6 are also facing further police investigation for corruption. Deri’s behaviour is deplorable no less than the other band of Likud shenanigans that are in the Knesset today!

David (Dudu) Amsalem L and David Bitan R Tweedledee and Tweedledum

The Likud has been in power too long and its leader, PM Netanyahu, can serve for as many terms as he wishes on re-election. In the US and in the UK, as well as in many Western democracies, a leader is limited to serving two terms - not in Israel, where the leader can serve ad infinitum unless his/her party loses the election. This opens the door to corruption in high places from which even the ruling prime minister is not immune.

According to the Association of Civil Rights in Israel, the present government is responsible for anti-democratic

initiatives as well as the erosion of democratic values in Israel:

“In recent years we have witnessed a disturbing trend toward the erosion of democratic values in Israel and the promotion of anti-democratic initiatives. It is particularly alarming that democratic values are being undermined and the rules of the democratic process are being broken in the Knesset – Israel’s parliament and the heart and symbol of Israeli democracy. Statements and actions by senior political figures have far-reaching ramifications and influence on the attitudes of the Israeli public regarding democracy, human rights, and political, social and ethnic minorities.

The most basic rules of the democratic game have been challenged recently. The foundations of the democratic system have been attacked, including the separation of powers and respect for the office and function of the different branches and institutions that exist in a democracy; the role of civil society; and protection of human rights, for example the freedom of expression, the right to protest, and respect for the underlying value of equality. By using the “defensive democracy” approach, these areas have been subjected to systematic erosion through biased and distorted interpretations.”

We have reached a new low in Israel’s “thriving democracy” as the present government is doing everything in its power to suppress personal freedom by enacting legislation that endangers the law courts’ ability by weakening it as well as the Israeli Police Force when it comes to investigations of suspected felons serving in the government coalition.

Those who care for decent, fair government in Israel, devoid of any corruption suspicions must avoid voting for the Likud and those who served as their coalition partners in the next Israeli General Elections. Failing to do so will ensure the continuation of further erosion of the law and more laws will be enacted to protect suspected felons in power. 

References:

1. "MK David Bitan submits letter of resignation to PM Benjamin ...." 20 Dec. 2017, http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/MK-David-Bitan-submits-letter-of-resignation-to-PM-Netanyahu-518575. Accessed 4 Jan. 2018.
2. "Netanyahu's right-hand man David Bitan resigns as coalition whip ...." 20 Dec. 2017, https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/1.830186. Accessed 4 Jan. 2018.
3. "MK David Bitan submits letter of resignation to PM Benjamin ...." 20 Dec. 2017, http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/MK-David-Bitan-submits-letter-of-resignation-to-PM-Netanyahu-518575. Accessed 4 Jan. 2018.
4. "David Bitan | The Times of Israel." https://www.timesofisrael.com/topic/david-bitan/. Accessed 4 Jan. 2018.
5. "Aryeh Deri | The Times of Israel." https://www.timesofisrael.com/topic/aryeh-deri/. Accessed 4 Jan. 2018.
6. "Interior Minister Deri, wife questioned again in graft probe | The Times ...." https://www.timesofisrael.com/interior-minister-deri-wife-face-further-interrogation-in-graft-probe/. Accessed 4 Jan. 2018.

Delegitimizing Israel Serves the Wealthy Palestinian Leadership

There is no doubt that the Palestinian pundits, who claim to espouse Palestinian rights and oppose the Israeli occupation, are feathering the nests of Hamas and their ilk. These wealthy savages do not care about the Palestinians. Their mantras of hate for Israel and support of killing Jews wherever they can is what these sanctimonious BDS pundits and communist-fascists support. The occupation is Israel’s existence and not only territories occupied in the June War of 1967. This has been made crystal clear by Hamas and the PA (in its agenda).  

The wealthy Hamas Lifestyle - Private Planes for "liberating Palestine"

Hamas, the Palestinian Authority (PA), and their terrorist allies are masters of deception, lies and fantasies. They know that the lies they spread on every world podium serves their interests financially. The Palestinians do not benefit at all. They live in absolute poverty and the brainwashing propaganda of racist and Islamic hatred for Jews is their lot, instead of money for improving their lives and infrastructure that includes education, health and social services to which they are entitled. The thuggish BDS movement, directed by pseudo-liberal sickos, is wallowing in their self-righteousness, lies and deception that Hamas and its racist allies spew into their pea-brains. They damage the Palestinian cause (whatever that may be) by denying them basic human rights in their support of Hamas. The Palestinian People deserve far better conditions than what their multi-millionaire Hamas buffoons in Qatar decide they deserve, if anything at all apart from hate and bloodshed, governed by their fantasies of destroying the “Zionist Entity”.

Another Hamas leader-turned-tycoon is Khaled Mashaal. “Estimates around the world are that Mashaal is currently worth $2.6 billion, but the numbers ...

Yes! It is the BDS movement that strengthens Hamas and motivates them to torture those, who oppose their cruel rule in Gaza and the enrichment of the PA, whose human rights record in the West Bank is no less dismal. The Hamas-PA Axis will never achieve an independent, democratic Palestinian State alongside Israel. Democracy does not exist in the Palestinian leadership. Human rights are a joke in the Middle East anyway. As far as Islam is concerned, democracy is the way of the infidel and will never be part of their agenda for an improved, humane society. Perhaps the US and EU still believe that under their parochial guidance, an independent,democratic,Palestinian State -  the Two-State Solution, will arise out of the shambles created by tribal disunity and bloodshed, as well as its desire to ethnically cleanse Israel of its Jews. The Palestinian, thuggish, leadership thrives on the poverty of the Palestinian People, claiming that the Israeli occupation is to blame for their misfortunes and tragedies. Every day that these thugs cry crocodile tears in the UN, their private bank balance enlarges.

BDS cries for them and it seems that other organizations like J Street is also falling into the trap of their lies and deception as well, while the Palestinian People suffer even more.

If ending the occupation in the West Bank is considered a moral and justified alternative, with the promise of an improved quality of life for the Palestinian People, including democracy and a human rights package, it deserves support. This unfortunately will not happen. At best, it will be a Palestinian State run by a dictatorial, despotic wealthy Islamic Hamas leadership that is quick to torture and murder opponents in cold blood in the streets after justice is meted out in their kangaroo courts. There is no “at worst”. “Best and worse” are synonymous in this case.  This is what the wackos of double standards - BDS and its allies wish to achieve. Daesh (ISIS) will also be waiting on the sidelines to take over from Hamas when the time is ripe, carrying on beheadings and raping every woman in sight. They will also take a bash at attacking Israel with Hamas support. Is this what these pseudo-liberal, Palestinian supporters wish to achieve? A Caliphate? Maybe this will be the alternative to the “occupation” (Israel’s very existence). We need to see what the Arab Spring has achieved in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya and other tribal Arab States (except the mono-tribal Gulf States) and this will happen in a “free post-occupation Palestine”. This will be a BDS and its pundits’ dream!     

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Right Wing Attacks on Democracy in Israel

Over the years, Israel has been condemned unjustifiably in the UN and by the EU for violations of Palestinian rights. There are so many anti-Israel resolutions passed in the UN as well as the time allocated discussing Israel’s human rights infringements in the occupied territories. I have written many articles on this in my blog. There is no doubt that those, who support anti-Israel resolutions in the UN, have their own political agendas that are not human rights- oriented. The human rights infringements, cruel murders; torture in the name of so-called Islam is hardly an issue in this impotent world body. IS (Daesh) and the various terrorist movements responsible for the heinous acts of terror all over the world for spreading their cause of establishing an Islamist Caliphate, is not even discussed in this “prestigious”, impotent world body called the UN.

Having said that, we must also be introspective, examining ourselves in Israel and cease justifying attacks on those who think differently to the paranoid right wing extremists within our midst. The siege mentality is affecting many Israelis, who are now moving towards the right and extreme right. Israel is now “blessed” with the most right wing coalition in its history as a knee-jerk reaction.

Of course, the various Palestinian terrorist groups, the head of which is Hamas, followed by Islamic Jihad and the Al Aqsa Brigades with their uncompromising attitude of not recognizing Israel’s right to exist, have closed the door to any form of negotiations for peace and a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. This uncompromising attitude by the Palestinians has been prevalent for many years.

Even under the Rabin Government there was no real progress towards peace. There is no denying that Hamas, which is the deciding factor on peace negotiations, and not President Mahmoud Abbas, who is weak and has no power base or Palestinian support. How can Israel conduct any form of negotiations with any Palestinian representative that does not recognize Israel’s right to exist? That is such a basic condition for any negotiations.

Israel’s strength is its democracy. At the same time, even in the tense situation that Israel finds itself, we must ensure that human rights abuse does not occur. Israel faces individual terrorist attacks almost every day. Lone Palestinian terrorists infiltrate into Israel armed with knives and cars. Stabbing of innocent Israelis or car ramming them is considered an honor and is encouraged by Hamas. Those Palestinian terrorists who commit these violent acts must be dealt with by the full arm of the law, even if it means killing them when caught stabbing innocent people.

Despite all these horrifying and tragic terror attacks that we as Israelis face every day and none of us is guaranteed immunity from these attacks. We must ensure that vigilante, extremist right wing groups do not take the law into their own hands and go on the rampage by killing innocent Palestinian citizens in revenge or carrying out acts of vandalism.  It is unacceptable!

We have to maintain our moral standards and find ways to prevent human rights abuse and violence against innocent Palestinian People committed by overzealous individuals in the security forces, whether they are soldiers or policemen. This has nothing to do with politics. It has plenty to do with human decency, irrespective of one’s political views. It is in this sphere that it is necessary that there are watchdogs that ensure that there are no incidents of human rights abuse of innocent people in the course of IDF and Police duty.

The NGOs such as Breaking the Silence, B'tzelem, New Israel Fund and Peace Now are active in this area. Their activities should be encouraged and not condemned. They do have a positive role to play. There is nothing treacherous or treasonable in what they do in ensuring that the IDF remains “the most moral army in the world”. There may be disagreements in their research methods of maintaining transparency, but this must always be open for inspection of validity and accountability.

Their findings are published and the right wing maintains that groups, such as BDS, the EU and countries hostile to Israel, use their findings to bash Israel. It is unfortunate that this does occur. These human rights Israeli NGOs are on record condemning BDS. Their published findings are on the web and open for all interested parties to read. We cannot choose those who read them and there will be those who will use these find

Meet Lehava, the Israeli Fascists Mounting a Vicious Crusade
 to Keep their Women Away from Arabs

ings to bash Israel. This does not make these NGOs treasonable if they publish the truth. They do not harm Israel’s security and they do have the support of many army and former combatants, who had played their part in defending Israel from its enemies in war. This includes former officers and Mossad heads. These people have played a greater part in defending Israel than Price Tag, Im Tirtzu and Lehava, who are stoking the flames of fascism against those who do not hold their world view. Im Tirtzu is a right wing organization that does have the support of Bayit Hayehudi (the party of Naftali Bennett and Ayelet Shaked in the Government coalition).

Im Tirzu activists demonstrate during a rally
 marking the Nakba anniversary at the Tel Aviv University

The task of ensuring that innocent Palestinians are not abused by the IDF is a difficult challenge and the battle for maintaining Israel’s vibrant democracy goes hand in hand. The accusations of the right wing against the moderate left in Israel by accusing them of treason is not constructive and threatens Israel’s democracy.

An end to the occupation can only occur if there is a desire to end it on both sides. Non-recognition of Israel’s right to exist is a non-starter for any form of negotiations, irrespective of whichever government is in power.

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The Impotent, Futile United Nations

English: Emblem of the United Nations. Color is #d69d36 from the image at http://www.un.org/depts/dhl/maplib/flag.htm (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

“The name "United Nations", coined by United States President Franklin D. Roosevelt was first used in the Declaration by United Nations of 1 January 1942, during the Second World War, when representatives of 26 nations pledged their Governments to continue fighting together against the Axis Powers. States first established international organizations to cooperate on specific matters. The International Telecommunication Union was founded in 1865 as the International Telegraph Union, and the Universal Postal Union was established in 1874. Both are now United Nations specialized agencies.

In 1899, the International Peace Conference was held in The Hague to elaborate instruments for settling crises peacefully, preventing wars and codifying rules of warfare. It adopted the Convention for the Pacific Settlement of International Disputes and established the Permanent Court of Arbitration, which began work in 1902.

The forerunner of the United Nations was the League of Nations, an organization conceived in similar circumstances during the First World War, and established in 1919 under the Treaty of Versailles "to promote international cooperation and to achieve peace and security." The International Labor Organization was also created under the Treaty of Versailles as an affiliated agency of the League. The League of Nations ceased its activities after failing to prevent the Second World War.

In 1945, representatives of 50 countries met in San Francisco at the United Nations Conference on International Organization to draw up the United Nations Charter. Those delegates deliberated on the basis of proposals worked out by the representatives of China, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom and the United States at Dumbarton Oaks, United States in August-October 1944. The Charter was signed on 26 June 1945 by the representatives of the 50 countries. Poland, which was not represented at the Conference, signed it later and became one of the original 51 Member States.

The United Nations officially came into existence on 24 October 1945, when the Charter had been ratified by China, France, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, the United States and by a majority of other signatories. United Nations Day is celebrated on 24 October each year”. (From http://www.un.org/en/aboutun/history/)

When we study the history of the UN, we observe that the idea behind its establishment was a noble one: "to promote international cooperation and to achieve peace and security." If we examine the UN today, we find that on that score it has failed in the Middle East entirely. It has not promoted peace or security there and with the establishment of the Islamist terror groups Al Qaeda, Jabhat al Nusra, Boko Haram, Hamas (they are not freedom fighters as many of their supporters’ claim), Salafis and Hezbollah (Iran’s proxy terrorist organization) and the most cruel of them all - Daesh (ISIS).

Since the toppling of the regimes of the cruel dictators such as Saddam Hussein of Iraq, Muammar Gaddafi of Libya (to name but a few), civil war and anarchy has replaced these evil dictators, while the cruel Bashar al Assad of Syria is still hanging on propped by Russia and Iran, but in practice has lost all his power. All the above mentioned countries are being overtaken by savage, cruel, Islamist organizations that are the height of evil and the old dictators that were overthrown are “angels” in comparison.

The only nation that is fighting the Daesh savages with bravery is the stateless Kurds that Turkey is trying to destroy. The beheadings, genocide (massacre of Yazidis, Christians and Muslims who oppose them), raping of non-Muslim women and trafficking women that are held up to ransom continues without even a squeak of protest from most members of the UN. There are no emergency UN Security Council meetings to form a strategy to combat this savagery committed by extremist Islamist groups rampaging the Middle East and threatening the Arab States as well as Israel.

The majority of UN member states are not even democratic and they are also very anti-Israel. 56 members of the UN are also members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. They call the tune when it comes to voting against Israel and hardly any condemnation of the atrocities committed by Daesh in the Middle East. The result is plain for all to see. The pillage and bloodshed goes on almost unheeded! The resolutions passed against Israel, because of the occupation, are out of all proportion.  Double standards are trademarks of most members of the UN and the energy spent on condemning Israel for “human rights abuses” in the occupied territories is well recorded. The occupation is problematic and needs a solution that is just to all sides. This is an issue that I have written about in the past and I shall not go into that here. What needs to be addressed urgently is the total destruction of Islamist terrorism and Daesh.

DAESH MUST BE ANNIHILATED AND ITS MEMBERS BROUGHT TO TRIAL AND BE HANGED! The UN should be in the forefront of this battle, but it is so impotent and all it does is utter pathetic rhetoric plupperings that nobody heeds because the mainstream members are dictatorships, where human rights are non-existent. “Israel is a danger to world peace, but the Islamist terrorist savages are not” by innuendo and actions according to the Islamist-dominated UN. The western nations, who are members, have no backbone or guts to oppose this domination. They are playing the game of expediency and appeasement of Iran rather than take a stand to safeguard their own interests and culture.

Where are the UN Condemnations of Daesh? Israel bashing instead!

They have created the refugee problem by their spinelessness in not pressuring the UN to form a military force that will oppose Daesh and its ever growing allies. Daesh has never had it so good under UN apathy. The P5+1 will pay the price for their folly. Their energies should have been involved in eradicating Daesh and the Islamist terrorist groups under the UN banner, rather than the pathetic Iran Nuclear Treaty.

It would be prudent at this stage for the US and its allies, including Israel, to leave the UN as it is an impotent, futile organization that gets most of its financial subsidies from the US for doing nothing but carrying out the will of Islamist dictatorships in its passing of resolutions against Israel - a member state, in order to delegitimize it.