Exit Mubarak - Enter Democracy?

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The Egyptian People's struggle to remove President Mubarak from power over the last couple of days seems to be gaining increasing momentum with pockets of resistance by Mubarak's thugs and hoodlums in a futile last minute attempt to prevent his downfall.

The crowds surging on Tahrir Square grows by the day and its determination to oust Mubarak and his corrupt regime is reaching a climax - how it will end remains unpredictable.

One thing is certain - the Egyptian people have shown their determination to rid their country of an autocratic despot who kept his country under emergency rule for as long as he has been in power. He has oppressed his people and had forged elections to maintain control for 30 years. Much of his opposition has been languishing in jails for many years - tried by Mubarak's kangaroo courts.

The Egyptian People have spoken. They want Mubarak to go now.

Meanwhile, the opposition seems to be united around one aim - the ousting of Mubarak and his exile from Egypt. No compromise is on the horizon yet. The Egyptian people have suffered enough! The lack of employment, rising food prices and immense poverty, despite an Egyptian economy that is attracting many foreign investors, and the wealth accumulated by the Mubarak regime has been a ticking time bomb. The so called financial successes have not trickled down to the Egyptian people.

The US and Israel are supportive of the most repressive and autocratic regimes in the world. Both countries have different reasons for this. The US has vital economic interests in Egypt as well as a window on the Middle East to protect those interests. Israel has another reason - the stability of the Peace Treaty signed between the two countries in 1979. Both countries never showed any concern for the suffering of the Egyptian people under the Mubarak dictatorial regime!

What will be the outcome of the Egyptian People's struggle for regime change is wide open for speculation. In a country of over 80 million people with many different ideologies, there are groups with various differing opinions. There is the Muslim Brotherhood which seems to be the most cohesive but whose power base is largely unknown. Within this group are relative moderates who are pragmatists as well as Islamic extremists. Israel's biggest concern is the maintenance of the peace treaty signed between Israel and Egypt. Rather a cold peace as in the past 30 years than a hot war, which is a matter of concern if an extremist Islamist group fills the chaotic vacuum that exists at present.

Israel should remain on the sidelines and not support Mubarak - even tacitly. Israel must support the progressive pro democratic forces of the opposition the moment this becomes evident. After all the Mubarak era is over and there is no point in supporting the despot who has oppressed the Egyptian people for so long. It would be detrimental to future relations between Israel and Egypt, if not the changing Arab world with which Israel has still failed to improve.

There are signs that the uprising in some sectors may turn against Israel especially from Moslem extremists. On the other hand, the secular people are crying for democracy which is incompatible with Moslem extremism. After the Mubarak era it is unlikely that the Egyptian people will agree to another despot whether he is an Islamic extremist or a corrupt secular leader.

Another point about the uprisings is the relative backseat position taken by the Moslem Brotherhood. It appears that the support it enjoys from the Egyptian people is not as large as many Israelis fear. We are all aware of the "democracy" that its offshoot organization, Hamas, has instituted in Gaza which is under Hamas rule. When order is restored in Egypt under a responsible transitional government, there will eventually be democratic elections under international supervision. The possibility that the Moslem Brotherhood may win these elections is a true concern. They may exploit democratic elections to replace the autocratic Mubarak regime with another autocratic Islamic regime. This, of course, is a great risk. On the hand, the absence of extremist hate filled Islamist slogans in this uprising is an important point to the credit of the majority of the Egyptian people. Perhaps this is a cause for cautious optimism in Egypt's future.

Today the Arab people are in many Arab countries are rising against their despotic rulers and the specter of violent Islamic extremism may not be as large as Israel claims Young Arab people are travelling more to Europe and the US. They see democracy in action enjoyed by their western counterparts that is denied to them. This, undoubtedly, has some influence in the direction of the uprisings in their respective countries.

I once spoke to a Lebanese friend some years ago who was complaining about the difficulties she faced in her  country and her wish that her people could enjoy the essential services that Israel gives its citizens, especially in the health services.

Another point is how the Egyptian People's struggle for a new order will affect the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. The Hamas leadership in Gaza should be shaking as well because they are no less despotic than Mubarak and his croneys. The torture of those who oppose Hamas and the hate filled slogans of Hamas against Israel and the Jews in order to detract the Palestinians from their real problems remains the Hamas mantra for deceiving and exploiting their people.

The Palestinian Authority controlled West Bank - the future Palestine - is also not democratic and is being propped up by Israel and the US. There have not been elections there since 2006! The chance of a popular uprising is not as remote as one is led to believe. The Palestinians are not living in a vacuum. What happens in Egypt influences the Palestinians as well. It would be in the interest of both Israel and Palestine if Israel took concrete steps to end the occupation and to facilitate economic development there at the same time.

There is no doubt that Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen, and possibly Syria, Jordan, and even Saudi Arabia will soon be undergoing dramatic changes in government - hopefully in the direction of true democracy and basic human rights which are non existent. The status of Moslem women must also change for the better. Hopefully, there will be separation of Islam and state where true religious freedom can take its rightful place. There is also a lesson for Israel to learn as separation of state and synagogue is partial.

 

Related articles

• Where do we go from here? Does Obama have any good ideas? (mpidirect.com)
• -Muslim Brotherhood: Once Mubarak Goes We Can Prepare for War Against Israel (answersforthefaith.com)
• Obama: Mubarak must listen to Egyptian people (sfgate.com)
• People Power in Egypt Is Focused on Egypt - Not Israel or the U.S. (time.com)
• Obama to Mubarak: Listen to Egyptian people (ac360.blogs.cnn.com)
• People Power in Egypt Is Focused on Egypt -- Not Israel or the U.S. - TIME (news.google.com)

Winds of Change in the Middle East

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In the last few weeks we have witnessed protests in Tunisia where the Ben Ali dictatorial regime has been overthrown. Now it is Egypt's turn. The dictatorial regime of President Hosni Mubarak is on the verge of collapse.

After 30 years of dictatorial rule, nepotism and corruption which had been propped up by the US, who had turned a blind eye to the Egyptian people's economic woes - severe poverty, unemployment, rising food prices and one must remember that 40% of Egypt's citizens earn less than $2 a day. Mubarak has ruled the people with a heavy hand. He was re-elected in a fraudulent election and the opposition groups, who are liberal and disunited apart from the Muslim Brotherhood, received no votes to speak of.

The Moslem Brotherhood is not taking a prominent role in the uprising which seems to be a free for all at this stage. No alternative leader can unite the various opposition factions, presenting a viable democratic alternative to the despised Mubarak dictatorship. Young Egyptians are frustrated because of the hopelessness of their situation since their birth.

This is a tinderbox. When there is violent and widespread protest, it will be difficult to contain.

Much lies in the hands of the army’s ability to crush the Egyptian uprising.

They may lose that ability as the army has family involved in the widespread protests, and it is not likely that they will fire on their own people for any length of time. It is possible that many members of the armed forces could join the ranks of the Egyptian protesters as was the case in Tunisia. The situation is very uncertain now.

Dr Mohammed El Baradei, the Noble Prize winner, who was director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), is a possible alternative leader but he does not have grass roots support because of his long absence from Egypt. Now he has been placed under house arrest.

Meanwhile the streets of Cairo, Alexandria and Suez are still simmering with protesters. Their goals are clear but there is no alternative leadership. The situation is approaching anarchy. It could allow the Muslim Brotherhood to take the initiative and be a uniting force even temporarily. If this happens, it would not help Egypt's transition towards democracy.

Egypt has a very prominent group of educated people in the opposition who could be alternative leaders. It remains to be seen if they could garner enough support from the people. Now many are heads of opposition splinter groups with which are disunited.

How this will affect the Palestinians - Israeli Conflict is anybody's guess. Mubarak was an important facilitator and this is now over, at least for now. The insensitivity of the US presidents towards the Egyptian people's economic plight is also a factor in anti-American sentiments that seem to be coming out of the protests. The reason is US unqualified support for the Mubarak dictatorship and very tenacious lip service supporting the wellbeing of the Egyptian people. In practice, Mubarak is viewed as a strategic ally of the US and this has been demonstrated by the US pouring billions of dollars into Mubarak's coffers rather than into projects that are beneficial to improving living standards and Egypt's  economy to create jobs and ease the horrifying poverty so rampant n Egypt. This could be an impetus for Islamic extremism and anti-Americanism to gain the upper hand. This would be disastrous for the future of peace between Israel and the Palestinians as well as an end to Israel's peace treaty with Egypt signed 33 years ago.

Mubarak's situation is very shaky and his only option available to him to retain his power grip on the country is by sending in the Egyptian Army to use unlimited force to quell the widespread protests. If the army deserts and joins the protesting people then the Mubarak dictatorship is doomed.

However, Egypt does have a high proportion of moderate people who are traditional Moslems and not extremists. There is no chants of "Allah Akbar" in the streets which means that there are a large number of secular people involved in protests and this maybe a check on the emergence of Islamic extremism that could become a dominant factor in the post Mubarak period.

Maybe the winds of change are not very bleak either. When one views the cracks occurring in the despotic and corrupt Arab dictatorships, there is a feeling of déjà vu when the autocratic communist dictatorships of Eastern Europe fell because of popular uprisings in the early 1990s.

No country in the Arab world, where undemocratic rule corruption and nepotism is dominant, is immune from a potential popular uprising. The evil Ahmadinajad regime in Iran will probably be on the firing line as well in the near future.

Returning to the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, especially on the Gaza front ruled by an undemocratic Hamas regime which is an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood of Egypt may also crumble. Hamas is responsible for untold suffering of the Gaza people where corruption, nepotism as well as clan warfare is rampant. The only thing that unites the factions in Hamas is the common hate for Israel and the Jewish People.

It seems possible that a revolution inspired by the people of the respective country and not a foreign power such as the US has a greater chance of success. Wherever the US had come “as liberators” against tyrants in the Middle East the results have been utter chaos and further bloodshed. Examples of this are Iraq and Afghanistan.

It would be prudent to support the Egyptian People's struggle for achieving democracy and economic improvements to their lives. This would be for the good of all the peoples of the Middle East including Israel. The future of the unknown is always a risk but one thing for sure is that it could decrease Hamas's power as well as Hezbollah's influence which is no less corrupt, cruel and autocratic.

The people of the Arab world are beginning to rise against their despotic rulers and this could weaken the various terrorist Islamic groups. Who knows?

Related articles

• Protesters in Egypt Demand Mubarak Quits (news.sky.com)
• Egypt's Allies Hold Breath As Regime Falters (news.sky.com)
• Transcript: Obama Speaks on Egypt Protests, Violence (politicsdaily.com)
• Analysis: Moment of Truth for U.S. (online.wsj.com)
• Obama on Egypt - Mubarak, Obama talk violence, rights (politico.com)
• Obama Misses the Point in Egypt (firedoglake.com)

Israel's Tarnished Image

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We are all aware that Israel's image in the world is becoming tarnished. There are a number of reasons for this. It is not anti-Semitism as the paranoid right wing Zionists is so quick in claiming. It is the external and internal situation of the present Israeli Government's own creation.

I shall try to describe Israel's relationship with friendly countries beyond its borders and see what went wrong. Of course it is my personal gut feeling and I am aware that many people who are supporters of Israel will find my view unacceptable to their Zionist dreams and world view.

The Israeli Foreign Minister, Avigdor Lieberman, must be blamed for legitimizing right wing extremism and his hate for the left wing in Israel. He has even gone so far as to attack members of Netanyahu's coalition government of which he is part. It seems as if those who do not agree with him and his party's right wing views are against Israel's fight against terror and are aiding Israel's enemies.

Lieberman is trying to teach moderates and people with left wing views what Zionism is and deviation from his racist views is suspect of being treacherous.

Today it is the beginning of the witch-hunt for human rights organizations which are the checks and balances organizations against the abuse of power whether it is by the majority against the minority or vice versa. The excuse given by Avigdor Lieberman is that these leftists are getting funds from organizations that promote terrorism and delegitimize the IDF.

Avigdor Lieberman is playing a dangerous game. It is part of a grand plan, orchestrated by Avigdor Lieberman and his right wing cronies, to make laws that will investigate the funding of human rights groups. I presume that Lieberman will accuse even the mainstream politicians in the Knesset as not serving Israel's interests by not supporting Lieberman's anti-democratic bill.

It is inevitable that democracy in Israel will be compromised while Lieberman's Yisrael Beitenu Party remains in the ruling coalition. The essence of democracy is to ensure the electorate the right to choose the government that protects human rights as well as the rule of law with its healthy checks and balances against abuse of power.

Thanks to Lieberman and his cronies, democracy in Israel is threatened and the threats and xenophobia towards foreigners and minority non-Jewish Israelis is becoming common place.

The emphasis on Israel being a Jewish and a democratic state and the pledge of allegiance by non-Jewish citizens of Israel is a sign that national paranoia is increasing.

B'tzelem, the Israeli human rights organization, whose findings on human rights abuses towards Palestinians as well as violence against Israelis are investigated by this organization. Even the IDF relies on their findings. They are also on Lieberman’s firing line. The Physicians for Human Rights organization have also not escaped Lieberman's wrath. It is unclear how this organization is a danger to Israel’s security. This organization has established clinics to tend to the health of foreign workers and their offspring who have no medical cover. If anything, this organization's absence would create an increasing load on Israel's health services.

Lieberman as Foreign Minister is toadying to some of the most anti democratic leaders in the world. The leader of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, and Vladimir Putin of Russia are his friends. He panders to these post communist dictators with a history of suppressing opposition to their regimes. Both intimidate their opponents while poker-faced Putin has contracts for destroying and intimidating journalists who criticize his rule ruthlessly. This is part of Russia's heritage. Russia has never been a democracy - not under the Tsars, the Communists, or even today. This is Lieberman's heritage as well which is directed towards his pet hates - the Arabs and leftists. This is hardly surprising as they share a common anti democratic heritage and common language.

Lieberman's racism and intended witch-hunts against those whom he hates is doing a great amount of damage to Israel. Countries friendly to Israel are becoming more critical of Israel than in the past. Undoubtedly, some of this is Lieberman's doing.

Eli Yishai, leader of Shas, the ultra-Orthodox Party and Minister of the Interior holds similar views to Lieberman towards the Arabs. He has his own agenda of Halacha (Jewish Law – somewhat akin to Moslem Sharia or Islamic law under extremists) and this is not foreigner friendly.

We in Israel seem to forget that we happen to be part of the planet called Earth and that we are dependent on other nations of the world as well as their friendship. If Israel adopts policies that are discriminatory towards Arabs and non-Jews, we cannot expect to be free from criticism. The accusation that the whole world is anti-Semitic as a reaction to Liebermanism rings hollow. 

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Racism - a Cancer in Israel

It is unfortunate that there are public servants in Israel of all ranks - ranging from some extreme right wing Knesset members to religious establishment public servants (rabbis) in the various municipalities around the country who are legitimizing hatred of non-Jews.

If this causes many Israel pundits to raise their eyebrows and say that I am anti-Israel, anti-Zionist as well as doing a great disservice to Israel and feeding grist to the mill of Israel's enemies - I disagree! Am I deserving of these epithets when I condemn racism and xenophobia in Israel? The justification for being apathetic to racism in Israel is that it gives ammunition to Israel's enemies. Any positive criticism of racism in Israel is viewed as an anti-Semitic reaction that is denying Israel's right to exist. Does this mean that denying or ignoring the existence of racism in Israel serves Israel's interest?

As mentioned in my previous articles - there is a trend of increasing racism or xenophobia as witnessed a few weeks ago (50 rabbis signed a document against renting out apartments to non-Jews). This had a snowball effect, which spurred on feelings of hate for Arabs as well as foreign workers and the demonstrations by right wing groups that followed.

Incidents of violence against Arabs have occurred in East Jerusalem. Widespread demonstrations also occurred in Bat Yam, and Hatikva Quarter. These demonstrations were aimed at Arabs and foreign workers generally.

The demonstrations were even attended by Knesset Member Michael Ben-Ari - a right wing extremist, who stooped to rabble rousing the masses against Arabs. When racism is legitimized by an MK then we must be aware of the danger signals and condemn this development very strongly. It is unacceptable! It is our duty to condemn this phenomenon. These extremists are giving Israel's enemies an excuse to hate Israel and making comparisons between Israel and apartheid South Africa more legitimate especially as some of these racist tainted bills makes its way into law.

If we are complacent and allow racism to prevail then we are just as guilty as the perpetrators themselves. If we do not nip this tendency in the bud we are doing just as much a disservice to Israel as Israel's enemies.

The right wing coalition government of Israel has a number of right wing partners headed by racist extremists, whose statements have been giving legitimacy to racism towards Arabs as well as foreign workers where Israel has adopted a "revolving door" policy whether the latter are caregivers of the Israeli aged, agricultural field workers or builders. They come and go depending on the whims of the Interior Ministry headed by Eli Yishai of the racist Shas Party. He is on record stating that foreigners pollute the Jewish people with AIDS and all kinds of diseases, not to mention the fact that they are a threat to the Jewish character of Israel. Does this perhaps ring a bell of an evil era in Germany in the 1930's and 40's?

Must we Israelis not be aware of the danger signals of racism and try to hide it in the cupboard as it could be perceived as serving the interests of Israel's enemies?

Those who are harming Israel are the racists in the Netanyahu Government. Avigdor Lieberman, Eli Yishai and Michael Ben-Ari, the neo-Kahanist, are spewing hatred for the foreigners in our midst. Lieberman reserves his hate for the Palestinians. Netanyahu's condemnation of racism rings empty when the extreme right flank of his government holds racist views.

Another surprising incident was the visit to Vienna, Austria of Likud Deputy Minister, Ayoob Kara. The purpose of his visit was a meeting with Heinz-Christian Strache, head of the far-right FPO Party and praising him at a joint press conference.

This party was founded by former Austrian Nazis in 1948, including many who had served in the SS. This is the party of the late Joerg Haider.

The FPO has "called for the abolishment of anti-Nazi legislation." It is known for its anti-Semitism as well as praising the Nazi regime. The FPO is also on record for supporting notorious Holocaust deniers. Netanyahu received a letter of condemnation of the visit from Ariel Muzicant, the president of Austria's Jewish community. Maybe Israel supporters will say that criticism of this visit is also anti-Semitic!

While considering the increasing racism in Israel and the nature of Israel's right wing government, it should not surprise us that this government would find strange bedfellows in far right wing movements in Europe and elsewhere. Israel is sensitive towards racism directed at the Jewish people but towards the minorities, the sensitivity is somehow lacking and this is exhibited in the quality of Knesset members in the right wing coalition that was voted in by the majority of Israel’s citizens. It has set a pattern that is moving towards racism and fear of the minority non-Jewish groups living in Israel.

  

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Is Democracy in Israel at the Cross Roads?

Since the right wing coalition government in Israel was elected in 2009 with its macabre collection of partners on the right, there are disturbing signs of erosion of democracy in Israel.

One does not have to be a political scientist to see that democracy in Israel is reaching the crossroads.

In recent weeks we have witnessed some trends in the government orchestrated by Israel Beiteinu, the extreme right wing racist party under the leadership of Avigdor Lieberman, the Foreign Minister. This racist party has been at the forefront of the Pledge of Allegiance Bill aimed at non-Jews who wish to become citizens of Israel.

Are we moving towards an apartheid-like society? Where are the checks and balances that should prevent racist legislation being enacted? The Labor Party, which used to be the left of centre party associated with the left wing in Israel has lost its identity and is part of the Netanyahu Government. It is compromising on its socialist ideology for the sake of being in a ruling coalition irrespective of whether it is right or left wing.

When the terrible fire was raging in the Carmel forests, resulting in the tragic loss of 44 lives, Israel appealed for help from overseas. The plea was answered by many countries, including Turkey and the Palestinian Authority, with whom Israel has problematic relationships.

Israel's appeal for help was answered and it was quick in coming. The Palestinian Authority sent a contingent of 21 fire fighters despite the fact that their fire fighting abilities are limited.

What was interesting is that Israel accepted help from wherever it came and even the Palestinian firemen were not subject to massive security checks prior to their entry. However when the community of Usfiya organized a ceremony in their honour, it was business as usual and these fireman were not granted permits to attend the ceremony in their honour. The excuse given was a technical one and an apology was made by Israel for the misunderstanding. Some right wingers made cynical statements that Palestinians were responsible for the Carmel fire tragedy and that the fireman should not have been allowed in the first place.

The signatories to a document against renting homes to non-Jews signed by 39 senior rabbis on the payroll of many municipalities in Israel is also a dangerous signal which could cause problems for democracy in Israel. It also has wider ramifications than most of us wish to believe. What comes to mind is the weakening of the separation of synagogue and state which is the cornerstone of most western democracies.

The declaration of recognition of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state is in itself problematic. As I mentioned in a previous article, Israel has a Jewish majority and the non-Jewish minorities account for 20% of Israel's population. Bearing this in mind, is it necessary to emphasize this in a Pledge of Allegiance? What purpose does this serve and what benefits can the citizens of Israel accrue. Nobody will deny Israel's Jewish character as this is a demographic reality that does not need to be emphasized ad nauseam.

Today Israel is becoming more of a theocracy rather than a democracy. A theocracy can never be a true democracy. Most Arab states in the Middle East are theocracies. The predominant faith is Islam. There is no democracy in these states and the status of women is poor. If we take Iran as an example, we note that it is also known as the Islamic Republic of Iran. This country is not democratic. If Israel becomes the Jewish Republic of Israel with a coalition of religious parties, the situation in Israel would not be democratic. It is perhaps very different from the evil Iranian Ahmadinajad regime but the threat to a healthy democracy is still present.

Apart from the signatures of racist rabbis mentioned earlier in this article there are also trends that some towns are enacting bylaws to discourage non-Jews from living there.

A report in Haaretz by Jack Khoury on 16^th November 2009 stated the following:

 “Less than six months after two northern communities proposed changing their bylaws to make "loyalty to the Zionist vision" a condition of acceptance into the community, a third has just followed suit.

All three locales are small communities where houses can legally be sold only to people approved by a vetting committee. All are also located in the Misgav Regional Council.

In June, after Haaretz's report on the proposed bylaw change in Manof and Yuvalim raised a storm, both communities decided to reconsider the move, and are still in the process of thinking it over. At the time, Arab Knesset members and Adalah, an Arab advocacy group, had charged that the new bylaws were an attempt to circumvent a High Court of Justice ruling barring such communities from refusing to sell houses to Arabs who meet all the other requirements for membership.

Last Thursday, however, another Misgav community, Mitzpeh Aviv, approved new bylaws stressing the town's Jewish and Zionist character - an issue that had gone unmentioned in the old bylaws. In a section titled "goals and powers," the new document lists the community's primary goals as "settlement; Zionism; the heritage of Israel; the values of the State of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state, in the spirit of the vision of the State of Israel's Declaration of Independence; tolerance; and human dignity."

Moreover, it said, "the community's Israeli Zionist essence is emphasized in daily life, by celebrating Israeli holidays communally, organizing activities for the youth in connection with their bar-mitzvah year and having members' children join Zionist youth movements, all while taking part in the Zionist enterprise."

Finally, the section on membership stated that new members must share "the basic worldview and goals of the association as presented in the 'goals and powers' section."

If the emphasis in the future is going to be on Israel’s Jewishness and turning Israel into a state based on Halacha (Jewish Law), democracy in Israel will be compromised and people’s freedom of choice where they may live will be severely compromised especially if they are not Jewish.

Related articles

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Israel in Flames

A terrible tragedy hit the Carmel Mountains. A forest fire of tremendous proportions had broken out resulting in the loss of millions of trees and wild life. The lives of 40 prison wardens trapped in a bus engulfed in flames were lost. They were on the way to save security prisoners, Jewish and Palestinian, who were threatened by the monstrous fire. Over 40000 dunams of land destroyed.

The fire has been raging for a few days now and we are witnessing the total impotence of the Israeli Fire Brigade. I have seen reports about the lack of allotted budgets for the fire brigade. The fire brigade commanders have demanded a budget increase from all the Israeli Governments past and present over the years but nothing was done. The only time when moneys are allotted is when there is a fire literally but in actuality the crippling network of Israeli burocracy has always been a big obstacle to overcome in just about every important civil necessity.

The budget that should have been allotted to essential civil services has somehow made its way to partisan parasitic yeshivas in coalition religious deals that somehow seem to get their booty with the minimum of burocratic red tape. All this is done for the sake of placating the parasitic Shas Party to remain in the coalition to wreak hell and brimstone havoc in the form of political blackmail to gain disproportionate funds for their yeshivas.

The fire brigade is the responsibility of Interior Ministry under Eli Yishai the Shas Party leader. The ultra Orthodox Shas Party’s price to be in the coalition is to get money for their yeshivas. This explains the ill-equipped and largely ineffective fire brigade services. The fact that they are able to function is due to the dedication of the firemen despite the tremendous odds against them. We must raise our hats to them in humility. They are working round the clock facing indescribable difficulty.

We are facing a natural disaster of incredible proportions with damage to property, loss of lives including wild life that will take a long time to rehabilitate.

I think of the time, prior to the mega fire, wasted on issues that antagonize a large section of Israel's minority. I think of the paranoiac attitude that the Israeli Government has towards the outside world that criticizes Israel for its settlement policies in the occupied territories. The cries of anti-Semitism are quick in coming whenever Israel is condemned for Palestinian human rights abuses. The fire brigade is the responsibility of the Ministry of the Interior. This Shas Party inflated Ministry seems to be more concerned in preserving racial Jewish purity (endless energy spent on xenophobic attitudes towards foreign workers and pledges of allegiance by non-Jews to Israel as a Jewish state are some examples of wasted energy) by the plethora of costly bills to ensure that goal rather than being accountable for essential services that citizens are entitled including the fire brigade.

It is a case of Nero fiddles while Rome burns. Nero is the Likud leader, PM Benjamin Netanyahu, while Rome is the burning Carmel forests.

Many people in Israel say that this mega fire could have occurred under previous governments but it was just unfortunate that it happened under the present government. This may or may not be true. What is true is that there have been fires in the Carmel forests over the years but the responsible bodies took no heed in beefing up the fire brigade once the fires were put out. Instead they had numerous commissions of enquiries with inconclusive results swept up in an insurmountable web of Israeli Government burocracy that did nothing.

Israel appealed to the world community for aid to extinguish the fire. Help was fast in coming - even from so called "hostile" countries like Turkey. PM Erdogan whom Israelis claim hates Israel played his part in sending two fire fighting planes to help in containing this natural disaster. Even the Palestinian Authority had sent in aid to Israel to help extinguish the fire. 

The cause of the fire is from Isfiya, the Druze village. It was started by the negligence of two youngsters. It was not arson. There are pyromaniacs who have been lighting fires as well causing new fires in the area. The police are investigating and have made some arrests.

However, some lessons can be learned from this. What comes to mind is the failure of Israel's fire brigade because of lack of modern fire-fighting equipment. Israel's appeal to the international community for help in extinguishing the fire never went unheeded and the response was gratifying beyond expectation.

So much time had been wasted on passing racist bills against Israel's non-Jewish minorities led by two racists, Avigdor Lieberman the Foreign Minister and Eli Yishai the Interior Minister. All this was done in order to maintain a right wing coalition. All these racist bills pale when the terrible disaster occurred. Israel was caught with its pants down in its inability to extinguish the fire without outside help.

It also reinforces the fact that Israel is part of the world community and we are all dependent on each other especially in times of disaster. Lately Israel has been very arrogant and going against the wishes of the international community in its opposition to the extension of a settlement freeze in the occupied territories.

After the fire is put out, there will be a commission of enquiry. What is obvious at this early stage is the pathetic ineptitude of the Interior Ministry under Eli Yishai the Shas Party leader. He has proved to be a disgrace and totally useless. He must resign and shoulder some of the responsibility for this tragedy. This would be the correct thing to do.

Israel has always sent teams on rescue missions to countries that have had natural disasters. They have built field hospitals in countries like Haiti with great success. They helped Turkey when it suffered a massive earthquake about 24 years ago. However, on their own turf, their fire fighting ability is poor and they had to rely on outside help. This is unfortunate and our hearts go out to all those families who lost dear ones in this disaster. The ecological disaster area in the Carmel will take many years to rehabilitate.    

 

Related articles

• "Palestinian civil defense helping in taming Israeli massive fire" and related posts (yalibnan.com)
• Frustration at Israeli government as Carmel forest burns (thejc.com)
• Israeli police blame negligence for deadly forest fire (theglobeandmail.com)
• "ISRAEL: As fires ravage the Carmel, there are helping hands -- and some finger-pointing" and related posts (latimesblogs.latimes.com)
• Nearby nations help Israel battle raging forest fire (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
• Israel wildfire exposes gaps in emergency preparedness - Christian Science Monitor (news.google.com)

What Direction are we taking?

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There is a very negative trend in Israel towards non-Jewish minority groups who are Israeli citizens. The handwriting was on the wall when the Bill of Allegiance had passed its first reading in the Knesset.

The Jewish people had been a persecuted minority for centuries in the Diaspora prior to Israel's establishment. They suffered severe discrimination in almost all the professions. All that was left for them was various commercial enterprises and even money-lending. This had resulted in hate for the Jews increasing as they were viewed as usurers. They became the scapegoats for a long time.

Libelous stories against the Jew became widespread and their lives were turned into an unjustifiable hell.

The climax of it all was the Holocaust and the murder of six million Jews by Nazi Germany. Nothing can be compared to this in its horror and this was an attempt at ethnic cleansing of the world of its Jewish population - the goal of the Nazi regime in Germany in its "final solution" plan.

Israel was established after the Holocaust in 1948 when the world voted for partition between Israel and a Palestinian state in the United Nations on 29th November 1947.

Today Israel has a severe problem in its relations with many nations in the world. The most outstanding example is its rapid deteriorating relations with Turkey. The PM of Turkey, Racep Tayyip Erdogan, has made many anti-Israel statements since the Gaza War of 2008-9. The Turkish flotilla debacle of 31st May 2010 sealed the fate of Israel's relations with Turkey that reached a new low with the death of nine Turkish citizens on the Mavi Marmara ship.

Israel's deteriorating relations with Turkey have had wider ramifications than expected and even Israel's traditional friends have begun to criticize Israel for blockading Gaza. Nevertheless, the result is that Israel's right wing coalition government has gone on to blame the world, who in their eyes are becoming increasingly anti-Semitic. Is this really the case? There are those who say that the world expects more morality from Israel and thus the criticism towards Israel is the result of this.

Israel's reaction is controversial bills such as the Pledge of Allegiance to Israel as a Jewish state. Also there are signs of racism against the non-Jew in this pledge. The Jews have suffered so much from racism. The basis of Judaism according to Hillel the Elder, is: "What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellowman”. We have no right to use stereotype examples when we judge other nations and this includes the Palestinians.

Today we are witnessing a very dangerous trend in both Judaism and Islam. Both faiths are becoming increasingly fundamentalist in their attitude towards each other.

In Safed, an Israeli town in the north, famous for Cabbala (Jewish mysticism) and its artist's quarter has made news because of the racism against Arabs as residents. Safed's Chief Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu called on a ban on renting apartments to Arabs. This is in violation of the law. This is aimed at Arab students who wish to study at Safed Academic College. There is a hospital there as well which is to be enlarged and will include a medical school. Many Arabs are employed in the hospital and undoubtedly many Arab students will enroll as medical students in the future.

These potential students will be seeking board and lodging near to the academic colleges where they are enrolled. If this racist ideology of the Safed Chief Rabbi is not nipped in the bud, a dangerous precedent will be created between Jewish and Arab citizens in Israel which could lead to a deterioration of relations between the two peoples which is problematic without this added racist ideology.

This example of racism towards Israel's non-Jewish minority citizens has been stoked up even further by many right wing "hell and brimstone" rabbis. This is not only peculiar to Safed but also in the main cities of Israel where Arab students are denied board and lodging close to the colleges and universities where they are studying. Many rabbis are justifying this in their warped and racist interpretation of Judaism. This is no different ideologically from the hatred of Jews as expressed by extremist imams in Islam as espoused by the wicked Hezbollah, Hamas, Al Qaeda and their affiliated fanatic terrorist groups all over the world including the evil Ahmadinajad regime of Iran.

Maybe it is true that Israel's friends, including the US, expect more from us. We claim to be the only democracy with an impartial and fair judicial system in the Middle East. However, the increasing tendency of many rabbis exhibiting blatant racism and justifying it in the name of "Hashem" is appalling!

When racism is exhibited against the non-Jewish citizen in Israel and given the kosher stamp of approval by many influential rabbis, it draws Israel into the apartheid mentality of white South Africa. At no time in Israel's relative short history since 1948 has this been more evident since the election of the present right wing government under PM Benjamin Netanyahu. It is the most right wing government since Israel's establishment.

Where are the voices of moderation and reconciliation condemning racism in all its forms? Surely there is room for spiritual leaders in both Islam and Judaism to make their voices heard in the condemnation of racism between the two sides. There is no room for religious prejudice or hatred, which could so easily result in a blood bath if it is not curbed.

Related articles

• The Deed is Done (shimonzk.blogspot.com)
• Discriminating Pledge of Allegiance? (shimonzk.blogspot.com)
• An International Inquiry on the Gaza bound Flotilla Fiasco is essential (shimonzk.blogspot.com)
• Israel's Elections: Making a Hard Right (time.com)
• Israel is only ours by virtue of our conduct (thejc.com)
• "Pro-Palestinian Jewish Activists Have to Tackle The Dividing Line Between "Pro-Israel" and "Anti-Israel"" and related posts (jewlicious.com)
• Israel angered by Palestinian report on Western Wall (reuters.com)