Rosh Hashanah Thoughts

While everybody sits with their families on Rosh Hashanah eve, there may be time to even think about the significance of Rosh Hashanah 1 for many of us. Rosh Hashanah and the Ten Days of Repentance 2 afterwards until Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement - the day of fasting) is a time of reflection.

It is a time when we should be thinking of all the incidents that have occurred over the past year to the detriment of mankind with an emphasis on where we can improve matters that will be beneficial to all mankind irrespective of race, colour or creed. During the 10 days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, everyone gets a chance to put things right with other people before asking God's forgiveness 3.

Here in Israel, we view ourselves as “a Light unto the Nations” or as in Hebrew “אור לגוים”. In many respects within Israel itself, apart from the amazing contributions to medicine, computer chips, science and technology as well as token missions to countries, who have suffered from wars and natural disasters, we have failed in our relationships with our own population within Israel.

If we look at the way Israel has treated the refugees, who have fled their countries of origin, because of severe persecution by despotic regimes that threaten their lives and that of their offspring. Israel has not shown them the mercy that they deserve. They are viewed as and referred to as “infiltrators” which is so derogatory. When Jews fled Nazi Germany and were refused entry into many countries in the West, this was viewed by Jews living in the free world as disgraceful and correctly so. Much lobbying was carried out by Jewish leaders in the free world to get these Jewish refugees entry permits to allow them entry into countries that restricted immigration of Jews. Can one imagine the outcry if these people were referred to as “infiltrators”? Why in Israel, where much of the population’s parents including parents of some members of the present Knesset had to flee their countries of origin for similar reasons, there is such lack of sensitivity towards Sudanese and Eritrean refugees?  Draconian laws are introduced to prevent them from seeking shelter so that their lives could be saved 4. We in Israel have forgotten where we have come from and that we were once refugees in the Diaspora.

There is also a trend of increased racism and intolerance towards those who are different from mainstream (or what is accepted as such). There is the concept of “Sinat Hinam”(שנאת חינם) or “Unjustifiable Hatred” This is most visible in Israel’s society of today. The lack of tolerance for those who do not conform to the present government line, whether it is culture, Judaism (used by the various religious parties as an instrument of blackmailing the government for their own narrow religious political interests and agendas). The hatred of non-Orthodox streams in Judaism (Reform and Conservative) by the establishment Orthodox and ultra-Orthodox Rabbinate is deplorable.

These streams are not recognized as legitimate and their rabbis cannot marry couples according to their interpretation of Judaism. They have not been allotted a place at the Western Wall, where they can have egalitarian prayer services, despite promises by PM Netanyahu, who reneged on the agreement to give non-Orthodox streams of Judaism a place to pray at the Western Wall 5.  It is a disgrace that the Government of Israel with all its blah-blah about Israel “being the only democracy in the Middle East” denies non-Orthodox streams in Judaism to practice in total freedom and not recognizing their rabbis to perform marriages. Members of Reform 6 and Conservative 7 congregations in the Diaspora applying to marry in Israel must find an Orthodox rabbi to vouch for them since the Chief Rabbinate does not accept letters of certification from non-Orthodox rabbis 8.

The hypocrisy and double standards of the Chief Rabbinate is a disgrace and is far from the spirit of Judaism in its widest possible interpretation according to the School of Hillel. They have “blacklists” of rabbis that they do not recognize from the Diaspora 9. Many are Orthodox and of course Reform and Conservative. The Chief Rabbinate denies this but can one believe them 10. ?

This is estranging many Jews from the US, the majority of who are Reform and Conservative. However, when it comes to money that these non-Orthodox streams donate to causes in Israel, that is “Kosher” of course.

Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians in the occupied territories also adds some moral questions as to whether the treatment they receive is fair and reasonable 11. Nobody denies that this is a very problematic issue and it is very difficult if not impossible to examine this emotional issue without getting into some argument in an attempt to be unbiased and objective. There are security issues involved and in order to maintain the safety of both Israelis and Palestinians in the shadow of Palestinian terrorist attacks on innocent people within the Green-line and beyond is a tremendous challenge that involves many moral issues as well. However, the question remains as to whether it is morally acceptable to rule over a people and keep them disenfranchised under Israeli rule.  It is morally unacceptable no less than the desire of Hamas to destroy Israel and not to recognize Israel’s right to exist. If there are no negotiating partners on both sides of the conflict with no genuine desire to end it, there is no real answer. The only option from Israel’s side is to treat the Palestinian People as humanely as possible at checkpoints until both sides reach their senses and are prepared to negotiate a just and lasting peace that satisfies both sides to the conflict.

References:

1. "Rosh Hashanah - Wikipedia." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosh_Hashanah. Accessed 20 Sep. 2017. 
2. "Ten Days of Repentance - Wikipedia." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ten_Days_of_Repentance. Accessed 20 Sep. 2017.
3.  http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/religion/judaism/yom_kippur.shtml. Accessed 20 Sep. 2017.
4.  "Israel: Drop City Ban on Released Eritreans, Sudanese | Human ...." 31 Aug. 2015, https://www.hrw.org/news/2015/08/31/israel-drop-city-ban-released-eritreans-sudanese. Accessed 20 Sep. 2017.
5. "Chief Rabbinate of Israel | The Times of Israel." https://www.timesofisrael.com/topic/chief-rabbinate-of-israel/. Accessed 20 Sep. 2017.
6. "Reform Judaism - Wikipedia." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reform_Judaism. Accessed 20 Sep. 2017.
7. "Conservative Judaism - Wikipedia." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conservative_Judaism. Accessed 20 Sep. 2017.9 Jul. 2017, 
8. http://www.haaretz.com/us-news/1.800371. Accessed 20 Sep. 2017.
9.    "Israeli Chief Rabbinate blacklists 160 Diaspora rabbis - Israel News ...." 9 Jul. 2017, http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Politics-And-Diplomacy/Chief-Rabbinate-forced-to-publish-rabbinical-blacklist-of-160-rabbis-in-Diaspora-499171. Accessed 20 Sep. 2017.
10. "Chief Rabbinate says list of rabbis not a 'blacklist' | The Times of Israel." https://www.timesofisrael.com/chief-rabbinate-says-list-of-rabbis-not-a-blacklist/. Accessed 20 Sep. 2017.
11. "Israel's Treatment of the Arabs in the Occupied Territories | The ...." http://www.palestine-studies.org/jps/fulltext/38441. Accessed 20 Sep. 2017.

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.

Corruption on the Periphery of the Netanyahu Government

The present Government Coalition is a disgrace to Israel. The whole government is composed of various political parties and each party has its own agenda. None of them represents the majority of the Israeli electorate. They represent various “pockets” of voters and are far from representing the majority. Hence the party that receives the most votes cobbles up a coalition with partners that together have right wing to extreme right wing views close to the majority party (Likud) that in this case received 30 mandates a mere 23% of total votes cast in the General Elections of 2015.

If elections were held today there will be no change. Benjamin Netanyahu is the longest serving prime minister in Israel’s history and is still going strong despite the suspicions of various involvements in misdemeanours and possible activities that are against the law. It is as if the noose of justice is very wide and is slowly tightening around Netanyahu’s neck as more evidence is being uncovered as to whether he will be indicted or not. There are four cases under police investigation that may or may not incriminate PM Netanyahu:

1.   Case 1000: Hollywood film producer Arnon Milchan provided what was described as “important” testimony late last week during a second round of questioning about expensive cigars and champagne that he allegedly gifted to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife, Sara.

2.   Case 2000 is focused on an alleged clandestine quid pro quo deal made between Netanyahu and Yedioth Ahronoth publisher and owner Arnon “Noni” Mozes, in which the prime minister is said to have promised Mozes he would advance legislation to reduce the circulation of Yedioth’s main commercial rival, the freebie Israel Hayom, in exchange for friendlier coverage from Yedioth. No such deal was ever implemented. Netanyahu denies any wrongdoing.

3.     Case 3000 - The Submarine Purchase Case:  Netanyahu not implicated  The justice ministry on Monday stressed that Netanyahu himself was not a suspect in the case but confirmed that in light of evidence collected by police, a full-fledged investigation was underway.

Some evidence raises suspicions that some of the people involved have committed "crimes pertaining to public corruption," a ministry statement said.

Both Netanyahu and Shimron have denied any impropriety, while the Kiel-based ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems said it has no contractual connection with the lawyer.

     4.  Case 4000: In a fourth corruption case, sometimes called “Case 4000”, police were investigating Shlomo Filber, the director-general of the Communications Ministry, over suspected securities offences related to a merger involving the national telephone company Bezeq.

Israel’s state comptroller released a report earlier this month that accused Netanyahu of failing to originally disclose his close ties with Bezeq head Shaul Elovitz, and raised suspicions that the prime minister — who at the time held the post of communications minister — and Filber made decisions at the ministry in favour of Bezeq.

When we examine these various cases, one cannot help but question: How come PM Netanyahu was oblivious of case 3000, where many of his close associates, advisers, senior IDF personnel past and present are under suspicion of committing  various crimes of corruption in the hope of enriching themselves on massive kickbacks involving state funds in mega-submarine purchasing deals?

This is totally outrageous and it is the kind of behaviour one would expect from a third world banana republic, certainly not from senior PM advisers, past and present IDF personnel, whose main object is to make millions of shekels on submarine deals. Is this the new face of modern day Zionism - GREED? To date more and more senior government officials are being arrested and brought in for investigation of bribery and corruption. Case 3000 is becoming more complicated and well-known officials in government are under suspicion of committing one of the greatest economic crimes in Israel’s history.

Perhaps there is some light at the end of the dark tunnel. Israel’s law enforcement authorities and justice system are our leading lights. Nobody is immune - from the highest government official to the lowliest criminal to prosecution and trial in a Court of Law if they break the law. This is Israel’s strength.

PM Netanyahu’s behaviour is like that of a cornered rat. His wife Sarah is expected to be indicted shortly. He holds rallies of support, attacking the media, the left wing, accusing them all of trying to unseat him by making up “fake news” reports. He views himself as the people’s choice and that he is beyond criticism as well as being a victim.

While PM Netanyahu, despite the police interrogations, has not been accused or indicted to date and can remain in office legally. However, is it acceptable from the public point of view that he should remain in office rather than resign? This seems to be a very politically toned question rather than a legal one and the answer is not clear cut, but rather dependent solely on the majority political view.

Israel's Chief Rabbinate and Corruption are Blots on Israel's Democracy

http://www.timesofisrael.com/ex-israel-chief-rabbi-to-serve-jail-time-in-plea-deal-for-fraud/

The Chief Rabbinate and its branches throughout Israel are a threat to Israel’s democracy. Israel’s so-called democracy is already under threat by a right-wing Coalition Government with its attempts at eroding the power of the Law Courts by attempting to change the system of appointment of judges in favour of appointees, who are conservative and right-wing friendly. We must not forget the added corruption scandals in high places in order to make gigantic profits that give truth to “power corrupts and absolute power corrupts completely”.

The bottom line is that Netanyahu and his Government Coalition have been in power for too long. In western democracies, this would be a great excuse to have general elections to remove the corrupt government from power.

 Apparently, in Israel, this is a good reason to keep them in power as expressed in the words of Mr Average Israeli: “There is nobody to replace Bibi as a leader! Despite corruption under his watch, he is ruling Israel very well! Corruption is not a good enough reason to replace the present government!”  

Do we need more examples of Israel’s democracy threats? Certainly not! However, they do exist. Even in the sphere of culture, the cultural activity must conform to the ruling coalition line or else they will lose state funding. Minister of Culture and Sport, Miri Regev, has made this perfectly clear at every public address. She has her own standards as to what cultural loyalty is all about. Her antics and populist tactics reap the fruit that the right-wing desires. Cultural activities that in Regev’s eyes appear anti-Israel (more accurately, anti-right wing or critical of it) are treacherous, serving the interests of Israel’s enemies.

The Regularisation law, the lowering of the status of Arabic, the condemnation of NGO human rights groups apart from those sympathetic to the right-wing government and the delegitimization of Reform and Conservative Jews by the Orthodox Establishment Rabbinate. All these elements are eroding Israel’s democracy. 

The more powerful the government, the more corrupt it becomes as well. Cases 1000, 2000, 3000, and soon Case 4000 are examples of greed and power, and the desire to make lots of money out of public funds. Perhaps this is modern Zionism and patriotism for the Israel of today in action. Netanyahu has requested that his loyal members of the Likud support him in this trying period of his tenure and accusing the left-wing press and the left of fabrications to orchestrate his downfall. Maybe there is a spark of hope in that there are laws and that nobody is above the law, hence police enquiries into activities of various nefarious government bedfellows, out to make a quick buck at the expense of Israel’s taxpayers.

The establishment, monolithic Orthodox Chief Rabbinate and its subsidiaries all over Israel are wedded to power and money. They are always part of the ultra-Orthodox religious parties and can make and break coalitions.They view pluralism in Judaism as a threat to their merciless hegemony. They have euphemisms of course - the most famous is “status quo”, which is also being narrowed in interpretation. The much-publicised issue of Netanyahu’s betrayal of Reform and Conservative Jewry by trying to scrap the agreement for an egalitarian place of prayer at Robinson’s Arch near the Western Wall. The reason - placation of the ultra-Orthodox religious parties in the Knesset, who are an integral part of the Government Coalition, including the right-wing Bayit Hayehudi Party of Naftali Bennett. They threatened to bolt the coalition on this issue. There is also the issue of conversions. They issued a black list of rabbis of all streams - Orthodox, Reform and Conservative, whose conversions will not be recognized in Israel. This is disgraceful and divisive of World Jewry. It means that Jews not converted by rabbis recognized by the Israeli Chief Rabbinate will not be recognized as Jews. All this in democratic Israel - “A Light unto the Nations!” Judaism in Israel is apparently the monopoly of Orthodox Judaism alone.

According to The State Comptroller's 2017 report: a searing indictment:

“Israel’s 39-chapter annual State Comptroller report, published on Tuesday, May 16, was nothing less than a blistering indictment of the unholy alliance of religion & state in Israel, providing multiple examples of criminality, corruption, and discrimination conducted by government officials in the area of religion & state”.

There will never be freedom of pluralism in Jewish faith while this abominable institution of rabbinical bigots with its powerful bureaucrats and heartless pseudo-righteous, “holy men” wield the power to which they are not entitled. This merciless institution will remain until the Messiah comes! The time is overdue for the institution of Civil Marriage in Israel. This would put the Chief Rabbinate in its place and hopefully be the impetus for its disbandment.

Rabbi and Adv. Uri Regev 

There is no true separation of Orthodox Synagogue and State in the "only True Democracy in the Middle East".

References: Hiddush - Highly recommended. It gives a true picture as to how there is no true Jewish religious freedom in Israel. 

Related articles

• Benjamin Netanyahu gives in to ultra-Orthodox pressure and stops Western Wall deal to allow men and women to pray together
• No Mixed-Gender Prayer Space at the Western Wall
• Israel faces international backlash after Netanyahu bends to ultra-Orthodox lobby on Western Wall

Apartheid-like Rule of Palestinians under Occupation?

Map showing the West Bank and Gaza Strip in relation to central Israel (situation of 2007) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Israel is not an apartheid state within the Green-Line. This cannot be stated in areas occupied by Israel after the June Six Day War of 1967. The whole issue of Israel slipping into an apartheid-like regime resembling apartheid South Africa from 1948 until 1994 is, unfortunately, becoming a reality despite the many denials of Danny Danon, Israel’s representative at the UN. We have not reached there yet but with the repressive laws including laws legalizing takeover of Palestinian lands for illegal Jewish settlement and the attempted interference of Justice Minister, Ayelet Shaked, with Israel’s Courts of Law, and Culture and Sport Minister, Miri Regev, trying to muzzle cultural activities that are not in accordance with her party agenda we unfortunately are moving in that direction.

The guidelines are...in conformity with the EU's longstanding position that Israeli settlements are illegal under international law and with the non-recognition by the EU of Israel's sovereignty over the occupied territories, irrespective of their legal status under domestic Israeli law.1

Official Israeli and Palestinian population statistics indicate that Jews have been a minority in the territory Israel controls for several years now, and with no repercussions: A majority of the world's nations still speak of undemocratic rule by a Jewish minority as a hypothetical future, not an unacceptable present.2

We must not forget that Israel is faced with a very severe security problem that threatens her citizens, the source of which originates in the occupied territories. Israel is also faced with a Palestinian leadership, especially Hamas, which refuses to negotiate any form of peace treaty or agreement with Israel. It is also doubtful whether President Mahmoud Abbas has a mandate from his people to negotiate with Israel let alone sign a peace agreement with Israel. He has been ruling for over 10 years and there have been no elections. The maintenance of human rights for the Palestinians under Israeli occupation and the security risks that Israel has faced since the occupation of June 1967 is a tremendous challenge facing Israel. Some 5.6 million Palestinians now live in this area, which is divided between the State of Israel, and the West Bank and Gaza; these latter areas were captured and occupied by Israel in 1967.3

We must also bear in mind that the Palestinians and the Arab States, even prior to June 1967 with Egypt at the helm were never prepared to recognize Israel’s right to exist and were determined to destroy Israel. Israel fought a war of survival and occupied territories in the process. There were no “occupied territories “prior to the June 1967 war. The severe threat to Israel’s existence then was the reason for the war. On the other hand, Israel’s biggest mistake was the colonisation of territory captured in the June 1967 war rather than declaring it a closed military zone and using it as a bargaining chip for peace negotiations that would result in a settlement ending the conflict. The ramification of the occupation as we all know is the rule of Israel over the Palestinians.  

“Israel maintains a regime of apartheid over Palestinians” — UN report. It identified the four sets of Palestinians as Palestinian citizens of Israel; Palestinians in East Jerusalem; Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip; and Palestinians living as refugees or in exile.4

Report by the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) 2017.Palestine and the Israeli Occupation, Issue №1

Israeli Practices towards the Palestinian People and the Question of Apartheid

“The report concludes that the weight of the evidence supports beyond a reasonable doubt the proposition that Israel is guilty of imposing an apartheid regime on the Palestinian people, which amounts to the commission of a crime against humanity, the prohibition of which is considered jus cogens in international customary law.”

The mantra that all Israeli Governments had and still do have to this day is the fear that granting human rights to the Palestinians under occupation will compromise Israel’s security. There is a strong belief in Israel that if the Palestinians are granted human rights in the territories under occupation, they (the Palestinians) will view this as Israel’s weakness and they will increase their terror activities against Israel.

The right wing Israeli Government Coalition maintains its power by playing on the fears of the Israeli Electorate. They view the left wing opposition to the occupation as traitors and NGOs such as B’tzelem and Breaking the Silence as a plague on Israel. They do all in their power to prevent overseas donors from donating money to these organizations that safeguard Palestinian human rights.

On the other hand, right-wing organizations receive money from overseas supporters unhindered. The biggest challenge that Israel faces today vis a vis the Palestinians under occupation is a balance between Israel’s security and basic human rights that the Palestinians are entitled. The present government is doing everything in its power to prevent any meaningful negotiations on a two-state solution. The extreme right wing flank - Habayit Yehudi of Naftali Bennett opposes the Two State Solution and has threatened to leave the coalition if any negotiations begin to initiate the Two State Solution.

The other options are a bi-national state which will be dominated by Israel and the Palestinians will remain in a quasi-apartheid situation inferior to Israelis and be forced to live in separate enclaves within the Jewish State. Needless to say, they will remain without basic human rights and a disenfranchised group subjected to abuse and exploitation. This will be far from the dreams of Israel’s founding fathers. The settlers that have occupied Palestinian lands will remain on these lands forever.

The situation on the ground is such that the increase in settlement activity encroaching further on Palestinian-owned land by right-wing religious Zionist Jews is making the two-state solution less and less a viable option.

A  list of obstacles Palestinians face as a result of the occupation is not exhaustive — there are a number of other human rights concerns and restrictions imposed on non-Israelis in the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem.5

EU grants, funding, prizes or scholarships will only be granted if a settlement exclusion clause is included, forcing the Israeli government to concede in writing that settlements in the occupied territories are outside the state of Israel to secure agreements with the EU.6

According to Benjamin Pogrund, a South African journalist, who had suffered under the apartheid government for opposing it, is the right person qualified to state that

“Israel has many injustices. But it is not an apartheid state”.

What remains is for both sides to the conflict is to get their act right and move towards a Two-State Solution based on dual respect for both sides with a desire to end this tragic conflict. Ending the Israeli "occupation" of the West Bank and East Jerusalem, and achieving a negotiated two-state outcome, is the only way to lay the foundations for enduring peace, the UN secretary-general stressed.7

Israel must refrain from building settlements and proclaim a total freeze on this illegal activity as starters. The Palestinian leadership must cease their hateful rhetoric and demands for Israel's total destruction and be willing to sit down and negotiate an end to this conflict. Trust-building measures on both sides must be initiated on both sides with the mediation of a neutral third party. Only in this way can a solution be found and a just end to the occupation.

The above YouTube clip is true within the Green line.Unfortunately, in the occupied territories, this is not the case.  However, in the occupied areas conquered during the Six-Day War, the Palestinians do not have the freedom to move around and are subject to human rights abuses. As mentioned in this article, the security situation that has to come to terms with Palestinian terrorist groups harming and killing innocent civilians by stabbings, suicide bombings and car rammings, has created a situation that resembles apartheid in the territories. The right-wing Jewish extremists, such as the "Hilltop Youth" and the messianic, religious Zionist settlers are not blameless for this situation either and the police hardly make any arrests of those responsible for violence against Palestinians.

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israeli-occupied_territories. Accessed 26 Jun. 2017.
2.  2 Jun. 2017, https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/02/opinion/sunday/the-past-50-years-of-israeli-occupation-and-the-next.html. Accessed 24 Jun. 2017.
3. http://www.merip.org/primer-palestine-israel-arab-israeli-conflict-new. Accessed 24 Jun. 2017
4. 16 Mar. 2017, http://www.reuters.com/article/us-israel-palestinians-report-idUSKBN16M2IN. Accessed 26 Jun. 2017.
5. 29 Dec. 2016, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/things-palestinians-cant-do_us_586554d4e4b0eb58648895bc. Accessed 24 Jun. 2017.
6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israeli-occupied_territories. Accessed 24 Jun. 2017.
7. 5 Jun. 2017, http://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/UN-chief-denounces-50-years-of-Israeli-occupation-on-Six-Day-War-anniversary-494924. Accessed 26 Jun. 2017.

Also, see:

1. Israel and the apartheid analogy
2. Seattle Mideast Awareness Campaign 

The above two links are not necessarily the writer's opinion. I have inserted them for the reader to draw his own conclusions.

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