There is a myth that Israel is the only democracy in the middle east. I say that it is a myth because it obviously isn't true. We have witnessed the "democracy" of Israel in the past as they tried to ban Israel-Arab parties and jail the political elite of the Palestinian-Israeli society. A new chapter is now being written this week in debunking the myth of Israeli "democracy".
Now an Israeli-Arab MK is the target. MK Hanin Zoabi, who was part of the peace flotilla, is now facing the wrath of Israeli "democracy". On June 2nd, what can only be termed as physical and psychological intimidation happened in the Knesset towards her. Haaretz documented the exchange of words while the guardian posted the Knesset meeting.
Zoabi called on the government to open a national panel of inquiry into the incident, and asked why it was so opposed to international calls for an impartial and external probe.
Meanwhile, MK Miri Regev (Likud) accused Zoabi of being "responsible for a double crime: Joining terrorists, and a moral crime against the state of Israel." Regev then called at her in Arabic: "Go to Gaza, you traitor."
"She sat here over a year ago and pledged allegiance to the state of Israel and its laws," Regev claimed. "I have no intention of stifling free speech, but in the case of MK Zoabi - it is not freedom of speech. The Gaza flotilla was a terrorist flotilla and MK Zoabi needs to be punished. We don't need Trojan horses in the Knesset."
Another member of the Knesset was similarly targeted when he spoke up for Hanin Zoabi as well as general sanity. What happened next is just further proof of how much Israeli politics has degenerated into. Because the response he can only be seen as a threat.
Hadash-Ta'al MK Mohammed Barakeh called the Israeli government "a gang of pirates" during the discussion, saying "you are crazy - you swim against the world and harm your nation, driving it down the drain."
"The two people responsible for the crime ran out of the room," said Barake regarding Netanyahu and Barak. "We stand behind our friend Mohammed Zeidan, the head of the Arab Higher Monitoring Committee, and of course our friend MK Hanin Zoabi, we see their acts as noble deeds."
In response, MK Regev yelled at Barke "hypocrite, traitor." MK Ben Ari (National Union) also confronted Barake calling: "Where is Gilad Shalit? Traitor, your day will come."
Video of what Happened.
The following day Haaretz reported again on the status of Israeli "democracy". The news headline stated "Interior Minister seeks to strip Israeli Arab MK of citizenship". For being a part in a humanitarian project members of the Knesset are seeking to revoke another knesset member's citizenship.
"In recent days," Yishai wrote to Weinstein on Thursday, "Israel's citizens have witnessed how an Israeli member of parliament, Hanin Zuabi, headed a group of terrorists who aimed to hurt Israel Defense Forces soldiers, under the protection of her parliamentary immunity."
Yishai asked Weinstein for his help as the Supreme Court had ruled that an interior minister cannot revoke a person's citizenship without the written authorization of the attorney general.
"MK Zuabi used her immunity as a cloak to protect her from the law, although she was undoubtedly aware of the activists' preparations for the attack against IDF troops," Yishai wrote. "This is a premeditated act of treason, and there is documented proof of this."
"I must say that since this is an issue having to do with the security of the state, and especially since we're likely due for more such flotillas, I ask that you study the laws that would allow stripping the immunity from any member of Knesset that would try, under the protection of immunity, to aid and cooperate with terrorists that have made IDF soldiers and citizens of Israel their targets," Yishai continued.
The minister concluded his letter by once again requesting Weinstein's cooperation in stripping Zuabi's immunity, in order to facilitate the revocation of her citizenship.
The myth of Israeli democracy is that all person's share and enjoy the same rights and safe guards in Israel. That all are represented in "the only democracy in the middle east". It is a lie, however, when such a state is based on the tyranny of the majority. Israeli "democracy" is not a democracy for all. Not for the Arab-Israelis who are threatened into silence.
A government that excludes, silences, jails, and disenfranchises minorities from participating can hardly be called a democracy.