Israel is not nearly as democratic as she would like us to believe. Emad Gad sees why Even as talk is increasing in the West about extremism and militancy in Arab countries -- which certainly exists in limited circles -- all extremism that exists in Israel is completely ignored. Indeed, Israel is often presented as a Western democratic nation living in an anomalous climate -- that is, living in an undemocratic region in which militancy and backwardness is widespread. However, several studies, many written by Israelis, offer a more accurate picture of Israel as a religious nation in which democracy only applies to certain segments of the population. These studies describe Israel as an "ethnocracy" or religious democracy, in which democracy is limited to the Jewish population and distinctions are made between Ashkenazi Jews (of Western origin) and other Jews. Still, the propaganda machine continues to circulate a false image of Israel, presenting it as a wholly Western, democratic nation. Over the past few days, the controversy over the dangers of militancy and extremism within Israel was renewed. Expressions of this extremism are both religious, involving attacks -- sometimes physical -- by conservative, observant Jews on secularists, and political activities on the far right of the political spectrum. Recently the far right in Israel began to close ranks to thwart efforts to implement the disengagement plan and the removal of settlements in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, starting with four in the northern West Bank. As for religious extremism, Israeli writers documented renewed assaults by conservative elements on secularists, as described in an article by Jonathan Lis, entitled "Another Wave of Ultra-Orthodox Violence in Jerusalem", which appeared on the Israeli website www.walla.co.ilwww.walla.co.il/i. "After about a year of relative calm in the capital, on Saturday groups of ultra-orthodox threw stones, vegetables and fruits at passing cars on Bar-Ilan Road and Golda Meir Road in Jerusalem," Lis wrote. "The windshields of two cars driving on the roads were smashed, but the passengers were not injured. "On Ben-Zion Street near the Har Hotzvim Industrial Park, groups of ultra-orthodox threw stones at a private bus on Golda Meir Road, breaking one of the bus's windows and slightly injuring one passenger with broken glass. The passenger was taken to the Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital for treatment, and the police combed the area for the perpetrators. Jerusalem Mayor [Uri] Lupolianski told Israeli Radio that he would not let a bunch of 'riff-raff' harm the delicate web of social relations in Jerusalem. He added that although he believed the incident was extraordinary, it was serious." Reader responses to the article were revealing. "I don't understand," wrote in one reader. "When Arabs throw stones they're imprisoned, but there's another law for the ultra-orthodox. Opponents of democracy are hostile to the state and thus should be put behind bars, and not at the expense of taxpayers. They should be sent to do forced labour to pay the price of their upkeep in prison. This may be violent, but it's the only solution." Another reader told the following story: "My parents emigrated from the US 13 years ago. A week after they arrived, they decided to take a short trip around Israel to see the country, but they lost their way because they didn't know the place. They happened to accidentally enter Bnei Brak on the Sabbath, and all they wanted was for someone to tell them how to return to their home in Haifa. Can you imagine they couldn't even get this! They were pelted with stones and cursed and so on. My parents didn't know why because they didn't know anything about the traditions of these retarded people. Fortunately, nothing bad happened to them; they were only scratched. When my mother told me about this a year ago, I was shocked by the stupidity of these people. I personally don't believe in god, only in myself. I don't understand how people devote their whole lives to something whose existence is dubious, and to a book written by who knows who thousands of years ago. People in the advanced world believe in a book of myths and devote their whole lives to stupid beliefs instead of progress and thought. If they destroy their own lives, it doesn't concern me, but most of the ultra-orthodox don't work, don't serve in the army, and have children that we support with our taxes. And then they impose religion on us. What a disgrace!" It is noteworthy that much right-wing militancy is in fact based in religious extremism, as is clear on the many websites where rabbis issue Halachic injunctions, or fatwas. One example is a response by Rabbi Michael Brom on the website ( www.kipa.co.il ) to a petitioner who asked, "Should we refuse to return part of the territories despite the continued bloodshed in the country? Why?" Rabbi Brom responded, "In the current situation, it seems that the return or the concession of certain areas of the sacred lands will not reduce the amount of bloodshed, but perhaps only increase it. Considering that it is our duty to hold on to the sacred lands as was established in the commentary of Rabbi Moshe Ben-Nachman (the fourth duty), then we can view what is happening as a war that will continue even if victims continue to fall." Increasing extremism was enough to warrant a warning from the head of the Israeli Shin Bet, Avi Dichter, in a Cabinet session on Sunday. "There is a worrying increase in militant activities by the far right in Israel as we prepare to evacuate settlements in the Gaza Strip," Dichter said. Dichter told the story of a major in the Israeli army who was wandering around the Sanhedria Market in Jerusalem with his wife. He was beaten by residents in the neighbourhood because he had participated in a force that had demolished the Kahane College in the settlement of Tapuah a few months earlier. Commenting on the story, Minister of Justice Tommy Lapid said, "It's not surprising that activists on the far right would act like this as long as the police do not arrest those who speak out against soldiers, policemen and others involved in evacuating settlements." Lapid mentioned Uri Elitzur, who was the head of the prime minister's office under Benyamin Netanyahu. In an interview with an Israeli right-wing paper, Elitzur said the use of all methods of violence, with the exception of armed violence, was legitimate and expected against those "who want to expel you from your home". MK Ophir Pinas-Paz (Labour) declared, "The attorney-general must deal with agitators as severely as possible and order the police and Shin Bet to use their authority to stop extremist language as well. The attorney-general's negligence is taken as weakness. We should not allow agitators and militants to hide behind the principle of freedom of expression." To follow the debate, visit the website of Arabs Against Discrimination ( www.aad-online.org ).
