No. Israel is a Jewish state.
There is a difference. If you do not know the difference, then you need to go back to high school Civics class and read up on it.
In a representative democracy, the majority, other than a small number convicted of "high crimes and treason", vote for whom amongst the various candidates will rule them.
In a Jewish state, the minority who have been granted Israeli citizenship vote for who shall rule the Palestinian Arab majority on the West Bank and Gaza Strip that outnumbers them and that would vote out a Jewish state and vote in a multicultural democracy if allowed to do so.
See the difference?
"But," you cry, "the Palestinians have their own government!" Really? Creating a South Africa style "Bantu-stan" on the West Bank and Gaza Strip does not eliminate the reality that Israel rules them, that Israeli soldiers go into those areas at will, that Israel completely and entirely controls access to those areas via checkpoints, fences, and walls. A "nation" that lacks territorial integrity is a contradiction in terms. The West Bank and Gaza Strip are nothing more than territorial possessions of Israel, and the denial of Israeli citizenship to them is no different than the denial of South African citizenship to the Bantu and other blacks who were relegated to Bantu-stans there.
"But", you cry, "democracy in Israel would mean the end of the Jewish state."
Exactly. You can have democracy, or you can have a Jewish state. You cannot have both. Any system of government that allows only a minority of the population to vote for who rules the majority is not a democracy, and should not be confused with such.
Israel is a Jewish state, not a democracy. That is reality. Deal with it. Just quit lying and saying that Israel is "the only Middle Eastern democracy". It is not. That honor lies with Lebanon.
-- Badtux the Geo-political Penguin
*pats him on the head*
ReplyDeleteSilly, silly Penquin... delusions are for kiddies.
"Israel is a Jewish state, not a democracy."
ReplyDeleteEither one is shit. Democracy would be okay done right, but it isn't.
You seem to have gotten somewhat derailed. Are you okay?
Segregation, Minority rule - smells like apartheid.
ReplyDeleteI kinda thought Israel was a Tehocracy but I have never been deluded enuff to call it a "Democracy".
ReplyDeleted.
dam! Theocracy
ReplyDeleteYes, Israel is a Jewish state. It is also a democracy. Not a perfect democracy, but a democracy nonetheless. Your argument about the Palestinian majority is bogus, even if one accepts your disputed population numbers, because the West Bank and Gaza Strip are occupied territories; it might surprise you a great deal, but occupying territories does not make a country undemocratic, and does not commit a country to making occupied people citizens. Israel commits some abuse of its control of the territories, which is wrong, and yet, Israeli citizens -- including the ~18% of them who are Palestinians, for those of you who think "racist apartheid" -- enjoy far greater equality and personal liberty than the citizens of any other middle-eastern country, Lebanon most certainly included.
ReplyDeleteThere are valid criticisms one can raise against Israel. Your analysis of this summer's conflict, for example, was essentially correct. This one, however, is quite completely misguided.