Tibi: Lieberman would fan racism
Arab MK says should Israel Our Home join PM Olmert's coalition, 'racism and hatred of Arabs would be transported from street to government'
Reports about contacts between Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Israel Our Home leader Avigdor Lieberman have not been met with understand by all Israelis.
While Kadima's political platform has been firmly placed in the center-left of the political map, the inclusion of Israel Our Home in coalition is seen as a flagrant deviation from the government's political platform.
Shuli Dichter, co-CEO of Sikkuy, the Association for the Advancement of Civic Equality in Israel, said that "Olmert had been leading a positive course, building relations with Arab citizens, but including Lieberman in the government is likely to destroy all these efforts."
"As Infrastructure Minister Lieberman said he would halt services to each Arab community that refuses to hoist an Israeli flag in local schools. Some time after that he suggested that the citizenship of Arabs living near the border be revoked. Someone who rejects the legitimacy of nearly a fifth of the citizens cannot serve as a minister in the government, and certainly he can't offer services to them," he said.
Sikkuy co-CEO Ali Haidar, said: "Lieberman has a record rich in incitement and comments harmful to the Arab community and its leaders. As a minister in the Sharon's government in 2001 he called to transfer some Arab citizens … he said 'I don't rule out the option of transfer … do I see them as citizens of the State of Israel? No! Do we need to hold them accountable? Yes! They need to find a place where they feel comfortable.'"
"Also during the disengagement Lieberman launched Israel Our Home's anti-Arab PR campaign, which started with diffusing billboards calling for a disengagement from Umm el-Fahm as part of his plan for exchanging territories."
'Mainstream racism'
MK Ahmad Tibi of the United Arab List-Ta'al faction said: "Although there are racists in this government, Lieberman's inclusion will increase the prominence of racism and fascism and transport hatred of Arabs from the street to the government in a total manner. It is a fascist-Israeli party, whose motto is hatred of Arabs. Israel boycotted Austria over (Jorg) Heider for less than that."
"Slowly-slowly, racism is becoming mainstream in Israeli society and Olmert – in order to preserve his coalition – is willing to authorize the bug of racism and eviction of Arabs. Lieberman is a sophisticated and dangerous politician who understood and encouraged hatred of Arabs among Russian immigrants."
United Arab List-Ta'al MK Ibrahim Sarsur said: "Lieberman's inclusion in the government, knowing he is belligerent and as having racist and extreme opinions in general and against the Arab community in particular, will bring increase tension in Israeli society. It is granting a prize and legitimacy to racism towards Arab-Israelis in the country. Liberman's inclusion won't make the government more respectable and certainly not more stable."
MK Shelly Yacimovich (Labor) said that adding MK Avigdor Lieberman (Israel Our Home) to the coalition eliminates all hope for the peace process and for a social agenda. Yacimovich announced that she will work for a meeting of the party's institutions to discuss the matter.
According to her, "This is a red line for the Labor party. If Labor doesn't completely veto the addition, this will be political suicide and a breach of trust with its voters."
On several occasions, Lieberman's hawkish views caused shock waves in Israel. In May he said that “Arab Knesset Members who collaborate with the enemy an meet with Hamas heads should be dealt with sternly”
"At the end of the Second World War, not only criminals were executed in the Nuremberg trials, but also those who collaborated with them. I hope that will be the fate of the collaborators in this house," he declared.
He continued: "We demanded in that in the basic principles it be written: All those who incite and cooperate with terror and who sit in this house – should be punished. All those who continue to freely meet with Hamas, with Hizbullah, who go to make visits in Lebanon.
“Just two days ago they declared Israel's Independence Day as Nakba day (day of disaster) and raised black flags. There is a directive on terrorism, according to which those who collaborate with it must face the law," Lieberman added.
