Last thing we need. Lieberman
Photo: AFP
Time to counter Lieberman
Zionist parties must end silence, present clear position on Arab-Jewish relations
Avigdor Lieberman in the Foreign Ministry is about the last thing Israel needs at this time. Wherever he goes, the local media will say that the State of Israel’s official representative is the one who proposes to revoke the citizenship of Arab Israelis.
We already have enough haters who would say: We told you so, Zionism is racism and a Jewish State is an apartheid state. With Lieberman at the front it would be difficult for us to explain that his ideas, which contradict our democratic spirit, also contradict the Zionist position, Israel’s constitutional structure, and her Declaration of Independence.
However, Lieberman got the Foreign Ministry because he won 15 mandates and nothing can hide this fact. The truly Zionist parties both on the Right and Left, which believe in a Jewish and democratic state, must take it into account. They must ask themselves how it happened and where did this spirit come from.
Most of them usually try to evade the issue of the relationship between the Jewish majority and Arab minority. The Right tends to ignore the distress of Israeli Arabs, while the Left tends to only be aware of their distress, and thereby keeps completely silent in the face of things that are incommensurate with civil partnership.
In the middle, we have a large group of voters whose impression of the Arab minority is mostly based on the conduct of Arab Knesset members. Yet the impression created by these MKs is beyond deceptive. Some of them actually break the law while supporting enemy states at a time of war. Others take pleasure – I have no better word to describe it – in provoking the majority. In the name of the minority’s right for self-determination they deny the majority’s right for self-determination and deliberately focus on the raw nerves on the Jewish side.
These provocations send increasingly more voters to Lieberman’s camp. Meanwhile, he proposes an immoral and undemocratic solution to the problem of the relationship between the majority and minority; yet at least he offers something, or so it seems (in practice he offers nothing; his proposals have no chance of materializing.)
National service for Arabs
Therefore, perhaps the time has come to start addressing the question more seriously. The distress faced by Arab Israelis – discrimination in government fund transfers, employment discrimination, and the bias against them – are a burring issue that requires intensive care. The Right would do well if it internalizes this matter: Growing distress will not encourage loyal citizenship. Yet the Left too needs to learn something.
The unrestrained and irresponsible provocation of Arab MKs must not be accepted with any sort of understanding. Indeed, we should not be outlawing parties – that would not be wise – yet we should not ignore support for the enemy during wartime and we should not remain silent in the face of a campaign to de-legitimize the right of Jews for a state.
Yet we should not only be responding, but rather, also initiating policy: Eliminating discrimination on the one hand, yet insisting on civil duties on the other hand. We should not have loyalty tests or threats of revoking one’s citizenship – however, for example, we can introduce national service within the Arab sector (as opposed to Arab MKs, a huge majority within the Arab public supports such service: 74% according to a poll undertaken by Professor Sami Samocha.)
There will be no way to neutralize Liebermanism should he continue to portray himself as the only one who dares respond to the provocations of Arab MKs and the only one who offers a solution to the issue of majority and minority relations. The Zionist parties, all of them, must present a position and an answer on this issue. This is their responsibly.
