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The aftermath of Israel's elections
Thanatos
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So, it looks like Benjamin Netanyahu is going to be the next Prime Minister of Israel. Again. It looks like it's going to be a right-wing coalition of Likud, Kadima, and and Yisreal Beiteinu in charge of the country. All three parties are nationalists, and Beiteinu can be generously described as merely fascist and horribly racist, if one is being generous. Avigdor Leibermann, their leader, is likely to be pulled into government.
So, Fareed Zakaria asks a relevant question: where does that leave the Arab parties? The answer, most likely, is out in the cold. Not that they're not used to that, given the efforts by the right wing of the country to expel them from the Knesset, the discrimination, and the underrepresentation they suffer from in the country. But really, if Liebermann is a part of the government, how long until they start expelling Palestinians from the country? Netanyahu isn't exactly a moderate, and one would expect him to take a stance similar to that of Ariel Sharon, which is "if they terrorize us, we'll terrorize them right back, and way worse."
So, Fareed Zakaria asks a relevant question: where does that leave the Arab parties? The answer, most likely, is out in the cold. Not that they're not used to that, given the efforts by the right wing of the country to expel them from the Knesset, the discrimination, and the underrepresentation they suffer from in the country. But really, if Liebermann is a part of the government, how long until they start expelling Palestinians from the country? Netanyahu isn't exactly a moderate, and one would expect him to take a stance similar to that of Ariel Sharon, which is "if they terrorize us, we'll terrorize them right back, and way worse."
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Often.
Very often.
Although it certainly says something about the current state of Israel that a guy like that is so popular. It does not bode well for the future.
Yeah, this is going to go well.
Its also interesting that Leiberman demanded that Netenyahu include Kadima in any coalition Government... It should be noted that there are no longer enough "left" parties (ie parties willing to split Jerusalem or have broad based talks with the Arabs) around to form a coalition Government.... hmm
that will be an enlightening class, me thinks.
I wonder how far Obama can be pushed here....
Questions of "What to do with Hamas and the other Palestinians" aside, I would like to know how Israel will deal with the Arab minority. They cannot ignore them, in a decade they will constitute 25 percent of the population and continued discrimination against them will only lead to further problems ahead. You can't just expel 20% of your population and expect things will be dandy, but giving them equal rights and no discrimination might tear Israel apart.
But they are not making this easy for me.
It's easy to say that from thousands of miles away and across the ocean. I'm not saying they're right, but it's not surprising given the facts on the ground that Israel is electing militant officials right now.
Hell, remember how fired up Americans were to go to war after 9/11? 90% approval rating ring a bell?
So... low-level skirmishing along the border as usual for the next couple of years or so? And postponing the 'Arab question' until later?
Or maybe I'm just hoping too much.
Yeah, you're hoping too much. Read up on how we delt with groups like Mexican braceros when the Great Depression hit (here's a hint - our policies on weed are based in large part on the fact that we wanted a pretense to get rid of them.) Now imagine how modern Israeli politicians would respond.
Then shiver in fear.
Temptation to Godwin thread with a reference to post-WW1 Germany rising.
Damn. But the chain of causation usually requires "let's kick em out cos they're stealin' our jobs!" to be a viable argument, doesn't it? My impression of Arab ethnic distributions in Israel was that they and other Israelis were fairly culturally and spatially distinct to begin with.
Economic problems most certainly do not push jingoism "out of the popular mind". Indeed, economic problems make these issues even worse. It is very easy to blame immigrants, foreigners, or other minorities for whatever problems happen to exist. Economic problems are unique because they tend to affect a very wide swath of the population, as opposed to crime or violence which have a direct effect on relatively few.
Minorities steal jobs, run banks, abuse welfare and other social programs, send money out of the country, don't contribute etc etc. Its so much easier to blame the people that look different, and I expect Israeli Arabs to get some sort of economic blame. Hard times are when jingoism flourishes.
There are only 11 seats for Arab parties because the Israeli Arabs are unhappy about the usual Arab parties and refuse to vote for them (and in fact, a large number refuse to participate in the elections at all)- some of them (about one quarter) vote for non-Arab parties (2.2% even voted for Liberman).
And to the main question in hand, Kadima recently said they would not join a Likud led government but that is left to be seen- I personally prefer them to join and not the more right wing partied and religious parties.
I very much doubt a law that will deny the right to vote or been voted for will pass appeals to the High Court of Justice, and in fact I very much doubt such a law will ever make it to even the first calling.
A last point on the matter, Liberman is pro Palestinian state, roughly on the lines of 67, he believes in two states solution putting Arabs on one side and Jews on the other and thus exchanging the Settlements for Arab villages in Israel. Likud is against this idea as a whole, and it will be interesting to see how the two will get along on this matter.
No folks, I'm not joking. And this just makes my heart sink more about what will happen after these elections.
That is possibly the dumbest shit I've ever read.
He forgot to bullshit, and said what he meant instead of using "terrorist sympathizer" or something. I'm sure that mistake will be fixed in the next statement.