Israel votes for a permanent apartheid state.

[DanTex]

Before the election, Bibi's winning right-wing push was to vow to not allow a Palestinian state, to expand settlements, and to racistly lash out at Israeli Arabs. It worked.

So now permanent apartheid is the official policy of the Israeli PM. No more illusion that the occupation and settlements are temporary measures until peace can be negotiated.

Can the international community finally get together the moral strength to impose sanctions?

[malaise]

1. Hope they can handle the sanctions

and the boycotts

[android fan]

3. BDS has never been effective

and I asked how does BDS help the Palestinians - it does not. It only harms them.

You can call for BDS, but the fact that Israeli exports increased in 2014 tells me that BDS has very little effect.

[malaise]

5. Ask South Africa about boycotts

You may be right re sanctions

[el_bryanto]

8. That would be an interesting subject for deeper study

Why did boycotts work in South Africa, and are they likely to work in Israel? I don't know - it seems like people will want to believe better of Israel than they did of South Africa. Part of that is that the successful demonization of Palestinians, and part of that is the legacy of the Holocaust. While republicans did try to demonize Nelson Mandela and others as communists, it didn't really take, and I'm not sure people felt much natural sympathy for white South Africans.

But i could be totally wrong.

Bryant

[malaise]

10. You raise good points but I trust Jimmy Carter more than most of this subject

and he called them on apartheid years ago. I think the Commonwealth Gleneagles agreement got the ball rolling against South Africa.

[el_bryanto]

16. I totally agree that it is apartheid - he's right there.

Just considering how best to affect change; but I think until people can see Palestinians as human beings and come to grips with what their lives are like, I don't know how you break the impasse.

[Mosby]

48. except carter never said there was apartheid in Israel

And he's right.

The impasse exists because Palestinian and Arab leadership are unwilling to move the process forward, they have, after all, turned down offers seven times.

That's why the Israelis vote the way they do, they understand the history of the conflict and know that most of the blame falls on the Palestinians.

[Capt. Obvious]

56. Exactly

What more do the Palestinians want? They've been given their own Bantustans for pete's sake.

[dixiegrrrrl]

18. I imagine Pres. Carter is very disappointed by now.

but not surprised.

[malaise]

26. I expect to hear from him any day now

Carter is a good human being.

[Mosby]

46. carter never said there was aparthied in Israel

This is what he said:

It's not Israel. The book has nothing to do with what's going on inside Israel which is a wonderful democracy, you know, where everyone has guaranteed equal rights and where, under the law, Arabs and Jews who are Israelis have the same privileges about Israel. That's been most of the controversy because people assume it's about Israel. It's not.[5]
"I've never alleged that the framework of apartheid existed within Israel at all, and that what does exist in the West Bank is based on trying to take Palestinian land and not on racism. So it was a very clear distinction."[6]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palestine:_Peace_Not_Apartheid

[Spazito]

50. This is what he said in a CBC interview...

"When Israel does occupy this territory deep within the West Bank, and connects the 200-or-so settlements with each other, with a road, and then prohibits the Palestinians from using that road, or in many cases even crossing the road, this perpetrates even worse instances of apartness, or apartheid, than we witnessed even in South Africa.""

http://www.haaretz.com/news/jimmy-carter-israel-s-apartheid-policies-worse-than-south-africa-s-1.206865

[Mosby]

51. this is what he said two days later on NPR

Most of the people that seem to be critical have not read the book, or they haven’t referred to anything inside Palestine, and the book is not written about Israel at all. I know that Israel is a wonderful democracy with equal treatment of all citizens whether Arab or Jew. And so I very carefully avoided talking about anything inside Israel. The book is about Palestine and what’s going on inside the occupied territories….


http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2006/12/13/carters-rhetoric-of-apartheid/?_r=0

[Spazito]

53. I cited a quote from him...

it was not in relation to the content in his book, it was his opinion of the situation.

[Enthusiast]

27. President Ronald Reagan opposed South African sanctions.

I'm only pointing that out. Just sayin'. [URL=.html][IMG][/IMG][/URL]

[malaise]

28. So did that war criminal of a dick

Cheney

[olegramps]

32. Their basis for their justification is based on the Old Testament.

There is little hope of reasoning with the Zionists since they believe they have full title to Palestine. They have been joined by Christian fundamentalists who ascend to their claims.

It is impossible to reason with people who actually believe that a hodge-podge of ridiculous myths drawn from a host of primitive cultures is the genuine voice of God. I can't help from suspecting that the leadership puts little credence in these asinine claims, but are more than willing to exploit them. I believe that same of many of the so-called Christian shysters who pick the pockets bare of the dimwits they swindle.

[malaise]

36. You mean Zionist Jews use the Old Testament to steal other people's land and resources

So what's new - the Europeans slaughtered indigenous people everywhere claiming they were spreading their Christian gospel and the Muslims did the same.

Fugg all of them. That doesn't work for me - I don't support theocracies - I'm a freaking atheist.

[olegramps]

54. That has been the standard MO.

Religious zealots have no problem in committing atrocities in "saving" the misguided from damnation. Preachers can bilk old ladies out of their hard earned savings without shred of guilt. They are doing the Lord's work while living lavishly without a hint of remorse.

[malaise]

58. They all disgust me

Religion is one of the greatest evils on planet earth.

[hifiguy]

59. Nobel Laureate Steven Weinberg has the best observation on religulous idiocy

"Religion is an insult to human dignity. With or without it you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, that takes religion."

[android fan]

2. No.

Because again, Palestinian citizens are not citizens of Israel, and there is no apartheid.

People like to blame Israel of apartheid when their Israeli-Arab citizens enjoy the same rights and privelege as any other Israeli Jews.

Palestine has its own government and its President is Mahmoud Abbas who is in his 10th year of a 4 year term...

I think the problem lies within Palestine, not Israel in that case.

[DanTex]

6. Apartheid refers to the situation in Israeli-occupied territories.

The excuse that the occupation was a temporary measure is now gone. Permanent apartheid is official policy now.

The very fact that Palestinians don't have full citizenship rights, as you describe, is what makes it apartheid.

[android fan]

9. AGAIN. PALENSTINIANS ARE NOT ISRAELI CITIZENS!!!!!

You keep pushing Palestinians as if they were Israeli citizens by default.

They aren't. They chose to be Palestinians and vote for Mahmoud Abbas. They have their own government.

If they wanted to, they CAN apply for citizenship of Israel.

It's not that hard.

[DanTex]

11. That's what makes it apartheid.

Israel occupies and controls the territories, but refuses to allow Palestinians to have a vote in the government that rules them.

They don't have a choice to become Israeli citizens. In fact, even if a Palestinian is married to an Israeli citizen, they still aren't allowed to get citizenship, one of the many overtly discriminatory laws that Israel imposes.

[android fan]

14. That last sentence is so wrong.....

Do your research. Read up on how Palestinians can apply for citizenship - there are a process involved.

I would disagree with you there WRT West Bank. They do have rights as a Palestinians, and they can work in Israel with no problems, but they don't have the same rights as the Israeli-Arabs do.

Do you realize your statements are so inane, that you don't bother to look up facts, only throw fact-free crap back at me.

And seeing that the Joint List of Arab Parties were third in the amount of seats won last night, I think they do have the right to vote or gain citizenship. They just have to follow the proper procedures just like everyone else.

You think Palestinians get MORE rights than Israeli citizens?

To me, that's insanity.

[DanTex]

17. No it's not. It's accurate.

Palestinians can apply for Israeli citizenship, but they aren't going to get it. Even if they are married to an Israeli. Unlike Jews, who automatically get citizenship even if they live half way across the world and don't know a single person in Israel. Hmm. Discrimination? Yeah I think so.

Right now, Palestinians live in Israeli controlled-territory, are subject to checkpoints, are subject to arbitrary Israeli imprisonment, and all sorts of other injustices.

This is apartheid.

The excuse used to be that this was temporary. Everyone knew it was a lie, but now Bibi has made it official. Israel wants a permanent apartheid state.

[mountain grammy]

38. And apartheid by any other name is still apartheid.

Pretty ironic for a Jewish state that rose from genocide that began with apartheid.

[hifiguy]

60. The irony is so thick that you could lay it on with a trowel.

And apartheid by any other name is still apartheid.

[treestar]

13. They can apply for citizenship of Israel?

I never knew of that. Is there any back up for that assertion?

[android fan]

15. Absolutely!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israeli_nationality_law

[geek tragedy]

19. derp.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizenship_and_Entry_into_Israel_Law

The Citizenship and Entry into Israel Law (Temporary Order) 5763 is an Israeli law first passed on 31 July 2003 and most recently extended in June 2008.[1] The law makes citizens of Iran, Afghanistan, Lebanon, Libya, Sudan, Syria, Iraq, Pakistan, Yemen, the West Bank and Gaza Strip ineligible for the automatic granting of Israeli citizenship and residency permits that is usually available through marriage to an Israeli citizen (i.e. family reunification).

The Israeli Supreme Court upheld this racist law, to wit:

The majority justices explained that the Palestinians in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip are considered to be "enemy nationals". This, for the majority, is considered a relevant distinction that justifies the law.

Got that?

Palestinians living under Israeli rule are considered ENEMIES. They are under military occupation by a country that views every Palestinian man, woman and child as ENEMIES.

Your mindless banter about them applying for citizenship is a cruel joke, and an utterly idiotic one at that.

[Fantastic Anarchist]

49. You're much more kind than I would have been. n/t

[treestar]

25. I don't see anywhere in there that Palestinians living

in the West Bank can simply apply for and be granted Israeli citizenship.

[BillZBubb]

30. Your lies or errors (whichever) are appalling

You either don't have a clue what you are talking about or are incredibly dishonest.

[brush]

40. Deny it all you want but Israeli forces impose . . .

harsh restriction of movement of Palestinian farmers from their lands, which by the way, they continued to "take" with new settlements.

Of course it's apartheid.

[jtuck004]

41. "They chose" < They chose like Native Americans here chose to be killed and buried by

Western European terrorists. But then, the adults know that.

Funny, how one can read a person's writings and know they will never waste time with them.

[olegramps]

55. According to what I have read this is no so if they live in the West Bank.

I understand that these Palestinians under military control. Correct me if I am wrong.

[yallerdawg]

4. "Thus, it has always been..."

[BlueCaliDem]

7. Israelis should be ASHAMED to have voted for racist Bibi, because it tells the world they are, too.

I was certain that Israelis would've rejected Netanyahu the moment he came to the U.S. to try and meddle in U.S. foreign policy as if he had that right, and to shamelessly use the United States Congress as a platform for his racist propaganda. I have lost all hope in Israel that they want a two-state solution to their problems. They don't. As reports from around the world have shown, they want it all.

It's time the international community get together and impose sanctions on this apartheid country.

[sinkingfeeling]

12. This says it all:

?w=573&h=429

[geek tragedy]

20. Israel is the new South Africa, with Israeli Jews playing the role of Afrikaaners. nt

[kelliekat44]

31. Never forget...Israel supported Apartheid South Africa with words, deeds, money, and weapons.

That should tell you all you need to know about the Israeli mindset. And right now, they probably have more journalists in their prisons than any other so-called "democracy."

[Enrique]

21. exaggerating the election results

Netanyahu has been PM for six years. How can his re-election be a revolution?

[DanTex]

22. It's not a revolution. But the fact that Bibi won by campaigning on not

allowing a Palestinian state and expanding settlements is significant. Before that, he had claimed to be open to a peace agreement. Most people understood that this was just for PR reasons, but now it's official that he wants permanent apartheid.

[Enrique]

57. i apologize

apparently you were right about the significance of the election, I didn't understand.

[SCVDem]

23. Israel can do whatever they want!

Just leave our taxpayer money out of it!

Enjoy true freedom!

[Thespian2]

24. Israel

sucks at the money teat of the US taxpayer. As long as that teat is not pulled from their mouths, not much will change.

[uponit7771]

29. Bi Bi is pond scum... his comments during the voting period were horrible

[BillZBubb]

33. But a lot of Israelis agree with him.

What does that say about them?

[uponit7771]

45. The relatively small amount of Isrealies that agree with him are pond scum too

[jomin41]

34. Israel should be allowed

to sink or swim ON IT'S OWN, without U.S. billions.

[Orrex]

35. What did you say?

I couldn't hear you over the GOP's collective orgasm.



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[summerschild]

37. Yesterday I only disliked one Israeli.

Today I dislike Bibi plus EVERY ISRAELI that voted for him!

Why should American taxpayers continue to support such hate and unfairness.

[SCantiGOP]

39. Great post

I've been wondering the same thing; how can Israel get by with what the entire world condemned when South Africa tried it?
If the South Africa solution were used, there would be no talk of a two state solution. There would be an election and the winners would set up the government.
The only difference is that Israel is the only strong military in the region willing to help us fight.

[jtuck004]

43. "how can Israel get by " < Because the U.S. largely agrees. n/t

[Chan790]

42. I honestly think his coalition partners are going to knee-cap him.

If you're one of the majority of parties that made up his previous coalition who supports a two-state solution, are you really going to let Bibi Netanyahu lead you down that path in opposition to the promises you made your own constituents?

I suspect there's going to be a metaphorical ashes and sack-cloth moment for Bibi in the next few days where he's forced to come out and self-repudiate in order to find a viable coalition lest he lose the PM. That or make a lot of domestic concessions.

What has been missed in the media is that he was down 4 seats a week ago and made them up not by shifting the middle but only by taking seats from further RW parties.

[Spazito]

44. Who would believe Netanyahu if there was to be an "ashes and sack-cloth moment"...

The mask came off in this election, he admitted what most knew to be true already, there will be no two state solution as long as he is in power. All the backtracking in the world won't change that, imo, NO ONE will believe him.

[geek tragedy]

47. He has a pretty comfortable path to 68-72 votes for his coalition

Likud (facscist right)--30
Jewish Home (flagrantly fascist right)--8
Shas (religious nutters)--7
UTJ (more religious nutters)--6
Yisrael Beitenu (secular nutters)--6

The above give him 57--just three votes shy.

Then the two center-right parties, Yesh Atid (12 seats) and Kulanu (10 seats).

Both parties covet the finance minister's spot, and know the only way they can get it is by selling their seats to Bibi. Kulanu is a splinter group of former Likudniks, so it's really a natural fit for them to come home. Atid was the former coalition partner, so they'd certainly be willing to do it again, despite all the harsh words.

None of the parties in that coalition really cares about the two-state solution.