The street has been left to the right (another Ha'aretz editorial)

[Violet_Crumble]

While the camp of the settlers and the disengagement opponents runs its campaigns, solicits donations from Israel and abroad, and swoops down on the cities of Israel with orange ribbons that are randomly hung on cars in the dead of night, and while settlers' representatives appear in all the media outlets in an effort to tilt the balance, among the left prevails the quiet of those whose work is being done by Ariel Sharon. Since Shinui's resignation from the government and its replacement by Labor, these two parties have fallen silent, despite being enthusiastic supporters of the pullout plan.

In May 2004, some 150,000 people participated in demonstrations in favor of the disengagement in Rabin Square; but the rallying then stemmed from the sense that Sharon did not have a majority in the cabinet and the Knesset and needed public backing. Today, the left is refraining from voicing support for the withdrawal from Gaza - both because it has emerged that Sharon is determined to follow through with its implementation, and out of understandable concern that the pullout is a limited unilateral move that may or may not have a political continuation.

This reluctance is helping the right to intensify its exclusive presence in the field. The street has been abandoned to the right, and the results of this apathy are clearly evident in the opinion polls.


While supporters of the disengagement try to decide whether to adorn their cars with green ribbons (to express the desire to return to the Green Line) or blue and white ones, as suggested by The People's Voice, in the camp of the orange ribbons there are no differences of opinion, there is no skepticism, and there is no aversion to formulating plans of action that range from public disruptions to the actual use of violence.

Deputy Shin Bet security service chief Ofer Dekel foresees "a pyromaniac effect" to the right's opposition that will lead to a dynamic of violence. Already now we are seeing efforts to intimidate officials who are party to the planning of the pullout - not only with words, but in deeds too. Threats to the Temple Mount are intensifying; operations to damage infrastructure are in the works; and there are plans to disrupt the daily routine inside the Green Line by messing with the electricity supply and transportation.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/587427.html

[Ken Burch]

1. Good analysis here.

It is imperative for Israeli progressives and peace activists to stand up to the right, even in the streets. The Israeli right is becoming less and less committed to democracy and free speech, and to preserving the basically secular character of Israel. There is a good chance the settlers and the religious extremists there will foment some kind of a civil war, and the pro-democracy wing of Israeli society needs to stand up to them.

[Selatius]

2. I would assert that Israel isn't secular to begin with

If that were the case, then there wouldn't be discriminatory laws that target only Arab-Israelis, and the government wouldn't be starting illegal colonies in the West Bank and Gaza Strip for Israeli Jews only.

[Ken Burch]

3. I meant secular in terms of the fact

that most of the Jewish population personally embody secular values and do not feel obligated to be tied to repressive Ultra-Orthadox social values.

I agree with you about the treatment of Palestinians and Israeli Arabs, but that is a racial/ethnic issue, rather than religious issue.

[Selatius]

4. No, I would assert it is a religious issue

Many Jews living in Israel today have skin as dark and hair as dark as any Palestinian or Arab-Israeli. The difference is their religion, so I don't see it as an ethnic issue, especially since many Jews are descended from the same people Muslims are descended from. Judaism and Islam are religious in nature, not racial, so I don't see it as a racial issue either.

I agree that a great number of Jews aren't ultra-orthodox, but the government's policies don't always square away with everybody, especially when it comes to Palestinians and Arab-Israelis.

[Violet_Crumble]

5. It's not a religious issue...

There's plenty of Jews who are atheists or agnostics, so being Jewish is more a cultural issue than anything else. From what I know of Islam, it's more along the lines of a cultural thing, unlike Christianity which is solely about religion...

Israel is a secular state. Within that state the religious folk have their rabbis and religious bigwigs to look up to, but that doesn't make the state a nonsecular one, imo. Religion doesn't rule the state, even though there's those in Israel who'd like to see it go that way, just like the fundies in the US would like to see the US become a non-secular state....

Violet...