IN THEIR OWN WORDS: THE ARAB MEMBERS OF
Note: This will be a continuously
updated compendium of the public statements and actions of, and concerning,
"Israeli" Arab Members of the Knesset. Arabs constitute approximately
20% of the citizenry of pre-1967
Israeli Arab treatment worse since Or Report [First Article]
By Dan Izenberg
(Jerusalem Post, December 12, 2004) The status of Israeli Arabs has
deteriorated despite the recommendations of the Or Judicial Commission of
Inquiry into the events of October 2000, according to Tel Aviv University
Professor Nadim Ruhana.
Ruhana's findings are based on the findings of a tracking project that has been
monitoring developments in Knesset legislation, government decisions, Israeli
public opinion and public statements and declarations, he told an audience at
the Van Leer Jerusalem Institute's Center for Israeli-Arab Studies last week.
The symposium was entitled "Equality for Arab Citizens in the Wake of the
Or Commission Report." The commission, which investigated the disturbances
in which 13 Arabs and one Jew were killed during 10 days of violent
demonstrations, issued its report in September 2003, stating that measures
should be taken to establish full equality.
According to Ruhana, the Knesset has instead taken legislative measures to
further exclude Israeli Arabs by strengthening the concept of
Yet, he asked, how can the Jewish majority expect Arab candidates to support it
when, according to public opinion polls, 67 percent of the Israeli Arab
population they represent believes there is a contradiction between a Jewish
state and a democratic state, and 64% believes
Another law prohibits Palestinians who marry Israelis [i.e., “Israeli” Arabs]
from gaining residency in
The government has also passed resolutions to establish -- with public funding
-- a center to monitor demographic developments in
As for Jewish public opinion, the tracking project has found that 30% of the
Israeli population supports the transfer of the Israeli Arab population, and
more than 60% supports activities to encourage Israeli Arabs to emigrate.
As for Jewish leaders, Ruhana referred to a statement by Prime Minister Ariel
Sharon regarding Israeli Arabs, that one must distinguish between the
[national] right to the Land and having [individual] rights in the Land.
He also pointed out that in the Ka'adan ruling, Supreme Court President Aharon
Barak distinguished between equal rights for all citizens in the Homeland and
the right of the Jews to the keys to the Homeland (a reference to the Law of
Return, which grants each Jew [who immigrates to Israel] automatic citizenship.)
"The climate in
He maintained that there could never be equality among Jews and Arabs in
Ruhana said that public opinion polls show deep disaffection and alienation
among a large majority of the Arab population, but "the Jews couldn't care
less. And why is that? Because the idea of a Jewish state, its establishment
and ongoing existence, is based on the idea of power and violence."
Ruhana pointed out that upon arrival at
Ruhana called on Israeli Arabs to internationalize the struggle for recognition
of their rights to the land by appealing to the U.N., E.U. embassies, and other
international organizations.
"The Israeli Arabs should no longer accept the violence [against the Arabs] that we sense in Jewish immigration and in the education of the Jewish child. We must find new, but non-violent, ways of fighting."
Aida Toma-Suleiman, head of a non-profit organization of
women against violence in Nazareth, charged that the government committee
headed by former justice minister Yosef Lapid to implement the recommendations
of the Or Commission did everything it could not to implement them.
"The implementation of civil equality is the right to have a say on
everything that happens," said Toma-Suleiman. "For that, one has to
recognize the historical right [of the Arab population] to the Land, to the
Homeland. We do not feel that this country is ours."
She accused the government of taking seriously only one element of the Or
Commission recommendations -- the call for Israeli Arabs to participate in a
compulsory national service.
"Why does the government concentrate so much on
this?" she asked. "Because they are not ready to discuss the
collective rights of the Arabs. So they think about how to dismantle the
collective by concentrating on individual rights [of Arabs as citizens of a
Jewish state]. It is part of an attempt to create the 'new Arab' ", she
said.
(©) The
Survey: Many Arabs dissatisfied with life in
By: Hilary Leila Krieger
(
Sixty-three percent of those surveyed think that "the status of the
Arabs in
In addition, 62% believe it is impossible for Israel to be both a Jewish and democratic state; 54% think equality between Jews and Arabs is not possible as long as Israel is identified as a Jewish state; only 33% describe Israel as a democracy; 94% consider Zionism "a racist movement"; and 87% feel the Law of Return [which permits any Jew residing outside of Israel to immigrate to the Jewish State] is "racist".
The poll was conducted by the Haifa-based Mada al-Carmel -- The Arab Center
for Applied Social Research from January to March of this year. The survey of
854 people included Druze but not "the Palestinian residents of East
Jerusalem or the Syrian residents of the
There was widespread dissatisfaction with quality-of-life issues: A mere 7% of respondents were satisfied with their standard of living, only 11% with education in Arab schools, and just 6% with the services offered by local councils.
Similarly, the percentage of those who believe there is equality between Jews and Arabs is low: only 4% when it comes to resource distribution, 10% in terms of private employment opportunities and 7% in government employment, 11% in the arena of political rights, and 30% on the issue of freedom of expression (the highest number in any category considered).
The sector that did the best was health and hospital services, with approximately half the respondents characterizing these as completely or close to completely equal.
The health system also received the highest degree of confidence from those questioned (74%), followed by the Supreme Court (61%), the Hebrew-language media (28%), the police (24%), and the Knesset (19%).
When it comes to the "civil or police forces," only 31% said it was appropriate for Arabs to serve on such bodies, while 28% backed participating in the army.
At the same time, 89% endorsed Arab participation on Israeli sports teams
and 85% supported Arabs representing
Smooha pointed out the importance of how the question were phrased; using the term "Zionism" versus "preserving the Jewish character of the State," for example, could provoke different responses on similar issues.
He added that Mada al-Carmel's "line of thinking is very nationalistic" and that it wants to show that Arabs are "opposed" to the State and "will fight to change the nature of the State."
(©) The
[Note: Although it may seem anomalous that "Israeli" Arabs are so
eager to represent on foreign soil the very State which they despise at home,
there is an explanation. As unofficial emissaries of
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**Editorial** [Third Article]
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Rioting in [the “Israeli” Arab town of] Sakhnin
(
The 4,000 cheering Sakhnin fans and 350 visiting Jerusalemites doubtlessly arrived with preset agendas. The match underscored ethnic and national hostilities. It began with firecrackers repeatedly hurled by Sakhnin supporters aiming for the Betar goalie, accompanied by rocks, some very sizable.
Bottles were hurled into the Betar stands (no bottles were sold to Betar fans). Shouts of "death to the Jews" quickly elicited retaliatory "death to the Arabs" responses. Flaming torches were lit and held aloft throughout the game in the Sakhnin benches, and one burning torch was lobbed on to the field. Betar fans, not known to be shrinking violets, were attacked and then went on their own rampage.
Both sides in these clashes cite police inaction and failure to stem the disturbances early on.
Internal Security Minister Gideon Ezra has vowed that the police "will learn its lessons", that "changes in police district command may ensue", and that police presence at matches will be boosted. The trouble is that we've been there, seen that. Ezra's undertakings aren't new.
It isn't necessarily the number of officers that constituted the problem but their mind-set. Policemen were loath to step in and control the crowds.
In the police's own high echelons the origin of the problem is traced back to the October 2000 riots. Since then officers evince unmistakable dread to enforce the law in the Arab community. Many fear that use of force will result in internal investigations, inquiry commissions or even trials. The Sakhnin game seems to be a classic case of police trying their best not to get involved.
The violence in Sakhnin's spanking new Doha Stadium was hardly unusual for sports chroniclers. Soccer hooliganism is probably as old as the game though it wasn't recorded till the early 19th century. Often, instead of giving vent to tensions, the game amplifies them in a bizarre demonstration of communal camaraderie, if not tribalism.
The referee should have cancelled the game as soon as the first firecracker exploded. But to do so in Sakhnin would have been to risk pandemonium, especially since the firecracker ban is generally not used to cancel games.
After the game, in an attempt to segregate rival fans, the police first let out the thousands of Sakhnin supporters. However, the local fans then surrounded the guests and began stoning them. Things became so dangerous that officers led Betar supporters into the field. Betar tempers flared. The visitors began retaliating and taking out their fury on goal nets, seats, fence posts or anyone who got in their way.
As TV footage and witnesses from both sides attest, the 350 policemen, bolstered by 150 local security staff, did too little to maintain order. Only when border policemen appeared could the Jerusalem-bound buses exit Sakhnin.
This isn't mere sports-related rowdiness. The Sakhnin incident highlights increasing police reluctance to operate in Arab communities. Indeed the lack of adequate police response recalls the 2003 illegal construction of a gigantic mosque, later removed, in front of Nazareth's [Christian] Basilica of the Annunciation; the [Druze Arab] attack on Christian dwellers in Mughar last year; and the [Arab] lynching in Shfaram of [Jewish] terrorist Eran Natan Zada [after he had already been disarmed and placed in police custody].
If ever the police did have to demonstrate its reliability and commitment to the rule of law, it is particularly in minority communities. Chronically lackadaisical law enforcement in the Arab sector must be replaced by no-nonsense imposition of order, and not just to prevent the spread of violence to other communities. Right now police hesitate to even enter Arab towns, even at a price of turning a blind eye to serious crime.
Such absence does
(©) The
Thank you for your cooperation [Fourth Article]
[“Israeli” Arabs despise other Arabs who help
By LARRY DERFNER
(Jerusalem Post, March 6, 2006) 'Mussa," a former Palestinian collaborator
who was relocated by the Shin Bet from the West Bank to Israel in 1994, sits
with a fixed smile throughout our interview. He says he and his family -- two
wives and many children -- have no problems in their current life.
"I make a decent living, my children go to school -- yes, they're proud of
me -- and I get along with my neighbors," he says. "I have my
honor."
A stocky, plain-looking, bespectacled man of about 40, Mussa is self-employed
and lives in an urban, mixed Jewish-Arab neighborhood. Asked what he has to say
to Israeli Arabs who consider him a traitor, he maintains, "They have no
right to object to what I did for
As for Palestinians who want him dead, he smiles thinly and says, "They're
the enemy, there's nothing to say to them."
A one-time "Fatah Youth" member -- an unwilling one, and never a
killer, he emphasizes -- Mussa says he volunteered his services to the Shin Bet
at age 18 or 19 -- not for money, or for protection from Palestinian enemies,
but "for the sake of justice." Other members of his hamula, or
extended family, were also collaborators. He survived like this in the
Our interview was arranged by a Shin Bet unit called the Security
Administration for Assistance, which basically adopts Palestinian
collaborators, reportedly numbering upwards of 1,000, who've been relocated in
However much truth there had or hadn't been to what he said, of candor there
had been none.
IN CONTRAST, an unscripted performance by relocated collaborators took place
last December 15 in the Galilee
"Fahme had taken part in the local demonstrations against them,"
notes a cousin and neighbor, Dr. Mustafa Kabha, a lecturer in Middle East
history at
That night, as the armed collaborators held off angry residents after the
shooting, thousands of Arabs from the region converged on the hilltop village.
Police arrived in force and extricated the four collaborator families who had
been settled in the village about five years ago. After police left, the mob
torched the families' homes. Ilan Sadeh, head of the Menashe Regional Council,
which includes Umm el-Kutuf, said police told him one of the collaborators has
confessed to the killing.
"They brought drugs and crime to the village, things we'd never
known," says Kabha, standing in his yard and pointing to the burned-out
houses nearby. The 700-odd villagers had ostracized them, for both political
and social reasons. "It's traditional for Muslims to shake hands after
prayers, but after they would finish praying in the village mosque, no one
would shake their hands," he says.
Relocated collaborators and their families reside throughout
Security sources -- who dislike the old Hebrew term mashtapim, or
collaborators, and prefer the more upbeat sayanim, or helpers -- say these are
terribly unfair, inaccurate stereotypes.
"Sayanim run the gamut from the most highly educated urban professional to
the most unschooled peasant, from the most Western to the most Eastern,"
say the sources.
COLLABORATORS ARE a prime source of information needed to thwart terror
attacks; others are prisoner interrogations and surveillance (phone taps,
etc.). When security forces report that they are currently dealing with 57
terror alerts, for example, or a suicide bomber loose in the
In return for this information, the Shin Bet unit provides relocated
collaborators with most of the money toward the purchase of a home, helps them
find jobs, straightens out the more severe problems that occasionally arise
with their neighbors, provides years of tutoring for their children and
psychological counseling, if necessary, for the whole family. The total cost
reaches well into the millions of dollars. The unit considers itself the
collaborators' adoptive family, and acts on the conviction that
"Most of the families don't find out that the head of their household is a
sayan until we get them out of the West Bank or
The great majority of collaborators, security sources continue, eventually
become "successful" - meaning they work steadily and their families
live stable lives. Those who live among Jews "often become close friends
with their neighbors. Some Jewish families appreciate what they did for
A handful of collaborators have even converted to Judaism.
Mussa lived the first decade of his life in
Many Jewish neighbors of other collaborators, however, don't want them around,
mainly out of fear.
The "failures" among relocated collaborators are those who return to
the West Bank or
"They can be counted on the fingers of one hand," say security
sources. "Their end isn't a happy one. Either they're thrown in a
Palestinian jail, or they get shot in the town square, or they agree to take
part in a terror attack on Israelis to clear their name."
Some who were criminals in the territories ultimately go back to crime in
STILL, FOR
"They're unwanted wherever they go," says Kabha. In recent years, he
says, a dispute between collaborators and local residents in Baka al-Gharbiya,
a large
Security sources put this sort of reaction down to "hatred" on the
part of Israeli Arabs toward collaborators. But in Umm el-Kutuf, at least, the
local campaign against the collaborators was joined by some of the village's
Jewish neighbors. Among the 1,000 or so people who rallied in protest against
the collaborators two weeks before the shooting was regional council head
Sadeh.
"While
When they are given land in Arab villages on which to build houses, as they
were in Umm el-Kutuf, this acts as a further provocation because Arab villages
and cities are notoriously short of land to accommodate the housing needs of
new generations, he adds. The final insult, he says, is that the clearest cause
of the Arab sector's land shortage, as in Umm el-Kutuf, is the State's
confiscations of land vacated by local residents [after participating in the
unsuccessful pan-Arab war to annihilate the nascent State of Israel] during the
War of Independence.
"This is land that could have gone to the descendants of the people
who left in 1948 and 1949, so when it's
given to collaborators, the villagers do not take it well," he notes.
Sadeh, a member of Kibbutz Ma'anit, says he does not know if the collaborator
families brought drugs and crime to Umm el-Kutuf, as Kabha says. While noting
sarcastically that such social problems are found even in communities with no
collaborators, Sadeh adds, "This certainly is the popular image people
have of collaborators. It's understood that they tend not to be model citizens.
They turned against their own people, and in the main they did not do it out of
Zionist motivations."
Arye Magal, a member of Kibbutz Barkai who also took part in the demonstration
in Umm el-Kutuf, says one of his objections to the settling of collaborators in
the area is "the danger it exposes us to. A lot of collaborators have been
resettled in the nearby Jewish town of
WHILE the Shin Bet employs psychologists and social workers to help
collaborators and their families adjust to life in
"No negative connotations are attached to them whatsoever. They are seen
as victims, as people who prevented the murder of innocent Jews and who were
endangered because of it. The only concern is to help them become integrated in
The Shin Bet's relocation of collaborators who were "burned"
(exposed) and thus subject to revenge by Palestinians, actually began in 1988,
after the outbreak of the first intifada when
First they are put up in hotels. Then, after the Security Administration for
Assistance has consulted with them and scouted the country for suitable
locales, they are settled into a residential neighborhood.
"The research is very detailed. Sometimes it is determined that one side
of a certain street is not suitable to house the collaborator and his family,
for instance, because there are many religious residents living there and they
wouldn't accept them, while the opposite side of the street is okay,"
explain security sources.
The collaborators can't hide their identity from their new neighbors.
"For one thing, their accent is different from the accent of Israeli
Arabs. Their customs, their clothes, their language -- everything is different.
And even if they make up some story, their kids talk to the other kids in
school," the sources say.
Rumors, both true and false, spread; on the day after the killing and riot in
Umm el-Kutuf, a local family's house was burned because it was believed they,
too, were collaborators. When it turned out to everyone's satisfaction that
they were not collaborators, a collection was taken up in the village to
reimburse the family.
Asked if the Shin Bet -- with its policy of running collaborators amidst
Palestinians and resettling them amidst Israeli Arabs -- considered such false
rumors and attacks to be unintended consequences of its policy, and thus
accepted some measure of responsibility for them, security sources reply flatly
"no," placing total responsibility on the Arab rumor-mongers and
assailants.
Israeli Arabs "don't like having sayanim among them, but this is a country
of law and they just have to learn to live with it," the security sources
continue. In the rare cases that neighbors have made serious threats against
collaborators, these neighbors were contacted by the Security Administration
for Assistance, and the trouble ended. Mussa figures "about 70%" of
his Arab neighbors accept him despite his background.
LAST SUMMER'S disengagement from
While over 100 of Dahaniya's 400 or so residents have been resettled in
Israeli official named Dahan who helped set it up -- got the reputation as an
all-collaborator locale because, like Fahme in the
was used by the Shin Bet as a sanctuary for collaborators in the years between
the outbreak of the first intifada and the entry of the PLO to the territories.
But the Dahaniya residents who were resettled in
"They built an electronic fence around Dahaniya, we weren't allowed to go
into
Dahaniya sat a few hundred meters from the Kerem Shalom crossing point into
Today they languish, unemployed, in tin sheds on a stretch of wasteland at the
edge of the Negev Beduin
The remaining residents of Dahaniya stayed in
The families received about
Wearing keffiyehs and the olive-green coats they got from the IDF, the Armilat
Beduin at Tel Arad say the Israeli Arab community, including the Beduin of the
"There was incitement against us in the mosques. Taleb A-Sanaa [a
"My father took me to enroll in a high school in the area, and the
principal told us flat out that he wouldn't accept me because we were
collaborators," says Mohammed Armilat, 18.
Another man recalls when he hitched a ride with a local Beduin and told him he
was from the Armilat tribe at Tel Arad. "He said, 'Oh, you're one of the
collaborators.' But after I explained to him the truth, he said he
understood."
The tribe hopes one day to live or at least work again among the Jewish
moshavniks who've known and employed them for nearly 30 years; for now, though,
the Jews don't want them and the Arabs, except for their host tribe in Tel
Arad, have shunned them as traitors. They've exchanged an isolated but at least
liveable enclave in
BY COMPARISON, the actual Palestinian collaborators resettled in this country
have it pretty good. The Shin Bet looks after their every need. For the future,
the unit's main concern is with the children of the collaborators.
"When they reach 15 or 16, they start to ask their parents difficult
questions," say security sources. They say
In the mixed city of
The head of the matnas in Ramle's Arab sector, former city councilman
Michael Fanous, has a clear distaste for collaborators, even though he assumes
most of them went to work for the Shin Bet either out of economic desperation
or because they were blackmailed into it. However, Fanous says he holds nothing
whatsoever against the collaborators' children, and wants only to integrate
them into the Israeli Arab community. He is confident this will happen, citing
local history for evidence, but only with time.
"There are a lot of Arabs in Ramle whose families were collaborators --
spies -- for
(©) The
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
**Editorial** [Fifth Article]
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Siding with the enemy
[While Israel is under simulataneous attack from Hizbullah rockets in the North and Hamas rockets in the South, many “Israeli” Arabs, including “Israeli” Arab parliamentarians, show support for these terrorists and disdain for Israel]
(July 25, 2006) Hizbullah chief Hassan Nasrallah exposed his unabashed
racism last Thursday when offering his "apologies" to the family of
the two
In an interview on Al-Jazeera TV, Nasrallah said he hadn't meant for his rockets to slay Arabs -- only Jews. The two small brothers "were inadvertent victims," who, he pronounced, "have joined the ranks of martyrs for the Palestinian cause."
Too little attention was paid to this, both at home and abroad. Nasrallah evinced no compunction in distinguishing between the blood of Arab children and Jewish ones. The murder of seven-year-old Omer Pesachov and his grandmother Yehudit Itzkowitz at Moshav Meron on July 14, for instance, was obviously no cause for apology. Young Omer was fair game and legal prey because he was Jewish.
The fact that Nasrallah regrets killing two Arab children while striving to kill Jewish youngsters should surprise no one.
However, what should take us aback is the fact that such distinctions are even made on our side of the border, and this despite the fact that, as reported on the weekend in The Jerusalem Post, Jewish and Arab children share the very same bomb shelters in mixed cities like Haifa. One would assume that this would enhance the sense of shared destiny in the face of the same menace.
Nevertheless, some Israeli Arabs have been reported watching from
Incomprehensibly, even the tragedy in
The government, however, is not in the construction business in Jewish homes either. Regulations mandate the addition of security rooms to houses put up since 1992, and this has been in effect in Arab as well as Jewish areas.
The fact is, as Nazareth Deputy Mayor Ali Salem candidly admitted: "Our people didn't expect to be hit. The rockets are only intended for Jews. We told them to stay indoors, we told them to take precautions, but they refused even after the boys were killed, even after the funeral. They disregard all instructions, as if this war isn't their concern."
But that's the least of it. Druse Deputy Knesset Speaker Majallie Whbee
(Kadima) noted that "leaders of Arab parties are busy these days inciting
Balad has been disseminating leaflets calling on Israeli Arabs to "demonstrate against the slaughter by Israel of Gazans and Lebanese." Hizbullah terrorists are dubbed "popular resistance fighters."
The Balad circulars predict "
Whbee added that he "cannot find a single Arab-list MK who'll express any empathy for Israelis currently under fire."
Balad MK Azmi Bishara proves Whbee's contention. In an interview with the
BBC he refused to utter any criticism of Hizbullah, stressing that he regards
himself "as one of the victimized people of the region," and that the
slain
On Sky News, he said
No other country would abide such sedition during wartime. A bill revoking
the Knesset membership of any MK who overtly supports
(©) The
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
**Editorial** [Sixth Article]
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Equality and Destruction
[Mainstream “Israeli” Arab secular organizations join the extremist
“Israeli” Arab Islamic Movement in proposing an end to
(
The latest draft constitution was produced by Adalah, the 10-year-old
organization purportedly seeking to uphold the rights of
The Adalah outline remarkably resembles what the dubiously cancelled PLO
Charter touted for decades -- replacing
It wants the Law of Return abolished; Israel's national anthem, flag and emblem
changed; all land claimed to have been confiscated from Arabs "returned in
full;" ratification of refugees' "Right of Return;" returning
"uprooted" Israeli-Arabs to their villages; and recognition of Beduin
property rights over all they assert to own and "reverse
discrimination" to compensate Israeli-Arabs "for the systematic
discrimination against them." Moreover, Adalah's constitution obliges
The most worrying aspect is that this isn't an Adalah foible. As the authors of
the document note, it represents "the broad mainstream Arab-Israeli
position." Views such as it enunciates have been vocalized by the radical
Islamic Movement, as well as by the
There are barely any discernible differences between Adalah's proposed
Constitution and the "Future Vision for Palestinian Arabs in Israel,"
prepared by the National Committee of Arab Mayors in Israel and the
soon-to-be-released "Haifa Covenant," mostly composed by the Mada
el-Carmel Arab Center for Applied Social Research. As Adalah acknowledges, many
of its members participated in compiling the above two documents, which Adalah
endorses as "expressions of the political and social empowerment of Arabs
in
Fortunately that isn't exclusively a Jewish viewpoint. The Forum of Druse and
Circassian Authorities in
It should be obvious that a community that pledges itself to Israel's
destruction -- however elegantly termed -- cannot at the same time effectively
battle real manifestations of discrimination and advance the positive agenda to
which it has historically been committed. The equality and destruction agendas
don't mix. Israeli Arab leaders and organizations need to choose between them,
and the Adalah Constitution is part of the wrong choice.
(©) The
'Kassaming' coexistence [Seventh Article]
By Evelyn Gordon
(Jerusalem Post, May 25, 2007) As Hamas resumed rocket barrages on
The Haifa Declaration, published last Monday by some 50 intellectuals and
political activists, is the fourth and final document in a series outlining
Israeli Arab leaders' vision of what
The Haifa Declaration, unusually, tries to conceal this goal by stating that
should
The main demands are as follows:
1. Establishing a Palestinian state -- whose residents would then be given
the right to relocate to
2. Letting 4.4 million descendants of Palestinian refugees
"return" to
3. Repealing the Law of Return, which entitles Jews worldwide to immigrate
to
4. Making
5. Giving Israeli Arabs veto power over issues that affect them.
Some of these are mutually contradictory: If, for instance, millions of
Palestinians indeed moved to
What all have in common, however, is emptying the Jewish people's "right
to self-determination" of any content.
The first two would accomplish this by making the Jews a minority in their own
country, thereby eliminating their ability to control national decision-making.
That negates the very essence of self-determination: a group's right to govern
itself.
The third has a dual goal: facilitating Arab efforts to achieve majority status
and destroying
Numbers four and five seek to curtail Jewish self-determination even should
Jews remain a majority here, by making
THIS PRINCIPLE would, for instance, enable Israeli Arabs to veto any military
response to terror attacks on Jews, as this community views residents of all
the surrounding countries as kinsmen and therefore considers itself negatively
affected by military action against them. That would eliminate a crucial
element of self-determination: the right to self-defense.
Similarly, the document explicitly requires
In short, for all the lip service about Jewish self-determination, the document
essentially proposes two Palestinian national homelands (the Palestinian state
and the binational or Palestinian-majority "
What makes this document particularly chilling is that it undoubtedly
represents the most liberal component of Israeli Arab society: For instance, it
explicitly declares that women are oppressed within Arab society and demands
that this stop; it even unequivocally condemns "family honor"
killings. But if even the most liberal Israeli Arabs refuse to accept a Jewish
state, what hope is there for coexistence?
Ironically, this declaration and its predecessors were produced with funding
from European and Jewish groups that seek to promote coexistence. The
Equally ironically, these same Israeli Arab leaders complain constantly about
being called a "fifth column," proposals to "transfer"
their towns to a Palestinian state and polls showing that many Israeli Jews
view Israeli Arabs as a security and demographic threat. But when they openly
declare that their goal is eradicating the Jewish state, the only surprise is
that such phenomena are not more widespread.
Israeli Arab leaders, and their Jewish and European donors, should
understand one thing:
(©) The
Thousands of Arabs mark Land Day [Eighth Article]
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Yaakov Lappin, THE
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Thousands of Israeli Arabs waved Palestinian flags and chanted slogans in
praise of "Martyrs [i.e., suicide bombers and other Arab terrorists who
died while committing atrocities against
A picturesque Galilee backdrop of green hills was punctured by megaphone
shouts in Arabic of "Do not worry, mother of martyr, your son did not die
in vain," "We are with the youths who throw rocks," and "We
do not fear
Police kept a low profile, monitoring the event from a helicopter high above and manning a checkpoint at the entrance to Sakhnin.
In Hebrew, marchers chanted slogans against Defense Minister Ehud Barak, shouting, "Barak, how many children did you murder today?"
The demonstrators marched from Sakhnin to the neighboring
"Thousands are here to express their view in a civilized manner,"
MK Ibrahim Sarsour (United Arab List-Ta'al) said. "We are not calling for
independence or autonomy. Our slogan is that
As Sarsour spoke, hundreds of participants shouted, "
Asked to respond to the chants around him, Sarsour said, "These calls are understandable," but added that "they have no place here."
A short distance away, a struggle ensued for control of the microphone, as
bearded youths took control and began shouting "
"This is the central Land Day event in the country," MK Muhammad
Barakei (Hadash) said, as he walked at the front of the march with a number of
village notables. "This symbolizes the fight of Arabs for existence in
"We're not temporary visitors here, and we've seen harder days after 1948," he said, adding that there was no need to apologize over calls in favor of "Martyrs."
"Our language is not the language of the Establishment," Barakei said. "A Martyr is someone who sacrificed himself for his Homeland, such as those who fell in 1976. This is our language, and it's the tongue we speak in. We don't speak in the language of racists."
Other marchers, like Basher and Sahab, two young men from neighboring
"This is a holy day for us, a day of struggle," Basher said.
"Every Israeli government has taken land in the Galilee and the
Said Hasnen, an editor at the weekly Israeli-Arab newspaper Kul al-Arab
[Voice of the Arabs], held a lively discussion with a friend while marching to
Arrabe. Speaking to The Jerusalem Post, Hasnen called into question the
historical attachment of Jews to
His friend, Hussein Kalaila, added, "Why should we be Israelis? I have
a Palestinian identity. We are Palestinian Arabs in every way. This land is
called
A statement released this week in honor of Land Day by the NGO Adalah - The
Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in
Copyright 1995- 2008 The Jerusalem Post - http://www.jpost.com/
[Note: Despite the above depictions of widespread “Israeli” Arab hostility
to the existence of any Jewish State in any portion of the
biblical
In connection with the above articles and the below Compendium, bracketed [ ] items contain my explanatory comments and form no part of the republished news items. -- Mark Rosenblit
“ISRAELI” ARAB MK [MUHMAD BARAKEH] CALLS UPON
(IsraelWire, May 26, 2000) Heads of
[Note: The SLA consisted of Muslim, Druze and Christian Arabs, residing in a
small strip of southern Lebanon (known as the Security Zone), who elected to
cooperate with Israel in protecting the latter's northern towns from Hizbullah
terrorists in exchange for freedom from domination by Syria whose troops --
numbering 40,000 -- were occupying the remainder of Lebanon. After the collapse
of the Zone in the Spring of 2000, thousands of SLA members and their families
fled south, across the border, to
[ARAB] MK [AZMI] BISHARA: "HIZBULLAH VICTORY IS SWEET"
(IsraelWire, June 6, 2000) "The Hizbullah has won, and for the first
time since 1967 we have tasted the sweet taste of victory. The
Hizbullah should be proud of their achievement and of humiliating
[Note: Arab MK Bishara, although a Christian, seeks to curry favor both with
the militant Sunni Muslims of Um al-Fahm (stronghold of the northern faction of
[ARAB] MK [AZMI] BISHARA SAYS
(Hamas News, June 19, 2000) Occupied
http://www.palestine-info.net/hamas/index.htm
WAQF BLOCKS MKS
[Arab MK Muhammed Kena’an says that
(Arutz Sheva Daily News, June 20, 2000) An unlikely assemblage of Knesset
members from the Likud, Meretz and Arab parties toured the
http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com
Subject: MK Tibi and other Arab MKs condition support for Peres
Date: Mon, 3 July 2000 19:17:45 +0200
From: imra@netvision.net.il
To: <imra@netvision.net.il>
ARAB MEMBERS OF THE KNESSET LIKELY TO SUPPORT PERES AS PRESIDENT
[Arab MK Ahmed Tibi will make his vote for
News Of Arabs In
Following President Weizman's announcement to resign from his post as President, the race for this prestigious post has begun. The contenders are MK Moshe Katzav, from right-wing Likud Party, and Minister Shimon Peres, former Prime Minister from Israel One List (Labor Party). To win, the candidates must have the confidence of 61+ of the 120 member Knesset. [Arab] MKs Saleh Tarif [a Druze], Nawaf Massalha, and Bosnia Jbara, are sure to vote for Peres since they are part of the [Labor Party] coalition, while Ayoub Qara [a Druze Arab Likud MK] is likely to support his party member from the Likud, Moshe Katzav. [Arab] MK Ahmed Tibi [who is a former official spokesman for Yasser Arafat and remains the latter's confidant] said that he is leaning towards Peres, but made his vote conditional on the latter agreeing with certain demands of the Arab citizens in Israel, especially releasing the Security Political Arab prisoners [terrorists who murdered and maimed Jews on behalf of the PLO, Hamas and Islamic Jihad], eliminating the demolition orders on thousands of [illegally-built] Arab homes. [Arab] MK Tawfiq Khatib said "the United Arab List decided to meet with the two candidates before taking a final decision, and will request a written commitment." His colleague in the list, [Arab] MK Talab El-Sana, said that he "favours abstaining or voting with a white ballot. Arab MKs discussed the possibility of running an Arab candidate to the post but quickly dropped the idea." [Arab MK] Mohammad Baraka from Hadash said "the right wing keeps provoking and inciting against us with racist motives; they do not deserve a worthy gift from us by voting to their candidate." [Arab MK] Azmi Bishara said "the choice is between Shimon Peres and a white ballot, depending on the discussion with Peres regarding the [terrorist] prisoners. Still we do not expect from him a clear commitment, only feeling his intentions."
Date: Wed, 16 August 2000
Ha'aretz: Police bar all visitors from
By: Baruch Kra and Amira Hass, Ha'aretz Correspondents
A potentially violent clash was averted yesterday when
Temple Mount Faithful followers are usually allowed access to the site each year on Tisha B'Av. To prevent disturbances, they are allowed onto the Mount in groups of two or three. The police permit does not, however, allow the group's leader, Gershon Salomon, to enter the site.
"It's an absolute disgrace for the Israel Police," Salomon said, "to shamefully give in to Faisal Husseini's little gang."
Interview: [Arab] MK Hashem Mahameed -- Israeli Arabs not endangered by Arab armies; Jewish Right of Return should be cancelled
Aaron Lerner, Date: 24 August, 2000
IMRA interviewed United Arab List MK Hashem Mahameed, in Hebrew, on August 24, 2000:
[Mr. Mahameed is a member of the critical Knesset Foreign Affairs And Defense Committee]
IMRA: Can you comment on the following observation by an unnamed Israeli Arab reporter quoted in Yediot Ahronot's website on 19 August: "We do not have a common security interest. You go to the army because you live in danger from us. There is no danger for us and we have no reason to serve in the army."
Mahameed: Was this within the context of the question of army service?
IMRA: It was within such an article but my interest in the observation is independent of the issue of army service.
Mahameed: First I do not agree with what the person is saying unless they
accept the opposition to army service for several reasons: First, I refuse to
tie citizen's rights to army service and the turning of the State of Israel
into a
IMRA: I am not raising this issue. If this is the standard then what about
the voting rights of a 60 year old immigrant from
Mahameed: Not only that. 30% of Israeli youth does not serve in the army. There are also Druze who serve in the army but are treated as Arabs at home.
IMRA: Again, this is not what interests me. My question is how you relate to the statement that "We do not have a common security interest. You go to the army because you live in danger from us. There is no danger for us and we have no reason to serve in the army. Maybe the Israeli Arab politicians face some personal danger since they are identified with the Israeli authorities, but the man in the street -- what danger does he face?”
Mahameed: Let me give you an example. During the Gulf War, most of the Arabs
in
IMRA: And you think. . .?
Mahameed: I think that it is basically the right feeling. No one here
believes that an Arab army will come here and will attack the Arab cities and
villages. I say this in full objectivity and expressing the feelings of people.
But in the final analysis, I care very much about every drop of blood of every
person. And certainly the blood of Jews in
IMRA: Do you see the Jewish right of return as an inseparable part of the
defining of
Mahameed: Exactly. When the state is, as Barak says, "of everyone", then you cannot have Basic Laws for [only] 80% of the public.
IMRA: You mean the right of return for Jews.
Mahameed: The Law of Return. Or, for example, the Jewish National Fund Law. These do not fall within the context of "state of everyone". The state that we are struggling for. I say in the clearest possible way that I want to reach the stage that we feel that we live here as citizens of the State of Israel in every way. I pray for the day to come that there is no longer "us and them".
Dr. Aaron Lerner, Director
IMRA (Independent Media Review & Analysis)
(mail POB 982 Kfar Sava)
Tel 972-9-7604719/Fax 972-9-7411645
INTERNET ADDRESS: imra@netvision.net.il
pager 03-6750750 subscriber 4811
[Note: This represents the classic line to the effect that: "What's mine
is mine and what's yours is negotiable." In other words, if one has
followed the various public statements of this and other Arab MKs on the status
of post-1967 Israel (i.e., Judea, Samaria, Gaza and the eastern portion
of Jerusalem, including the Temple Mount), one will see that
"Israeli" Arab MKs have taken the clear official position that, while
post-1967 Israel belongs exclusively to the Arabs and must therefore be
made completely Judenrein (cleansed of Jews), pre-1967 Israel (i.e.,
Israel within the 1949 armistice demarcation lines) does not belong
exclusively to the Jews and must therefore be shared with the Arabs, even to
the extent of converting the country from a self-described Jewish State
into a non-Judaic state "of all of its citizens" which, due to
the "Israeli" Arabs' higher birthrate (as well as the contemplated
realization of the pan-Arab demand for a "right of return" in favor
of those Arab belligerents and their families who fled Israel during its 1948
War of Independence as well as their multigenerational descendants -- now
aggregating to some 4,400,000 hostile revanchists and irredentists),
would eventually remake pre-1967 Israel into a third state of
"Palestine" -- after Jordan (which is overwhelmingly comprised of an
Arab population native to former Mandatory Palestine) and post-1967 Israel. So,
remember that, while Arab MKs may publicly speak about the immediate creation
of a "Palestinian" state in Judea,
Website: http://www.imra.org.il
[ARAB MK ABD EL-MALEK DAHAMSHEH STATES THAT THERE CANNOT BE PEACE WITH
Definition of the Oslo Accords as transient, or as a phase in the PLO's
"program of stages" for the destruction of
Excerpted from: Palestinian Media Watch -- This Week in the Palestinian Media -- 12.9.2000 [September 12, 2000]
By Itamar Marcus, Director, Palestinian Media Watch -- pmw@netvision.net.il
[Note: The caller was explaining to
MK Dahamsheh that the “Palestinian” dispute with
ISRAELI-ARAB BELLIGERENCE
[Arab MKs Abdel Malek Dahamshe and Muhammad Barakeh threaten violence against Israeli police]
(Arutz Sheva News, September 14, 2000) Arab MK Abdel Malek Dahamshe will not
retract his promise to "break the arms and legs of any policeman that
destroys an Arab house." He expressed confidence this morning that the
police would not question him concerning his comments, made during a meeting of
the Israeli-Arab Tracking Committee yesterday. Attorney General Elyakim
Rubenstein said this morning that Israeli-Arabs should be careful not to
"play with fire" and thus "undermine the foundations of the
State." Yesterday, Rubenstein approved the opening of a police
investigation against MK Muhammad Barakeh, following his call to Israeli-Arabs
to use violence against policemen to prevent the demolition of illegal houses.
A large Israeli-Arab demonstration has been called for tomorrow in Um el-Fahm,
Israeli's largest Arab city. The rally will emphasize the "connection
between Israeli-Arabs and the
[Note: A rally to emphasize the
connection between "Israeli" Arabs and the
http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com
[ARAB MK AHMED TIBI BELIEVES THAT
(Excerpt from ASSOCIATED PRESS article entitled ISRAELI PROPOSES ALTERNATE ANTHEM dated September 15, 2000)
. . .
Some Israeli Arabs say that national symbols -- including the blue Star of
David emblazoned on the flag -- remind them of the tragedy of the Palestinian
people who lost their country and fled or were driven into exile during the
first Arab-Israeli war. "I welcome her courageous position," said
Arab legislator Ahmed Tibi. "Anyone who wants us as full partners and
citizens and as part of Israeli society must also address our position,
which is that all the symbols and ceremonies of the State of
[Note: MK Tibi was referring to the declaration of former Israel Supreme Court justice and former State Comptroller Miriam Ben-Porat that "HaTikva" (The Hope), Israel's national anthem, be supplemented with an alternate national song devoid of any Jewish content so as to be more palatable to "Israeli" Arabs. However, it should be noted that Tibi speaks, not of supplementing HaTikva and the other symbols of a Jewish State, but rather of abolishing it.]
[Arab MK Azmi Bishara Supports Palestinian Jailed for Israeli Embassy Explosion]
(Al Hayat,
Arab Deputy in the Israeli Knesset Dr. Azmi Bishara has visited Samar
al-Alami, the Palestinian woman imprisoned on the charge of plotting to blow up
the Israeli Embassy in
Bishara said that he wanted to make this visit "because I was
convinced, after listening to lawyers and people, that
[Note: MK Bishara is concerned, not with the murder and mayhem caused
by terrorist Samar al-Alami and her conspirators, but rather with the
bad "feelings" that Londoners might thereby acquire against the Arab
community in London which considers al-Alami to be a genuine heroine.]
--------------------------------------------------------
Stormy session expected as Knesset resumes [excerpts from article are reprinted]
[Arab MK Taleb a-Sanaa wants the Knesset to honor Arabs who were killed while attempting to murder and maim Jews]
By NINA GILBERT
--------------------------------------------------------
(
. . .
Arab-Jewish controversy was already touched off Sunday, when United Arab
List whip Taleb a-Sanaa filed a request to start today's session with a "moment
of silence for the 13 Arab victims who are citizens of
[Note: Virtually all of the Arab "victims" of the Al-Aksa
Intifada were killed while trying to murder and maim the Jewish citizens of
--------------------------------------------------------
Raising morale
On the Sidelines: By Liat Collins
[Arab MK Taleb a-Sanaa condemns proposal for nationwide campaign to display the Israeli flag as "infuriating" and too "controversial"]
--------------------------------------------------------
(
Thousands of pennants and stickers are being distributed to the public at major junctions and the JA has asked local authorities, particularly in the south, to fly the national flag on public buildings and central sites.
"We must all act to strengthen Israel as a Jewish, democratic country which gives equal rights to all citizens and acts towards co-existence, dialogue, and mutual respect regarding religion and traditions, while condemning all expressions of violence," said Jewish Agency head Sallai Meridor.
Nonetheless, the flag suggestion did not go down well in the Arab
sector, where the "Blue-and-White" made some see red. Arab MKs
immediately condemned the Agency's effort, thus proving that we are still
flagpoles apart.
United Arab List faction head Taleb a-Sanaa called the campaign an
"infuriating attempt to stage an Independence Day," saying it was
regrettable that such a "controversial and superfluous" campaign was
launched at so tense a time.
It was the Independence Day reference which brought to mind another proposal to raise morale. For the state's 50th birthday (which also upset some in the Arab sector), the Council for a Beautiful Israel came up with a blooming good way of celebrating the jubilee: calling on the public to plant window boxes of flowers.
Why shouldn't the campaign be revived? Who can argue with flower power?
It's a brilliant, simple idea. Those who can afford it can buy plants and boxes at local nurseries - making it good for business. Those without the cash can use old plastic bottles and a few freely available geraniums. It doesn't widen differences between haves and have-nots, Sephardim and Ashkenazim, right and left, or religious and secular. And although it might not change the country's image in the eyes of the world press, it would definitely make the country look better for those who live in it.
How much pleasanter it would be to look out of the window and see flowers smiling back? And while you can't expect Arab citizens to jump at the chance of flying a Star of David, it would be hard for anyone to find a reason to reject a noble chrysanthemum.
Maybe we could all turn over a leaf or two, sow the seeds of true peace, and watch everything coming up roses.
[Note: MK a-Sanaa criticizes the Jewish Agency's proposal to encourage the
widespread display of Israel's flag as an "infuriating attempt
to stage an Independence Day" precisely because he and his Arab colleagues
consider the annual Israel Independence Day celebrations -- during which the
display of Israel's flag by the government and its Jewish citizenry is both
prominent and pervasive -- to be an annual provocation against
Israel's Arab population (who insist on commemorating this same day as the
Nakba, usually translated as The Catastrophe or The Disaster but being closer
in emotional import to the Shoah/Holocaust). Accordingly, the Jewish Agency's
proposal to encourage the widespread interim display of
KNESSET WINTER SESSION OPENS TODAY
[MK Ahmed Tibi states that Prime Minister Ehud Barak is not "our partner"]
(Arutz Sheva, October 30, 2000) The Knesset's winter session began this
afternoon with a political statement by Prime Minister Ehud Barak. Barak
expressed confidence that
[Note: Perhaps MK Tibi intended to say that Ehud Barak is not "Arafat's
partner" but his actual statement -- that Ehud Barak is not "our
partner" -- betrays his true feelings, namely, that he considers the Arab
citizens of
http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com
--------------------------------------------------------
A-G orders MK Barakei's Bir Zeit remarks examined
[MK Mohammed Barakei exhorts "Israeli" Arabs to join the new Intifada]
By DAN IZENBERG and NINA GILBERT
--------------------------------------------------------
(
The Justice Ministry will examine whether Barakei urged Israeli Arabs to join the Palestinian intifada, as his words were translated by Israeli sources, or whether he urged them to support it, as he claims, Rubinstein said.
Barakei said Sunday that his comments had not been translated properly, and he had clearly called for a "public, non-violent struggle." The comments were taped, he said, adding that there had been an attempt to use his remarks out of context.
He was quoted as saying that Israeli Arabs in the Galilee,
Whatever course of action Barakei encouraged, there is no question that the intifada he referred to is a violent phenomenon, said Rubinstein.
"Everyone knows what the intifada is in our context," he told Army Radio. "The intifada is rocks and firebombs and all kinds of violence."
In an interview with Israel Radio, Rubinstein added that Barakei spoke in the presence of Tanzim leader Marwan "Barghouti and Hamas. It wasn't exactly a gathering of peace advocates."
He said he had ordered officials in his office and the State Attorney's Office to examine whether Barakei broke the law during his speech, "because we are trying with the means at our disposal to struggle against verbal violence and words which can lead to violent actions. We will examine [what Barakei said] because the level of strident rhetoric is exceeding acceptable levels."
Rubinstein rejected charges by Arab MKs that he ignores inflammatory rhetoric by Jews while singling out Arabs for investigation. "These charges are not worthy of a response," he said. "We make no distinctions when it comes to those who incite, persecute, and cause injury. We consider each case on its own merits. I do not have to justify myself before anyone, but it should be remembered that when the October riots broke out, the state attorney and I gave the most explicit orders to apply the law in a completely non-discriminatory way regarding arrests and prosecution, without taking into considerations the differences [i.e., that Jewish riots were rare and solely in retaliation against prior Arab violence] that one can find between Arab and Jewish rioters."
[Jewish] MK Tamar Gozansky (Hadash) defended Barakei's comments and attacked Rubinstein for declining to prosecute right-wing MKs for their comments or any of the rabbis who incited against prime minister Yitzhak Rabin. "Barakei is being put on trial for political opinions," she said.
MK Zevulun Orlev (National Religious Party) filed a complaint against Barakei with the Knesset Ethics Committee. He called for Barakei to be immediately expelled from the Knesset, saying that he is a "traitor."
Yisrael Beiteinu leader Avigdor Lieberman said that Barakei and other Arab
MKs like him should be stripped of their citizenship and deported for
"cooperating with
Knesset Law Committee chairman MK Amnon Rubinstein (Meretz) said that Arab MKs have become spokesmen for the Palestinian Authority and the Hizbullah. "I don't think that there is any parliament in the world that would agree to its members supporting those who are rebelling against the country they represent," Rubinstein said in an interview with Israel Radio.
Gozansky emphasized that her party's struggle in solidarity with the
Palestinians is political. She noted that her party had condemned the violence
against Israeli targets in
MK Michael Kleiner (Herut) said the political arena has not yet understood that, in their extreme opinions that negate the existence of Israel as a Jewish State, the Arab MKs represent most of the Israeli Arabs.
However, MK Silvan Shalom (Likud) said he believes that the Arab MKs are much more extreme than their constituency, which wants to "truly live in peace and tranquility with us."
Barakei is already facing indictment for allegedly attacking and insulting a policeman at a 1999 farmers' demonstration.
(c) 2000 The
[Note: MK Barakei believes that merely "supporting", rather
than "joining", those who murder and maim Jews should be
acceptable to
THE
Cover Story:
The Arafat Enigma, by Isabel Kershner [excerpts from article are reprinted]
[Arab MK Azmi Bishara parrots the PLO's "explanation" for the
continued shooting from Arab Beit Jala into Jewish Giloh, namely, that
Palestinian spokespeople have been hard put to explain the continued
shooting. Insiders say everyone, from the residents of Beit Jala and El-Bireh
to Marwan Barghouti and
Azmi Bishara, an Israeli Knesset member of the Balad party and a
prominent intellectual on the Palestinian scene, told The
[Note: "Balad", the name of Bishara's party, is Arabic for
"Country" and is a veiled reference to the Country of "
[ARAB MK HASHEM MAHAMEED COMPLAINS THAT THE JEWISH MEMBERS OF THE KNESSET ARE TOO UNITED]
IMRA interviewed United Arab List MK Hashem Mahameed, in Hebrew, on 29 November 2000 [excerpts of which are reprinted below]:
IMRA: I heard on Channel Two Television last night that Yasser Arafat's office approached some Arab MKs to ask them to support Ehud Barak in the vote in the Knesset [as the first parliamentary step towards the dissolution of the government and the scheduling of new elections for the Prime Minister and the Knesset in reaction to Barak's failure to crush the "Palestinian"-and-"Israeli" Arab jihad against Israel which erupted on Rosh HaShana of 2000]. Is there any truth to it?
Mahameed: Absolutely nothing. Totally baseless. No one contacted me. Not Arafat and not any staffers. If someone did contact some MKs then certainly it was not on the level of Yasser Arafat or even Abu Mazen. I can tell you absolutely that there was no request or contact between any Palestinian official and any Arab MKs.
. . .
IMRA: There are those who say that Barak should not be able to negotiate until after the elections while others warn that the danger of war increases with every month that passes without an agreement. Would you say that a window of the months leading up to the elections could be critical in terms of the increased danger of regional war?
Mahameed: I do not think so. I do not think that there is a danger of
regional war. I do not think that there is anyone who wants war. Not
[Note: According to MK Mahameed -- although Israel is the victim of a vicious jihad launched by "Palestinian" Arabs, aided and abetted by "Israeli" Arabs, and supported by the entire Arab and Muslim worlds -- Israel's Knesset represents the main danger to regional peace.]
ARCH-TERRORIST PAYS VISIT TO
(Arutz Sheva, December 17, 2000) Muhammad Dahlan, PA security chief in
[Note: Arab MK Ahmed Tibi not only publicly supports the
"Palestinian" war against
http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com
THE
[Arab MK Tawfik Khatib justifies the murder of Arabs who are alleged to have
assisted
The Back Page: Should
Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, an Israeli lawyer representing Palestinian collaborators, debates Tawfik Khatib, a member of Knesset for the United Arab List
Two Palestinians accused of collaborating with
Dear Knesset Member Khatib,
Responsibility for the brutal judicial murders of Alam Bani-Oudeh and Majdi
Mukawi does not rest with the Palestinian Authority alone. Although the Shin
Bet has refused to publicly acknowledge that the pair were indeed its agents,
working within the PA to assisting
Aside from moral considerations, this policy of abandoning non-Jewish
operatives when they are captured by the PA cannot help but backfire on
As the condemned Bani-Oudeh sat in a
Even if the Shin Bet saw no practical means of freeing him by force, it
could have contacted international human rights organizations and governments
and urged them to intervene. Would it have been too difficult for
By abandoning its captured agents, the Shin Bet is assisting
The word is swiftly spreading that the Shin Bet can't be trusted. It's time the government rethought its policy of abandoning operatives on the battlefield. -- Nitsana Darshan-Leitner
Dear Ms. Darshan-Leitner,
Under the Israeli occupation, too many phenomena of corruption occur in Palestinian society, such as the increasing number of collaborators who endanger the Palestinian people and their leaders. Although the form of the execution was ugly and I would have been happier had the two been put in jail forever, the reality is that they were tried and sentenced to death.
First of all,
Mr. Khatib,
That the Palestinians are struggling for independence is no excuse for the brutal policy of executing accused Israeli operatives, without affording them the most basic measures of due process and fair trial. These defendants, who are charged with capital offenses, are tried before kangaroo tribunals in hearings that often last less than two hours.
In the majority of cases, the terrorist groups such as Hamas, Fatah Tanzim
and Islamic Jihad let it be known that any attorney seeking to represent the
accused will be putting his own life in danger. In this intimidating
atmosphere, it is no wonder that lawyers within the PA are refusing to defend
these suspects. Moreover, no witnesses will ever dare to come forward and speak
on the defendants' behalf. The family of Bani-Oudeh was so frightened of
retaliations that they published announcements in all of the
Once sentenced to death, there is no appeal, and the two victims were taken out and riddled with bullets before a howling mob.
There can be no justification, legal or political, for the summary execution
of those accused of aiding
Ms. Darshan-Leitner,
As you know from history, more than one country has carried out executions
as part of its struggle for freedom, and I am speaking about countries
considered democracies, like
So when drawing comparisons between actions or nations, one must be attentive to the period being spoken about. The Palestinians are establishing their state and their community through violence, killing and struggle, trying desperately to rid themselves of the Israeli conquest, while confronted with the presence of thousands of collaborators in their midst. Without giving legitimacy to summary executions, now or in the past, we must be more objective when dealing with this very complex issue. -- Tawfik Khatib
ARAB INTIFADA HAS REACHED THE KNESSET
[Arab MKs escalate their political war against
(Arutz Sheva, February 21, 2001) The Knesset Interior Committee attempted to hold a session today, at the request of MK Michael Kleiner (Herut), but was unsuccessful. Kleiner wished to raise a proposal that policemen appear in disguise - to ensure their safety - when testifying before the Orr Commission of Inquiry regarding the Israeli-Arab riots of last year, in which 13 Arabs were killed in clashes with the police [after rioters, using rocks, iron bars, firebombs and guns, had severed major transportation routes connecting northern Israel with the rest of the country, had violently assaulted passing Jewish motorists and destroyed their vehicles, and had even attacked neighboring Jewish towns as well as desecrated Jewish holy sites, such as the graves of Second Temple era Jewish sages]. The Orr Commission's sessions were cut off after only an hour today, because of lack of agreement on this issue. It was later decided that they will testify tomorrow from behind a screen.
At one point in today's Knesset committee session, the chairman asked Arab MK Abdel Malek Dahamsha to exit the hall - and the other Arab MKs, screaming and cursing, refused to allow the Knesset orderlies to remove him. Arab MK Muhammed Kena'an even lifted a chair to throw at MK Amnon Cohen of Shas, and [Arab] MK Ahmed Tibi threatened to hit Likud MK Ze'ev Boim. MK Yigal Bibi (NRP) said afterwards, "The intifada has arrived in the Knesset. Today it was a chair, tomorrow it will be rocks! The Knesset Ethics Committee must convene immediately regarding this wild outburst, which had cursing, chair-throwing, and almost punches. [Arab] MK Kena'an wanted to hit another Knesset Member, and two people were needed to hold him back!"
[Note: MK Kleiner's proposal to protect testifying police officers was prompted by the fact that "Israeli" Arab relatives of one of the slain rioters, who were attending the first session of the Commission on February 19, 2001, physically assaulted a testifying police officer, while other officers, who were waiting outside of the hearing room for their turn to testify, also came under attack from "Israeli" Arab bystanders.]
http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com
Date: 1 March 2001
[Arab MK Ahmed Tibi falsely charges 3 Jews with attacking him, and then perjures himself in Court testimony]
By Moshe Reinfeld, Ha'aretz Correspondent
Jerusalem Magistrates Court yesterday acquitted three activists from the Kahane movement, Noam Federman, Benzion Gopstein and Itamar Ben-Gvir, of assaulting MK Ahmed Tibi during Tibi's trial for allegedly attacking a Border Police officer.
Judge Noam Solberg ruled that by the charge sheet the three were not guilty,
and in his opinion Tibi's testimony in the trial against the three was
not truthful.
The incident occurred on February 3 1999. The charge sheet said that during Tibi's trial for allegedly assaulting the policeman, two of the Kahanists attacked Tibi and his entourage during the court session, injuring one of Tibi's bodyguards in the scuffle. [According to the charge sheet:] The third, Ben-Gvir, waited outside, where he assaulted the MK and later told a TV crew that "we took care of him in the best Kahane tradition."
The judge said after hearing the testimony and watching two sets of tapes of the incident, he found no proof that Tibi was directly touched; and his bodyguard was not injured. He said had the indictment charged the Kahane activists with "brawling" he might have convicted them. As for Ben-Gvir's comment, which ended up on the charge sheet as "supporting a terrorist organization," the judge dismissed it as "boasting".
NEW MINISTER TARIF CITED FOR ANTI-ISRAEL REMARKS
(Arutz Sheva, March 8, 2001) Minister without Portfolio Salah Tarif, a Labor
party [Druze Arab] MK, who today became the first non-Jew to serve as a
minister in an Israeli government, has been cited for several anti-Israel
comments. A few weeks ago, he granted an interview to Palestinian television in
which he called the Palestinian terrorists imprisoned in Israel
"captives"; he said that Sharon had "defiled the Al-Aksa Mosque
with his visit [to the Temple Mount -- the holiest site in Judaism]"; and
said that Druze citizens should not have to serve in the army. Minister Tarif
also sent good wishes to Hamas terrorist chief Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, and blessed
his interviewers that they should "reach
[Note: Based upon its alliance with the Jewish community during
http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com
Peres blamed for Ramallah blockade
[Arab MKs (and their Jewish collaborators) demonstrate against blockade of
Ramallah instituted by
By GIL HOFFMAN
(
MKs from Hadash [the mixed Jewish and Arab Communist Party], the United Arab List, the Arab Movement for Renewal, and Meretz [an extreme-Left Jewish political party] came to the junction to witness the bumper-to-bumper traffic on the way in and out from Ramallah and show solidarity with residents inconvenienced by the blockade.
The MKs vowed to fight the blockade in the Knesset, where Hadash filed a no-confidence motion in Prime Minister-elect Ariel Sharon's new government, to be heard on Monday. Motorists honked their horns in their own show of no-confidence and got out of their cars to protest against the policy.
"Peres has been reduced to a tool in the hand of
Hadash leader Mohammed Barakei added that "Peres's role in the
government evidently is to provide a fig leaf for the crimes of
MK Issam Makhoul (Hadash) said that he had a great respect for Peres until he "sold out the Palestinian people and abandoned his career of peacemaking for his seat."
"From
Peres did not fare any better with Ramallah residents who blamed Peres for
their food shortage and their three-hour commutes between
"Peres is worse than
Khalid Ayad, a banker in Ramallah's Bank of Jordan who lives adjacent to
Ayad said he has given up hope in any Israeli politicians and that
"Peres,
Peres's spokesman, Yoram Dori, responded that the foreign minister was following a policy, agreed to by the entire government, which was instituted to prevent a terrorist cell from perpetrating a massive terror attack inside the country.
"The decision reflects the government's policy that residents of the territories should be able to live a normal life, as long as it doesn't threaten the lives of the Israeli people," Dori said.
Meretz MK Zehava Gal-On said the blockade was unacceptable and rejected the government's excuse of security concerns, saying "we need to do everything possible to stop terror without causing such suffering."
"We needed to see it with our own eyes to understand how horrible the situation really is," Gal-On added.
When asked what solution he recommends, Barakei said that "the only solution is to end the inhumane occupation and enforce a set border between two separate states at the pre-1967 dividing line."
(c) 2001 The
[Note: As a result of the blockade,
POLICE TO INVESTIGATE ARAB COURTROOM VIOLENCE
[Arab MK Dahamshe disrupts Knesset committee meeting to protest statement
that
(Arutz Sheva, March 22, 2001) . . . In a related incident yesterday,
Arab MK Abdel Malek Dahamshe caused a major disturbance during the Knesset
Education Committee session on the Waqf desecration of the
http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com
THE
[Arab MK Issam Makhoul compares
In & Around: Quote - Unquote
"An illogical act, which recalls the actions of the Nazis."
Knesset Member Issam Makhoul (Hadash), lashing out against
[Note: It will be recalled that the referenced closures and the Ramallah
blockade were, and are, defensive measures which were instituted by
ARAB MK CONDEMNS ISRAELI ATTACK AS "CRIMINAL"
(Arutz Sheva, April 16, 2001) Arab MK Abdel Malek Dahamshe took an original
stance on last night's Israeli attack of the Syrian [radar] installation
[inside
MKs Rabbi Chaim Druckman (National Religious Party) and Tzvi Hendel
(National Union) sharply condemned Dahamshe; Rabbi Druckman said that the Arab
MK represents the enemy and that his place is not in the Knesset, but in the
Syrian parliament. "This is a fifth column in the Knesset who is abusing
MK Yossi Sarid (Meretz) said that Dahamshe's letter to Assad is
"another one of the mistakes that the Arab MKs have made." MK Michael
Kleiner (Herut) called for the removal of Dahamshe's parliamentary immunity,
saying he violated his oath to faithfully serve the State of Israel. Kleiner
said that Dahamshe should be charged with interfering with
http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com
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Dahamshe's condolence letter to Assad sparks furor in Knesset
[Arab MK Abdul Malik Dahamshe accuses
By NINA GILBERT
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(
In the letter, he called the Israeli move a "criminal attack"
that amounts to a declaration of war not only on the Palestinians, but also on
the Syrians. He said the Syrians are not responsible for Hizbullah's
activities, and the attack will only worsen the violence.
Otherwise, the attack was met with general support in the political arena, including from doves on the Left, with the exception of the comments made by Arab MKs, whose reactions drew condemnations from the Right.
Hadash leader Mohammed Barakei said the killing of Syrian soldiers again
uncovers the ugly face of the "warmonger"
Likud MK Ze'ev Boim and Shas MK Nissim Ze'ev attacked Barakei for his remarks during a debate in the Knesset, calling him an inciter and terrorist.
Likud MK Yisrael Katz said Dahamshe's behavior shows why the Knesset needs
to pass a law that would enable it to disallow membership to MKs who voice
support for terror organizations or enemy countries. He said Dahamshe has never
once offered condolences to
MK Zvi Hendel (National Union) asked Knesset Speaker Avraham Burg to oust
Dahamshe from the Knesset presidium of factions for his "letter of
incitement." Deputy Infrastructure Minister Naomi Blumenthal (Likud) said
she intends to ask Attorney-General Elyakim Rubinstein to examine whether a
person who "engages in wild incitement" against
Former justice minister Yossi Beilin, who was a major proponent of an exit
from
Beilin said that since
Meretz MK Ran Cohen said the attack was justified, but if he had been a
cabinet member, he would have voted against it, out of concern it would cause
the Hizbullah to increase its violence. Cohen said the attack seemed justified
since the Syrians have not prevented the Hizbullah from attacking at
Meretz leader Yossi Sarid did not condemn the attack per se, and in effect said that he did not support Prime Minister Ariel Sharon carrying it out because of his history of actions in Lebanon. He warned that such actions must be thought through thoroughly and carefully while taking into consideration Lebanese public opinion. He said he did not have faith in the government to do so.
He also noted that
Minister Dan Naveh, the government liaison to the Knesset, said the attack
was justified, since
(c) 2001 The
Israeli Arab MKs express hatred for
By Avraham Tal
(Ha'aretz, April 19, 2001) After having attained notoriety in the past for
his extreme pronouncements against the State of Israel, MK Abdulmalik Dehamshe
set a new record this week in a letter of condolence he sent to
Dehamshe wasn't a lone voice this week. There was a chorus from the
Palestinian Knesset members (that's the term they use to identify themselves -
Palestinian citizens of the State of Israel, which they want to turn into a
binational state). The runner-up for abject, contemptible commentary was Hadash
whip MK Mohammed Barakeh, who called Prime Minister Ariel Sharon a war
criminal. Barakeh declared that
MK Talab A Sana (United Arab List) provided justification for Dehamshe's letter. Likewise, MK Ahmed Tibi (Ta'al) declared that, "it's only natural to commiserate with the Syrian people." Appearing on a television interview, MK Azmi Bishara (Balad) refused to utter a word to console the family of Staff Sergeant Elad Litvak, the IDF soldier who was killed.
While Dehamshe and his Knesset colleagues heighten their rhetoric,
intensifying expressions of hatred of
As the government goes out of its way to promote reconciliation with
This dissonance won't escape the notice of the Jewish public. Should Arab citizens continue to elect politicians like Dehamshe, Bishara, and Tibi to be their delegates, and should Arab citizens fail to take exception to the despicable comments which these politicians unleash between election seasons, chances for coexistence will wither and vanish. Arab citizens of the state would have no cause for wonder should increasing numbers of Jews in Israel come to support separation plans (we are here, and they are there), plans that would also apply to residents of Umm al Fahm, Tira, Bara al Garbiyeh and others [i.e., Arab towns within pre-1967 Israel].
Interview: Spokesman for [Arab] MK Dehamshe - "
24 April 2001, Dr. Aaron Lerner
IMRA interviewed Abed al-Razak Hassan, spokesperson for Israeli-Arab MK Abdulmalik Dehamshe, in Hebrew on April 19:
IMRA: I saw Avraham Tal's article in Ha'aretz this morning and I wanted to
verify that MK Abdulmalik Dehamshe sent a letter this week to
Hassan: Yes.
IMRA: Then what is MK Dehamshe trying to say? That
Hassan: I will explain this matter to you. The Syrians in any case do not recognize the State of Israel.
IMRA: But Dehamshe does?
Hassan: Wait a moment. So they do not recognize
IMRA: I just checked the official Internet site of the Syrians and they use
the term "
Hassan: Of course they do. But how do you define the Arabs living inside the State of Israel.
IMRA: But MK Dehamshe was not defining the Arabs in
Hassan: Yes. Where is
IMRA: Wait a moment. If the reason that he wrote
Hassan: Let us not forget that a large community in the Arab world does not
recognize
IMRA: Then even more so. If MK Dehamshe had written
Hassan: I am not coming as an educator. It is a whole People. We are
defining the place we live in. The letter was sent from
IMRA: Or that
Hassan: Yes.
IMRA: So let me get this straight - you are saying that someone reading the
letter might not know that
Hassan: He simply would not know.
My dear friend. This is a complicated matter. We are talking about a point
of conflict in the
We live complicate lives. Our identities are complicated. We are Arabs of
Israel. We are Palestinians. We are part of the Palestinian People. And yet, on
the other hand, we carry Israeli identity cards. We do not deny this fact. We
live between these two definitions. I do not know what the problem is in
writing "
IMRA: Because it is not the official address of
Hassan: I am explaining to you. People do not recognize the State of Israel.
IMRA: Let me understand this. Now these people, if they get a letter that
says
Hassan: They know he lives in
IMRA: Then if they know that he lives in
Hassan: They know where
IMRA: If you write Nazareth Palestine you create a problem. If they sent
back a letter to Nazareth Palestine it might end up in the PA and never reach
Hassan: Not correct.
IMRA: Please excuse me. I have the Britannica Atlas here and have no problem
finding
Hassan: Are you talking seriously to me?
IMRA: Are you saying that they are so stupid?
Hassan: Are you really saying that when President Assad gets the letter that
he asks an assistant to open up an atlas to find
IMRA: Well what do you think HE thinks when he reads a letter from an
Israeli Arab MK who is not willing to write "
Hassan: That is his business.
IMRA: You could have written "
Hassan: What is wrong with "
IMRA: Because "
You know what? This is as if a Mexican-American U.S. Congressman from California were to send a letter to the president of Mexico with greetings on their independence day with the return address "Los Angeles, Mexico" since, after all, Los Angeles was once part of historical Mexico.
Hassan: Then the word "former" should be there. Next time we will
write "formerly
IMRA: Tell me something. Why did he do it? He knew that it would annoy the
Israeli Jews when they learned of it? Would you say that it bothered him less
to annoy the Israeli Jews than to annoy the Arabs outside of
Hassan: Yes. By the way, I would like to let you know that since news of this letter came out, MK Dahamshe has received threatening calls. Some even threatening his life.
IMRA: Have these calls been reported to the authorities?
Hassan: Yes. In fact, we gave them the telephone number that was the source of a threat on MK Dahamshe's life.
[Note: Although Dahamshe doesn't recognize the legitimacy of
PA FLAUNTS ACCIDENTAL DEATH, IGNORES DELIBERATE MURDER
[Arab MK Taleb A-Sana declares that IDF soldiers "murdered" Arab child]
(Arutz Sheva, May 8, 2001) Both Prime Minister Sharon and Foreign Minister Peres have expressed their deep sorrow over the accidental death of a five-month-old Arab baby during the IDF's firing two days ago at Khan Yunis in reaction to [Arab] mortar attacks [launched from Khan Yunis against the nearby Jewish town of Neveh Dekalim]. Gruesome pictures of the baby have been shown all over the world, as part of a concerted Palestinian effort to shift world public opinion in their favor. The PA has been touting the killing as a "second Muhammad al-Dura," a reference to the 12-year-old boy who was killed during a battle near Kfar Darom at the beginning of the Palestinian-initiated violence. Strong evidence has been produced, however, that the boy was actually killed, or murdered, by Palestinian fire (see "http://www.geocities.com/rachav/netzarim.html"). It was only six weeks ago that an Israeli baby, 10-month-old Shalhevet Pas of Hevron, was murdered by a Palestinian sniper bullet to her head.
Three Arab MKs attended the baby's funeral today: Ahmed Tibi, Muhammad
Barakeh, and Taleb A-Sana. A-Sana said beforehand that the baby had been "murdered"
by IDF soldiers.
[Note: It goes without saying that these three Knesset members haven't bothered to: (1) attend the funerals of any Israeli citizens killed by Arab rocks, knives, bullets, bombs or mortars; or (2) declare that any such citizens were "murdered" by Yasser Arafat's forces and their allies.]
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Tibi facing probe for anti-Mofaz tirade
[Arab MK Ahmed Tibi accuses "fascist" IDF Chief of Staff of "murder"]
By NINA GILBERT
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(
Coalition whip Ze'ev Boim (Likud) Wednesday delivered a videotape and protocol of Tibi's Tuesday speech in the Knesset to State Attorney Edna Arbel. She is to examine the material today.
Boim called for Attorney-General Elyakim Rubinstein to indict Tibi for incitement to murder. He said his comments were a "serious escalation in the verbal lawlessness of Arab MKs." In a letter to Rubinstein, he said that Tibi and other Arab MKs are abusing democracy.
In his speech, Tibi held Mofaz responsible for the "cold-blooded murder" of five Palestinian policemen at the Beitunya outpost and for the killing of Palestinian children.
Amid the furor over his comments, the government supported legislation that would ban a party or candidate from running for the Knesset if its aims or actions in the five years prior to the elections supported a terror organization or identified with an enemy state.
The bill was approved on preliminary reading by 40-19, with two abstentions.
Yisrael Katz (Likud), the bill's sponsor, conducted a verbal attack against Arab MKs while presenting the bill. "There is a political Tanzim in the Knesset. We saw its temporary commander, Ahmed Tibi, attack the chief of General Staff," he said. Katz said his bill would ensure that those who support Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Hizbullah, and the Tanzim can't run for the Knesset.
Justice Minister Meir Sheetrit said the legislation is in keeping with the principle that there only be minimal limitations on the right to take part in democracy.
Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer said that if Tibi has claims against Mofaz, he should bring them to him. "A Jew would never have been able to say such things in an Arab country," he added.
Meretz leader Yossi Sarid said that several Arab MKs are "causing great
damage" to the peace process and to coexistence within
Minister Without Portfolio Sallah Tarif [a Druze Arab], who is responsible for Arab affairs, said the comments should not have been made from the Knesset podium, and he would expect MKs to use much better parliamentary language. "Mofaz heads the IDF, which defends all Israelis, both Arab and Jewish," he added.
Eliezer Sandberg (Shinui) called on MKs to give Tibi the same treatment they gave to the late Meir Kahane and to leave the Knesset plenum every time he takes the podium until he apologizes for his comments.
Michael Kleiner (Herut) called on the Knesset to cancel the decision to give Tibi two security guards. Tibi asked the Knesset sergeant-at-arms for protection after he said he received many threatening phone calls following his speech. "There is no place to give the prize of special security to someone who creates a provocation," he said.
Despite his criticism of Tibi, Sarid objected to Katz's bill, saying it is "aimed at creating the groundwork for evicting Arab MKs from the Knesset."
Katz's bill was supported by MKs from the Likud, Shas, National Religious Party, National Union-Yisrael Beiteinu, Yisrael Ba'aliya, Shinui, United Torah Judaism, Herut, Center, and Gesher.
Voting against were the Arab parties, Meretz, and the Labor Party's Colette Avital and Nawaf Massalha. Most Labor MKs did not take part in the vote, while Ophir Pines-Paz and Eitan Cabel abstained.
(c) 2001 The
[Note: Sallah Tarif, a Druze Arab and a minister in
[Arab MKs Mohammed Barakeh, Issam Makhoul and Taleb a-Sana make solidarity visit to the "Palestinian" Arabs of Hebron]
By Ori Nir
(Ha'aretz, May 18, 2001) Arab MKs on a tour of
Hadash MK Mohammed Barakeh, along with his party colleague Issam Makhoul and
the United Arab List's Taleb a-Sana, met with Palestinian legislators from the
"Therefore," said Barakeh, "the grassroots nature of the Intifada should be strengthened, and the armed aspect minimized ... that would reflect the truth that this is about a people rejecting occupation, and would limit the Sharon government's ability to falsify the truth, as well as enable Israelis and other forces around the world to identify with the Palestinian cause."
Abbas Zakai, a Palestinian parliamentarian and a Fatah leader, called the
shooting incidents by Palestinians "sporadic incidents by marginal
elements." The meeting with the Palestinian legislators took place in
the
IDF troops refused to let the group into Rehov Shuhada, where the Jewish settlers live, so the MKs went into the Abu Sneina neighborhood overlooking the Jewish neighborhood, assessing damage done to the Arab neighborhood by IDF shelling in response to gunshots fired from Abu Sneina toward the Jews of Hebron.
[Note: It was from this very same Abu Sneina, which towers over the Jewish neighborhood of Avraham Avinu, that an Arab sniper murdered a 10 month old baby -- Shalhevet Pas. These Arab MKs have become so brazen that they publicly identify with those who are conducting War against Israel -- euphemistically described by one of their interlocutors as "sporadic incidents by marginal elements" -- and they openly advise Israel's adversaries concerning the best propaganda strategies to employ in aid of this War, namely, a return to the earlier stage of violent "grassroots" confrontation by the masses.]
[Arab MK Talab a-Sana rebukes
By Aluf Benn, Ori Nir and Daniel Sobelman
(Ha'aretz with Reuters, May 24, 2001) The Palestinian Authority yesterday
urged Arab League states to revoke
In
MK Talab a-Sana (United Arab List) yesterday wrote to Moussa asking that
During a joint press conference with Peres, Abdi said that his government
had insisted on a visit during these troubled times to demonstrate its
commitment to the peace process and that "there is no alternative."
He called on
During a meeting with President Katsav, Abdi said "my visit to
Palestinian Minister of Information Yasser Abed Rabbo called for
"We are angry to see the foreign minister of
[Note: Something is amiss. Arab MK a-Sana is angry with
Ha'aretz, 11 June 2001
[Arab MK Azmi Bishara, speaking in
By Jalal Bana, Yossi Verter and Daniel Sobelman, Ha'aretz Correspondents
Flanked by Hezbollah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, MK Dr. Azmi Bishara
yesterday called on Arab countries to promote "resistance" against
Bishara's remarks and his appearance alongside Nasrallah and extremist
Palestinian leaders sparked fury across
Bishara was one of 10 Arab leaders who delivered remarks at the memorial
service. Other participants in the event included Hezbollah General-Secretary
Hassan Nasrallah,
War And Resistance:
Calling for unified Arab resistance against
Praising Hezbollah activity against
Bishara attacked the
In his remarks at the Assad memorial service, Sheikh Nasrallah said "we
won't give up on
Nasrallah vowed to return the
Though Bishara's appearance at the Kardaha event was not the first time Israeli Arab Knesset members have participated alongside Hezbollah chief Nasrallah or leaders of Palestinian extremist organizations in activities outside the country's borders, furious Knesset members declared yesterday that this time the Balad MK has gone too far.
Coalition whip MK Ze'ev Baum called on Public Security Minister Uzi Landau
to order border crossing authorities to detain Bishara for questioning when he
returns to
Interior Minister Eli Yishai asked government Attorney General Elyakim Rubinstein to consider criminally indicting Bishara. "All steps should be taken against Knesset members who travel to enemy countries," Yishai said.
Responding to these calls, Attorney General Rubinstein said last night that
the moment Bishara crosses back into
Aggravated Relations:
Heading a furious rhetorical onslaught against Bishara, right-wing MK
Michael Kleiner (Herut-National Movement) declared yesterday that "in any
normal country, they'd put him before a firing squad. It's inconceivable that
an Israeli Knesset member would encourage Arab states to launch a full-scale
war against [
Chairman of One Israel faction MK Efi Oshaya suggested to Bishara that he
ask Syrian President Bashar Assad to pay half of his salary. "Bishara is
an Israeli citizen and an elected MK, and yet he's promoting
He added that Bishara's appearance alongside Nasrallah has aggravated
relations between Arabs and Jews in
Bishara's controversial appearance yesterday was not the first time he has
flirted precariously with Israeli law as a result of his connections with
Bishara reportedly has been active helping a number of Israeli [Arab]
citizens go to
Bishara has denounced police investigations into his facilitating trips
to Syria, calling it tantamount to "political persecution."
Police sources say Bishara "throws sand in the eyes" of Israeli
Arab citizens who travel to
Valid permits to visit countries defined by
Responding yesterday to Bishara's appearance in
[Note: Israeli police are naive if they really think that MK Bishara and the myriad other Arab MKs who, on a daily basis, commit acts of sedition and/or treason against the State of Israel are deceiving their "Israeli" Arab constituencies. On the contrary, their constituencies know very well that these MKs not only hate the State of Israel, but that they also constantly compete with each other in publicly proving it to their voters -- that is precisely why their constituencies keep returning these very same MKs to the Knesset, election after election.]
ISRAELI-ARAB MKs UNDER FIRE
[ARAB MKS ACCUSE
(Arutz Sheva, June 12, 2001) Labor MK Yossi Katz, Chairman of the Knesset
Interior Committee, attempted again today to include Arab MK Taleb A-Sana on
the Committee to prepare a new bill regulating General Security Service
[Israel's domestic intelligence agency, equivalent to the United States Federal
Bureau of Investigation (FBI)] activities -- but his efforts were crowned with
failure. A shouting match between Arab and other Knesset Members abruptly cut
off the Committee session dealing with the issue. MK Benny Elon submitted an
appeal of Katz's original decision, saying that A-Sana is not loyal to the
State [of
The Interior and Ethics Committees dealt afterwards with a request to remove
the Parliamentary immunity of [Arab] MK Azmi Bishara, following his anti-Israel
speech in
[Note: MK Bishara is right. The Arab MKs and their constituencies
found themselves on the wrong side of the border at the end of
http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com
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Defiant Bishara returns under threat of prosecution
By GIL HOFFMAN
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(
Supporters greeted Bishara with a hero's welcome when he arrived in
Upon arrival, Bishara was immediately given a summons to appear for questioning
by police in Petah Tikva today, but he told supporters at a Balad rally in
"I do not take back anything I said," Bishara told the rally.
"I am not an Israeli patriot; I am a Palestinian patriot. Israel must
understand that I cannot call Syria an enemy country, even if they crucify
me."
Bishara blamed the media for inciting the people of
"Nothing I said in
Bishara said he did not commit a crime and that MKs cannot be investigated for political speeches.
Balad activists started a petition drive, attaching names of hundreds of
citizens who agree with Bishara to a copy of his speech in
Bishara caused an outcry last week when, at a memorial for the late Syrian
president Hafez Assad, he called on Arabs around the world to join
"resistance" against
Calls from MKs to prosecute Bishara and strip him of citizenship continued Monday.
"It is forbidden to let Bishara's attempt to become a political martyr interfere with prosecuting him and outlawing his party," said Herut's Michael Kleiner, who last week said that, in any other country, Bishara would be put before a firing squad.
(c) 2001 The
[Note: MK Bishara incites the Arab countries to unite, in jihad,
against
[Arab MK] Bishara scoffs at security warnings that
By Amos Harel and Ori Nir, Ha'aretz Correspondents, Ha'aretz 26 June 2001
The visits are being organized by [Arab] MK Azmi Bishara in an effort to reunite family members, some of whom have not met for decades. Many [but not most] of those participating in the visits are elderly.
For his part, Bishara rejected the concerns voiced by Israeli security
and said that "experience shows that those who want to join these
organizations [Syrian intelligence] do not need to travel to
He noted that in the past both Jewish and Arab Israelis were recruited by
the Syrian intelligence in meetings they held with Syrian operatives in
The meetings are considered illegal under Israeli law and are being investigated by the State Prosecutor's office.
Since last September, some 500 Israeli Arabs have traveled to
The trip to
The police so far have questioned 40 families who have taken part in the visits.
The Israeli security services do not suspect that MK Bishara is purposely
organizing meetings between the visitors and Syrian agents. However, there is
growing concern that the visits are being used to gather information on
In addition to these visits,
Since the start of the year, some 30 Israeli Arabs have been arrested on suspicion of being involved in hostile activities. That is not a significant increase over the previous year.
[Note: MK Bishara does not have to "purposely" organize any
meetings between Syrian intelligence agents and the visiting
"Israeli" Arabs -- the Syrians know that these "Israeli"
Arabs are in
PA lists MK Ahmed Tibi as "Israeli Affairs Advisor" to Arafat
Aaron Lerner Date: 26 June 2001
The Palestinian Academic Society for the Study of International Affairs (PASSIA) publishes a diary each year that includes probably the most useful directory for those involved in covering [official] Palestinian activities. The directory has detailed listings of the various offices and officials in the PLO [Palestine Liberation Organization] and PA [Palestinian Authority] as well as other Palestinian bodies that include names, telephone, fax and other contact details.
Page 12 of the diary has the following entry under "Palestinian Authority - President's Office and Ministries - President's Office":
Israeli Affairs Advisor:
Dr. Ahmed Tibi
Tel: 02-6771267/ 050-268777
Dr. Tibi is an Israeli Arab who is a member of the Israeli Knesset. IMRA contacted PASSIA today:
IMRA: On page 12 of your diary you list Dr. Ahmed Tibi as Arafat's Israeli Affairs Advisor. I was wondering how this came about. Did the PA give you a list or is this your own list or what?
Brenda: We get all the information from the main resource. For example, we get the information for the Foreign Ministry from the Foreign Ministry itself. We get the information for the President's Office [the Office of Yasser Arafat] -- from the President's Office itself.
IMRA: So this listing of Ahmed Tibi as having the position of Israeli Affairs Advisor is from the President's Office.
Brenda: Yes.
MK Tibi responds to report that listed him as "Israeli Affairs Advisor" to Arafat
[Arab MK Tibi lied when he claimed that his listing was a printing error]
Aaron Lerner Date: 28 June 2001
Israel Radio reported this morning that Herut MK Michael Kleiner has called
on MK Ahmed Tibi to resign from the Knesset because he serves as an advisor to
Yasser Arafat. Israel Radio explained in detail that the basis of the charge is
IMRA's 26 June 2001 report that Arafat's office lists him as an advisor.
[Note: It is important to understand that MK Tibi was not listed as Arafat's Israeli Affairs Advisor until 1999 because that was the first year that he was elected to the Knesset.]
[ARAB] MK TIBI HITS JEW
(Arutz Sheva, July 11, 2001) Knesset Member Ahmed Tibi brought Arab violence
to the Knesset yesterday when he slugged an Israeli citizen during a committee
session. The civilian, Yehuda Levinger, security officer of
The incident occurred while the Knesset Interior committee deliberated the problem of illegal Arab construction. Levinger was there to represent his neighborhood which, the residents claim, is slowly but surely being encroached upon by illegal Arab construction from nearby Arab neighborhoods. Jerusalem Mayor Ehud Olmert, who had been invited to give his point of view on the matter, was yelled down and insulted by several of the Arab MKs. Speaking to Arutz-7 today, Levinger picked up the narrative at that point:
"Committee Chairman Moshe Gafni (United Torah Judaism) was forced to
expel Arab MK Issam Mahoul because of the way he was shouting and insulting
Olmert, in an attempt to divert the discussion to the demolition of
illegally-built Arab homes in northern
Knesset Education Committee Chairman Zevulun Orlev (NRP) said today that the problem of verbal violence in the Knesset, "which is generally instigated by one sector [the Arabs]," is a severe phenomenon that must be addressed by Knesset Speaker Avraham Burg. Likud MK Ze'ev Boim accused Burg of being unduly forgiving of such behavior by Arab MKs.
[Note: This news items requires no comment from me.]
http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com
ANOTHER ARAB MK [-- MUHAMMED KENAAN --] HITS ANOTHER JEW
(Arutz Sheva, July 24, 2001) A criminal investigation will apparently be
opened against Arab MK Muhammed Kenaan for punching and cursing a policeman
this morning. Kenaan was part of a Knesset group visiting the Interior Ministry
office in eastern
http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com
[Arab MKs Ahmed Tibi and Abdulmalik Dehamshe incited Arabs to riot on the
Baruch Kra, Ha'aretz Correspondent, 1 August 2001
The Jerusalem District Police yesterday submitted the investigation material
on the possible involvement of MKs Ahmed Tibi (Ta'al) and Abdulmalik Dehamshe
(United Arab List) in the riots on the Temple Mount on Sunday, Tisha B'Av
[which fell this year on July 29, 2001]. The material was submitted to the head
of investigations, Major General Moshe Mizrahi, who will pass it on to the
Attorney General with a recommendation whether to indict. On Saturday [July 28,
2001] Dehamshe called for Muslims to come en masse to defend the Al-Aqsa mosque
[situated atop the Temple Mount] with their bodies against the plan of the
Temple Mount Faithful [a Jewish organization which believes that Israel should
replace the two mosques on the Temple Mount with the third Jewish Temple] to
place a cornerstone for the third Jewish temple. Dehamshe knew that the
cornerstone ceremony was not going to take place on the
[Note: Tisha B'Av, the 9th day of the Hebrew month of Av, is observed
annually by the Jewish people with a 24 hour fast in commemoration of the
destruction, on that day, of the
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A-G orders police to investigate MK a-Sanaa
[Arab MK Taleb a-Sanaa publicly praises terror assault in Tel Aviv as being "an attack of special quality"; and Arab MK Azmi Bishara says that he "agrees with every word"]
By DAN IZENBERG and NINA GILBERT
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"There is no country in the world which would be prepared to tolerate a statement from one of its legislators which regards an attempt to kill soldiers in the middle of its cities as legitimate, whatever his political point of view," said Rubinstein.
During an interview on
A-Sanaa responded that Rubinstein's announcement is a "totally political move" based on "racist considerations." He said Rubinstein has not taken action against Jews for incitement, including Shas mentor Rabbi Ovadia Yosef.
Moreover, a-Sanaa said his interview had been "distorted" and that claims that he had expressed support for the attack are "false." He said he "condemns all acts of violence" and had only explained the Palestinian rationale behind the attack.
He added that his job as an MK is to express opinions, and his parliamentary immunity is intended to enable him to do so without fear.
Justice Minister Meir Sheetrit acknowledged Monday that there are few legal steps that can be taken against a-Sanaa, since the Knesset has rejected legislation that would have revamped anti-incitement laws.
Sheetrit noted that as a result of a Supreme Court ruling that interpreted the laws against insurrection, indictments are not being served for incitement.
He blamed MKs for "irresponsibility" for failing to support the law. The legislation was rejected on third reading by a coalition of MKs from Shas, the National Religious Party, Meretz, and Arab parties. Sheetrit refiled the bill a week later, but it was rejected again.
Sheetrit said passage of the legislation would enable the prosecution of MKs who cross the line, adding that "a-Sanaa did so long ago."
Knesset Law Committee chairman Ophir Pines-Paz said the courts must take action against MKs who are exploiting their immunity.
In the interview, a-Sanaa said that if
Balad MK Azmi Bishara is also being investigated for a speech praising the
armed struggle against
Bishara issued a statement in support of a-Sanaa, saying he
"identifies with his remarks and agrees with every word of them."
The Left censured a-Sanaa for his comments, but did not express support for taking measures against him.
Meretz whip Zehava Gal-On said the remarks were "severe" and express support for terror. However, she said she was not sure legal steps should be taken.
MK Mossy Raz (Meretz) said that while a-Sanaa justifiably objects to the assassination of Palestinians, even when they are involved in terror, he should "all the more so object to the kind of attack carried out in Tel Aviv." Raz said that all acts of violence are "illegitimate, including those against military personnel."
MK Michael Kleiner (Herut) Monday sent a letter to Knesset Speaker Avraham Burg demanding that a-Sanaa and Bishara be forced to pass through security, including metal detectors, when they enter the Knesset.
Kleiner said that MKs who praise terror attacks should be "treated with suspicion," and they "may translate their words into action" by smuggling weapons into the Knesset while exploiting their parliamentary immunity.
(c) 2001 The
[Note: The attack was perpetrated by an "Israeli" Arab from
[ARAB MK] TIBI AT TERRORIST FUNERAL, AND MORE
(Arutz Sheva, August 28, 2001) Thousands took part in the funeral this
afternoon of arch-terrorist Abu Ali Mustafa in Ramallah today; he was killed
yesterday by a precisely-aimed missile fired by Israeli forces. Among the
mourners was Arab MK Ahmed Tibi, who said that many of those leading the
Palestinian violence against
[Note: Abu Ali Mustafa (the nom de guerre of Mustafa Zibri) was the local
military commander of the Popular Front For The Liberation Of Palestine (PFLP),
a terror organization whose main headquarters is located in
http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com
ARAB MKs AGAINST
(Arutz Sheva, August 30, 2001) Arab MK Azmi Bishara feels that
MK Michael Kleiner (Herut) said that Bishara's words expressing hope for a
"Palestinian victory over the Israeli enemy" is further proof that he
is an enemy of
Arab MK Muhammad Barakeh will participate in the Palestinian festivities
tonight celebrating the Israeli withdrawal [from the Palestinian
Authority-controlled Arab town of Beit Jala, which Israel briefly entered in
order to prevent further shooting attacks from that town against the Jewish
neighborhood of Gilo, located in southern Jerusalem]. He said that he plans
to speak at the event.
Yediot Acharonot [an Israeli newspaper] editorialized today that the Israeli Arab MKs are "stretching the cords of democracy so much that they are in danger of rupturing," which will "endanger the Arab citizens of Israel before it endangers the Jews."
http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com
The
The Back Page: Have some Arab Knesset members crossed the line?
Knesset Member Mohammed Barakeh has called on demonstrators to break
"the arms and legs" of Israeli police officers, in protest against
the demolition of illegal Arab homes. MK Ahmad Tibi has branded IDF
Chief-of-Staff Shaul Mofaz a "fascist murderer." MK Azmi Bishara has
praised Hizballah, and while visiting
Salah Tarif, Labor's Minister of Arab Affairs, debates Knesset Member Taleb a-Sana, of the United Arab List
Dear MK a-Sana,
As a liberal democratic state, we are obligated to allow politicians
wide-ranging freedom of expression of their ideas, world views and languages --
particularly on the Knesset podium. But there are red lines that cannot be
crossed. We must draw the Arab public closer to the state, not push it onto the
the lunatic fundamentalist fringe or to take extremist nationalist positions.
More than once, I have called on Arab MKs and public figures to stop their
blind, irresponsible chase after headlines which inevitably become incitement
and provocation. Regrettably, most Arab MKs neglect the real problems of
Israeli Arabs, including poverty, unemployment, and cultural and regional
isolation, preferring to address themselves to pan-Arab topics. Seventeen of
the 20 villages worst hit by unemployment are Arab. The Arab Israeli citizen is
isolated, neglected and humiliated, and he falls victim to completely unviable
nationalist expressions. Still, like every other MK you, Taleb al-Sana, cannot
use parliamentary immunity to sow the seeds of hate. History has assigned an
unprecedentedly important task to the leaders of
Dear Minister Tarif,
Salah my friend. You have joined the chorus of inciters seeking to blame us
-- who are poor and unemployed, whose land has been expropriated, who lost 13
demonstrators and had hundreds of wounded last October. Did you hear anyone in
authority condemn the "execution" by police of demonstrators? Is it a
coincidence? If the demonstrators were Jews, would the police have acted as
they did? In
Taleb,
You don't have to convince me that
Salah,
You are correct, there's little difference between our criticism and that of
the Israeli Left. The difference lies in how it's treated: The Left's
[criticism] is seen as a bitter critique, ours as incitement. You know, of
course, that Arabs "riot" rather than "demonstrate." And
yes, if Shulamit Aloni had made the statements I did to Abu Dhabi TV, I can
guarantee you that the dispute would have been over the content, because all I
said was that the Tel Aviv attack demonstrated the failure of
[Note: It must be remembered that this public exchange of views was
orchestrated by the Jerusalem Report, an English-language biweekly magazine,
whose international readership is mostly Jewish. Obviously, both Salah Tarif, a
Druze Arab who is a member of the Knesset and a minister in
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[Arab MK] Dehamshe: I'm willing to be Islamic martyr
By NINA GILBERT
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Dehamshe, whose comments were first published in Ma'ariv [an Israeli newspaper] Tuesday, also said his people understand his message. He is head of the Islamic Movement component of the United Arab List.
Dehamshe said he is willing to protect the sites against any kind of attack by people who aim to harm them.
Meanwhile, MK Yisrael Katz (Likud) called on Prime Minister Ariel Sharon
Tuesday to outlaw the Islamic Movement in
Katz also called for a "decisive military strike against the Islamic
terror bases in the
Katz said the free world would understand that all democratic forces must be united against Islamic terror. "Islamic terror is a threat to the entire world," he said.
Dehamshe said he does not justify the suicide bomb attack by an Israeli Arab Islamist that killed three people in Nahariya earlier this week. However, he said he understands that in light of the difficult situation in the Arab sector people could "become desperate."
Dehamshe also said that the struggle to ensure equality should be conducted only through legal means. "We won't engage in an uprising against the State and won't fight against it," he was quoted as saying.
[Note: It is certainly soothing to Jewish ears to hear an "Israeli" Arab member of Knesset declare in a Jewish newspaper that he "won't engage in an uprising against the State" -- maybe MK Dehamshe should be given a "good citizenship" award for such a conciliatory statement; but the message conveyed to the "Israeli" Arab electorate by Dehamshe's publicized desire to become a shahid (martyr) in order to protect the Al Aksa mosque (against Israel's nonexistent designs to destroy it) nevertheless reeks of sedition rather than reconciliation.]
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The bomber next door [excerpted]
By MATTHEW GUTMAN
[ARAB MK HASHEM MAHAMEED "EXPLAINS" MOTIVATION OF "ISRAELI" ARAB SUICIDE BOMBER]
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[Note: Of course, MK Mahameed -- being a member of
Arab MKs refuse to condemn Palestinian joy over
By Gideon Alon, Haaretz, 17 September 2001
All Knesset factions except the Arab parties yesterday denounced
manifestations of Palestinian joy following last week's deadly terror attacks
in the
Those Palestinians who support terror, the resolution said, "could not restrain themselves. While across the sea, people were counting the bodies of innocent civilians, they [Palestinian supporters of terror] chose to dance on the blood of the dead."
The resolution was supported by all Knesset factions except the Arab parties.
The Arab factions also refused to sign the Knesset's letter of sympathy to the American people, for the same reason: This letter, which the heads of the other Knesset factions signed and delivered to U.S. Ambassador Dan Kurtzer yesterday, also included a denunciation of those Palestinians who celebrated the attacks.
The summary statement said that the Knesset shares the deep sorrow of the American people for the loss of so many citizens in an inhumane terror attack. It added that the Knesset views terror as the greatest strategic threat to worldwide peace, and praised U.S. President George Bush's decision to embark on a determined struggle against terrorism.
MK Ahmed Tibi (Arab Movement for Renewal) said that he also denounces the manifestations of joy in the Arab street. "I feel shame and anger toward those who expressed joy at this human tragedy," he said.
However, he added, "We are talking about a handful of rash, stupid and ugly people, and the attempt to stigmatize the entire Arab and Islamic nation with their exceptional acts is cheap, harmful and perverted."
Kurtzer, upon accepting the Knesset's letter, expressed his hope that the
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon told the special session that those who sent the
murderous terrorists against
"The massacre of innocent civilians was meant to cause a demoralization and loss of security in American society," he said.
But such terror, he continued, is nothing new to
Terrorism, he added, is abetted by the incessant incitement in the official Palestinian media and the mosques, which encourages people to commit terror attacks.
Opposition leader Yossi Sarid told the session it would be a mistake to
think that the worldwide shock over last week's attacks in the
[Note: MK Tibi is the one misrepresenting the facts. The Arab demonstrations in support of the devastating attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon were not limited to a "handful of rash, stupid and ugly people" but rather consisted of large "Palestinian" Arab crowds throughout Judea, Samaria, eastern Jerusalem and Gaza and even significant "Israeli" Arabs crowds in such "Israeli" Arab towns as Um Al-Fahem.]
ARABS MKs TO MEET WITH ARAFAT
[Arab MK Barakeh essentially declares that because Jews live on land that Arabs seek to make Judenrein (cleansed of Jews), Jewish parents are responsible for their own children's murder at the hands of Arab terrorists]
(Arutz Sheva, October 3, 2001) Arab MKs Barakeh, Mahoul, Asana, and Tibi will meet with Arafat this afternoon in Ramallah. The meeting was supposed to have been held several days ago, but the security forces did not permit the MKs to enter PA areas. Barakeh said today that he regrets the deaths in Elei Sinai last night, "but Elei Sinai is one of the cruelest manifestations of the conquest, and the settlers are committing a crime when they bring their children to stand on the front." Elei Sinai is on the northernmost tip of the Gaza Strip.
In a related item, anonymous vandals set fire to the parliamentary office of
Arab MK Taleb a-Sana in
[Note: From the same October 3, 2001 issue of Arutz Sheva: "Three Arab
terrorists infiltrated Elei Sinai, about ten kilometers south of
http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com
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Arab MKs oppose
By GIL HOFFMAN
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They said that attacks that harm Afghani civilians are unjustified and urged
the
"What happened on September 11 was a heinous crime, but the answer isn't attacking a sovereign country in a manner that no doubt will result in the loss of more innocent lives," Arab Movement for Renewal MK Ahmed Tibi said.
"Instead of creating such a double standard, the
Hadash Chairman MK Mohammed Barakeh called on the
"The American attacks spills oil on the flames of terror instead of solving the problem," Barakeh said. "The struggle against terror must focus on drying the swamp in which it thrives and not assaulting the innocent."
Balad MK Azmi Bishara said that the
"The
"[US President George W.] Bush has no strategic vision concerning what
has to be changed. But there has to be a rethinking because it is one of the
reasons for the bitterness against the
He said that as a liberal, he is against such attacks because he sees it as "an exhibitionist action that costs civilian victims, without reaching a political solution of any sort."
"The Americans needed to do it for their own public opinion to restore their dignity," Bishara said. "But the most important thing is that civilians won't be hurt and we'll see whether that will be the case."
(c) 2001 The
[Note: Arab MK Azmi Bishara is hardly a "liberal". And he is certainly not a pacifist, or one who is against inflicting harm upon civilians -- at least if the victims are Jews. In fact, he has praised Hizbullah for "humiliating Israel" (Israelwire 6-8-00); he has paid a "solidarity visit" to an Arab imprisoned in London for plotting to blow up Israel's embassy there in 1994 (Al Hayat 9-19-00); he has given a speech in Syria -- a country which still maintains an official state of war against Israel, harbors Nazi war criminal Aloise Brunner, and provides a safe haven for numerous groups which perpetrate terror attacks against Jews and Israel -- before an audience comprised of representatives from Iran, Hizbullah, Hamas and other terror organizations, during which he called upon Arab countries to unite in "resistance" activities against Israel (Ha'aretz 6-11-01); he has expressed agreement with Arab MK Taleb a-Sanaa's declaration that the August 2001 machine gun terror attack in Tel Aviv was "an attack of special quality" for which "there can be no guilt feelings" (Jerusalem Post 8-7-01); and he has called Israel an "enemy" at the United Nations World Conference Against Racism held in Durban, South Africa (Arutz Sheva 8-30-01).]
ARAB KNESSET MEMBERS CRITICIZE
(Arutz Sheva, October 8, 2001) "The
The
http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com
ARAB MK MAHOUL OUTDOES HIMSELF
(Arutz Sheva, October 26, 2001) MK Tommy Lapid said that MK Issam Mahoul
should be banned from several Knesset sessions for some of the remarks he made
in the Knesset this week. Speaking to a largely empty Knesset on Wednesday,
Mahoul said that the present government is an "anthrax government,"
and that "Sharon was right when he compared the current situation to
Czechoslovakia [in which, just before World War II, the Western Powers
sacrificed that democratic country to Nazi Germany in hopes of averting that
very war], except that he made a mistake in which side he's on: He's really on
the German side of the equation." Mahoul said that the
http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com
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Arabs MKs injured in Tira protest over
By DAVID RUDGE
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The violence erupted after highway company bulldozers began plowing land to lay the groundwork for the section of the road in the Tira and Taiba region, even though landowners had refused all offers of compensation.
The construction workers moved onto the site with heavy equipment in the morning, escorted by a large contingent of police and Border Police in case of any attempts to disrupt the work.
Hundreds of demonstrators confronted them and were joined by schoolchildren, including many teenagers.
The work continued despite the protests, and it appeared the day would pass relatively peacefully until demonstrators began pelting police with rocks and stones late in the afternoon. The police used their batons to stop the stone throwing and repel the rioters.
In the melee MKs Ahmed Tibi (Arab Movement for Renewal) and Issam Mahoul (Hadash [Communist Party]) were lightly injured, along with several demonstrators and 15 police and border policemen.
There were reports Hadash leader MK Muhammad Barakei was also lightly hurt, although police maintained that the MKs or other civic leaders were never deliberately attacked.
Nevertheless, the Hadash faction called on Knesset Speaker MK Avraham Burg to condemn what it described as a vicious blow to the institution of the Knesset and not just to the MKs themselves. The party called for a full inquiry into the police handling of the disturbances.
Dep. Cmdr. Aharon Franco, head of the
"We have been following the negotiations [over compensation to the land owners], and even while the work was going on negotiations took place," Franco told reporters.
"In fact, it was quiet throughout the day until, unfortunately, towards the evening when the MKs came and the result was a heavy barrage of stones on the police."
He said police had no other choice but to repel the demonstrators to stop the stonethrowing, as a result of which 15 policemen were injured."
Franco said from his inquiries into the incident no policeman had struck an MK.
"As far as I am aware there was no attack [on an MK] but that the opposite occurred and an MK struck a policeman," he said.
United Arab List MK Taleb a-Sanna, who also went to the scene, rejected the police version of events and accused them of acting with an "iron fist" against people he maintained were not intent on confrontation, but on protecting their land.
"Since 1948, more than 80 percent of the land in the cities of Taiba and Tira has been expropriated and there is a severe shortage of space now even for housing," he said.
He said residents want adequate compensation, similar to what landowners in Kafr Kassem received as part of the highway project. Instead, the government sent in bulldozers protected by police, he said.
"I warn that these policies and this mentality could lead to another October," said a-Sanna, referring to the riots in the Arab sector last October in which 13 Arabs and a Jew were killed.
Officials of the Cross-Israel Highway Company maintained residents had been offered compensation and a dunam of land for every dunam needed for the construction of the new road.
Some charged the Islamic Movement and MK Azmi Bishara's Balad Party were behind the refusal of residents to agree to the compensation offers other landowners in the Triangle area had accepted. These allegations were categorically denied by Arab leaders.
The mayors of Tira and Taiba are expected to meet with officials in the Prime Minister's office Wednesday after Prime Minister Ariel Sharon expressed his willingness to intercede and help try to find a negotiated solution.
(c) 2001 The
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Arab MKs accused of sabotaging efforts to free [Druze Israeli Arab] Azzam Azzam
By MIRIAM SHAVIV
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"Ten [Arab] MKs signed a letter to Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak
nine months ago, saying that Azzam should not be released until the last of the
Palestinian prisoners in
Arab MKs strenuously denied the report, including Hadash leader Muhammad Barakei who called it "a wicked slander," and Taleb a-Sanaa (United Arab List), who said that such a letter would constitute "an interference in Egypt's internal affairs, which we respect Egypt too much to do."
The accusation sparked harsh words from the faction heads at the meeting. Coalition chairman Ze'ev Boim pledged he would find a way to prosecute MKs who signed the letter, if it indeed it existed.
"If the news is true, it is treachery," he said. MK Michael Kleiner (Herut) said that any Arab MK found to have signed such a letter "is a Hamas representative in the Knesset."
During the meeting, which was attended by members of Azzam's family including his wife and three of his four children, MKs pledged to send a delegation of faction heads to Mubarak to demand Azzam's release.
"We are here to tell Azzam that he is not alone, that the entire Knesset is united for his cause," said Minister without Portfolio Dan Naveh, who initiated the meeting. "He is innocent."
Labor faction chairman Effi Oshaya urged the government to "do
more," saying he worried that Azzam was being "sacrificed in order to
preserve our relations with
Although several Arab MKs were present, the Arab faction heads were notable by their absence.
Barakei claimed he was not invited, while Sanaa called the meeting "a media festival on the back of Azzam Azzam. It's a political affair which will not advance Azzam's cause."
Azzam's family said his mental and physical condition are deteriorating.
"He is still alive, but we are concerned that soon he will not be with us" said his brother, Sami.
Naveh, who visited Azzam in jail last month, described his living conditions as "horrendous. He has spent five years in a narrow cell, with only a mattress on the floor, no fridge to keep his food fresh, and he is in solitary confinement. Every day in prison is one day too many."
Azzam, 39, from the Galilee town of
The indictment said Azzam confessed to receiving underwear soaked in
invisible ink from Zahra Youssef Jreis and Mona Ahmed Shawahna, both residents
of
He was sentenced in 1997 to 15 years' imprisonment.
(c) 2001 The
[Arab MK A-Sana skips date with police for questioning on his alleged expression of support for a terror attack]
By Baruch Kra and Ori Nir
Ha'aretz, 7 November 2001
MK Talab A-Sana (United Arab List) yesterday declined to attend a scheduled meeting with police investigators. He was to have been questioned by police on suspicion of expressing support for a terror attack several weeks ago in Tel Aviv.
A-Sana said while asking to re-schedule yesterday's meeting, a police officer named Meir warned that if he did not show up at the station, his file would be submitted directly to Attorney General Elyakim Rubinstein with a recommendation for indictment.
This comment, said A-Sana, proves the police are biased and so the MK has written a letter to Rubinstein, demanding that responsibility for the investigation of his case be transferred to a different police team "that has no pre-existing opinions or biases."
Following a gun attack at the city's Kirya military base, A-Sana said in an
interview with
Rubinstein instructed police to investigate whether A-Sana illegally articulated support for a terrorist investigation and they summoned the MK for questioning.
Interview Hadash MK Mohammad Barakeh "I support and agree to all action that is opposition to the Occupation"
IMRA interviewed Hadash MK Mohammad Barakeh, in Hebrew, on 7 November 2001.
IMRA: I hear all kinds of stories in the media that claim that you support terror, Hizbullah, all kind of things and I wanted to ask...
Barakeh: Who said this?
IMRA: There was a report on Arutz 7. An MK also said that you support Hizbullah. So I thought that the best thing to do was to pick up the phone and ask you directly.
Barakeh: There is a proposal that passed its first reading today in the Knesset that prohibits what are called "lists that support terror" from running in the Knesset elections.
IMRA: Without defining what supporting terror is?
Barakeh: Without any definition. In accordance with a list that will be made by the ISS (Shabak) with the certification of the prime minister. The ISS [formerly known as the GSS -- General Security Service] and prime minister will set which organizations are terror organizations.
IMRA: I understand. That is to say organizations and not actions. . .
Barakeh: Both. Two proposals passed. One covers actions and one covers organizations. This is a serious matter that gives the government the opportunity to wipe out all of its political opponents.
IMRA: Opposition to the government is the same thing as support for various organizations?
Barakeh: It gives the government a tool that will prevent all of the opponents of the government from running for election. That is in the future. But in the meantime it is directed towards the Arab citizens and Jewish citizens who support the just peace.
That is to say, that according to the thinking of those who submitted the law, those who support the PLO and the right of the Palestinian people to liberate themselves from the occupation are considered supporting terror.
IMRA: I want to understand. You see yourself as someone who supports. . .
Barakeh: I support the struggle of the Palestinian People in their struggle to be liberated from the Occupation.
IMRA: Via all means?
Barakeh: That they should have an independent state.
IMRA: Via all means?
Barakeh: In accordance with international law. International law clearly
defines the rights of a nation under occupation. I am, of course, against
attacks that hurt the innocent. And I have condemned them. Those who proposed
the law have never condemned the murder of a Palestinian child, and I at least have
made sure to condemn any attacks on innocents in
IMRA: IDF soldiers in the occupied territories do not fall within the category of "innocents"?
Barakeh: All opposition to the occupation. I support and agree to all action that is opposition to the occupation -- according to international law. There will not a law for the State of Israel for the occupation that is different from the occupation in any other state. International law is very clear. It gives the nation living under occupation the right to struggle against the Occupation.
IMRA: I simply want to understand. That is to say that an action against soldiers in the occupied territories. . .
Barakeh: It is not an action against soldiers -- it is an action against the Occupation.
IMRA: OK. But from a practical standpoint, someone who carries out an action against soldiers. . .
Barakeh: I think that to the same extent that the Palestinian People wants to liberate itself from the occupation it is also the interest of the Israeli People to be liberated from the occupation of the Palestinian People.
IMRA: I understand. From a practical standpoint. . .
Barakeh: International law sets that a nation under occupation has the right
to struggle against the Occupation and I do not want to play the game of the
fascists in
IMRA: That is to say that it includes among other things paramilitary operations against the Occupier.
Barakeh: Every action against the Occupation is a legitimate action. These laws are the start of the establishment of an apartheid regime in the State of Israel.
IMRA: I just wanted to ask you: the letter from Yasser Arafat to Yitzhak Rabin of September 9, 1993 states that "The PLO commits itself to the Middle East peace process, and to a peaceful resolution of the conflict between the two sides and declares that all outstanding issues relating to permanent status will be resolved through negotiations [. . .the PLO renounces the use of terrorism and other acts of violence.]" . This is also repeated in later agreements. In terms of the rules of the game, as representative of the Palestinian People didn't Arafat forfeit the right to use force?
Barakeh: I think that if there is an agreement that is signed by him and there are commitments by the two sides then both parties have to fulfill their obligations. The Government of Israel never completely fulfilled its obligations. But I want to say beyond this. If Yasser Arafat committed and the Government of Israel committed, then they have to honor their commitments. But the Occupation in and of itself is a brutal act.
IMRA: I understand that, but here we have a simple point: You see Yasser Arafat as legally having the mandate to forfeit the right to fight the Occupation via other [than diplomatic] means?
Barakeh: He has the mandate as the leader of the national Palestinian Movement if he chooses to make such a commitment then he has a complete mandate to make a commitment to it. But this does not take away from the basic right of the Palestinian People -- or any people under Occupation -- to struggle against Ocupation.
IMRA: Wait a minute. That is to say that if you negotiate with a leader and he signs things then . . .
Barakeh: Then the commitments have to be honored.
IMRA: But this doesn't commit his nation? They can go on [and continue using violence]?
Barakeh: No. If there is a commitment then there is a commitment. And they
have to fulfill their commitment. But you cannot demand that only the
Palestinians fulfill their commitments. The first redeployment was never
completed -- not to mention [the] Mitchell [Plan] and [the division of the city
of]
[Note: "Every action against the Occupation is a legitimate
action." Barakeh, a member of
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Bishara stripped of immunity, may face prosecution
By MIRIAM SHAVIV
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The unprecedented decisions passed with majorities of 61-30 and 65-24, making Bishara the first MK to have his immunity removed for words, not deeds. Soon after the vote, Attorney-General Elyakim Rubinstein confirmed he intends to press charges.
"Removing Bishara's immunity is a great achievement, which will increase our security," Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said as he left the Knesset plenum. "Democracy has to protect itself."
Coalition chairman Ze'ev Boim (Likud) said the government has "determined new rules for the game. The Knesset has said no to Hizbullah and to supporters of [Osama] bin Laden, and yes to the rule of law. The story of 'Bishara Tours' is over."
Bishara, who has always denied encouraging violence, charged the decision to remove his immunity was political
"It comes exactly at the time when there is a very extreme nationalistic feeling in this country," he said.
He called it "an irony of history" that "great democrats like the supporters of [Shas mentor] Ovadia Yosef should be the ones to lift my immunity."
Despite encouragement from other Arab MKs, Bishara said he would not appeal to the High Court of Justice, because "it is the job of the Knesset to protect its members, not the job of the court."
However, he vowed to defend himself if Rubinstein prosecutes him, leading Opposition leader Yossi Sarid (Meretz) to warn that Bishara will turn his trial into an indictment of Israeli democracy.
"It is hard to tolerate Bishara's despicable words, but it is out of
place to turn him into the hero of all of
Despite his position as chairman of the Knesset House Committee, which earlier this week recommended the removal of Bishara's immunity, MK Yossi Katz (Labor) appealed to the Knesset before the vote not to side against Bishara.
"There are 119 losers from this saga, and only one winner - Azmi Bishara - whom you are turning, unjustly, into a national hero and a martyr."
He said harming MKs basic right of freedom of speech, the Knesset is creating a dangerous precedent.
"Today it's Bishara," he said. "Tomorrow it will be [Herut MK Michael] Kleiner and [National Infrastructure Minister Avigdor] Lieberman."
Some Labor MKs voted to remove Bishara's immunity.
Arab MKs were incensed by the vote.
"The decision signals a dangerous trend of negating the legitimacy and the representatives of Arab Israelis," said Hadash leader Muhammad Barakei.
He said he will initiate an urgent meeting of the Arab leadership's monitoring committee, in order to discuss the immunity issue and the steps that must be taken in face of what he called dangerous and anti-democratic trends against Israeli Arabs.
"This is a black day for the Israeli democracy," said MK Ahmed
Tibi (Arab Movement for Renewal). He said the leader of
Boim said Arab MKs who continually complain about Israeli racism and fascism are those who get their values from the darkest regimes.
Bishara now faces two charges. The first is arranging the visits of some 800
Israeli Arabs to
The second involves two speeches. On the first anniversary of the death of
Syrian president Hafez Assad, Bishara spoke at a ceremony in
He called upon the Arab world to unite against the "warmongering
(c) 2001 The
[Note: Labor Party MK Yossi Katz warned that: "Today it's Bishara.
Tomorrow it will be Kleiner and Lieberman." MK Katz, a leader of the Left,
meant that the Knesset was creating a dangerous anti-democratic precedent which,
Today, was being used to stifle the hard Left but which, Tomorrow, could just
as well be used to stifle the hard Right. But his memory is too short; and he,
consequently, misspoke. He should have, instead, declared: "Yesterday it
was Kahane. Today it's Bishara." But he is a hypocrite; and, consequently,
he failed to acknowledge the true precedent which was set 13 years ago -- the
banning of the hard Right Kach Party and its sole MK, Rabbi Meir Kahane, in
1988.
--------------------------------------------------------
Second Arab MK questioned concerning seditious remarks
By ETGAR LEFKOVITS
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(
Following the machine-gun assault at the intersection near the Defense
Ministry offices and the
After the interview, which was rebroadcast on Israel Television and sent
shock waves through the Jewish public in
"There is no country in the world which would be prepared to tolerate a statement from one of its legislators which regards an attempt to kill soldiers in the middle of its cities as legitimate, whatever his political point of view," said Rubinstein at the time.
A-Sanaa had been summoned to appear at the main
"I am very busy man," he said. "The police would be better off doing their job and not harassing Arab members of Knesset."
A-Sanaa maintained that both his media interview and letter to the Arab League were legitimate political actions that in no way could be considered criminal offenses.
"It is no secret that Arab MKs are not Zionists, but rather see
themselves as Palestinian Arabs," a-Sanaa said. He also accused
Rubinstein of the "political persecution" of Arab MKs, adding that
"the attorney-general's political views are determining his
decisions."
Jerusalem Post Staff and Itim contributed to this report.
(c) 2001 The
ISRAELI WOMAN KILLED BY TERRORISTS IN SHOMRON
(Arutz Sheva, November 9, 2001) ... A large [Israeli Arab] Islamic Movement
gathering was to be held today in the [Israeli Arab] Bedouin town of
http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com
ARAB MKS PLAN CAMPAIGN
(Arutz Sheva, November 11, 2001) Israeli-Arab MKs are unhappy with the
stripping of parliamentary immunity from their colleague Azmi Bishara for the
anti-Israeli remarks he made a few months ago in
http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com
[ARAB MK] BISHARA CHARGED WITH PRO-HIZBULLAH STATEMENTS
(Arutz Sheva, November 12, 2001) The State Prosecution filed an indictment
against MK Azmi Bishara in the Jerusalem Magistrates Court today. Bishara is
charged with support of the Hizbullah terrorist organization and [illegally]
helping 19 groups of Israeli Arabs travel to
Today's indictment states that on two separate occasions -- once in [the Israeli Arab village of] Um el-Fahm commemorating the 33rd anniversary of the Six-Day War, and once in Syria on the first anniversary of Hafez el-Assad's death -- Bishara publicly identified with Hizbullah, praised it for its terrorist activities, and called upon the Palestinians to adopt the same methods against Israel.
http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com
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Landau: Some Arab MKs are agents of PA
By MIRIAM SHAVIV
--------------------------------------------------------
(November 15, 2001) Relations between Jewish and Arab MKs, already strained after the Knesset stripped [Arab MK] Balad leader Azmi Bishara of immunity last week, suffered another blow yesterday. Internal Security Minister Uzi Landau charged from the podium that some Arab MKs are "agents of the Palestinian Authority in the Knesset."
"You cooperate with the PA in its struggle against the State of Israel
and attack
His comments provoked pandemonium, with [Arab MK] Issam Mahoul (Hadash) shouting, "You are the minister for thugs, the minister for internal terrorism!" and [Arab MK] Ahmed Tibi (Arab Movement for Renewal) calling Landau a "terror-supporting fascist."
"Take your words back! Retract them!" chanted Mahoul, along with Tamar Gozansky (Hadash) and Zehava Gal-On (Meretz).
Deputy Speaker Maxim Levy (Gesher), who was presiding, was unable to contain the commotion and expelled four Arab MKs from the plenum in quick succession. He also expelled Eliezer Cohen (Yisrael Beiteinu-National Union), who almost came to blows with [Arab MK] Muhammad Kana'an (United Arab List) on his way out. According to eyewitness reports, Kana'an threatened to "teach Cohen a lesson," and the two had to be separated by ushers.
In a fiery speech, [Arab MK] Hashem Mahameed (United Arab List) accused Landau of advocating the murder of Arab MKs. "If I am an agent of the PLO or of Hizbullah, you can murder me. That is what is what you are saying," he yelled at Landau. "You are inciting against us, with no shame, objecting to our citizenship and our membership in the Knesset!"
Levy twice asked Landau to retract his remarks, but in vain. Landau later backed down somewhat, however, saying he was talking about "Arafat supporters in the Knesset, not agents."
The verbal melee took place during a debate on a bill, initiated by Mahameed, to guarantee equal treatment of Jewish and Arab prisoners. Landau claimed that equality exists, and Arab MKs asked him about Ami Popper, who had gunned down seven Palestinian workers in May 1990 and had his seven life sentences commuted to 40 years, and Yoram Skolnik, who killed a suspected terrorist in 1993, and was freed earlier this year. Landau responded with his accusations.
Mahameed's bill was eventually rejected 48-22.
Right-wing MKs largely backed Landau after the session. "He described
the situation just as it is," said coalition chairman Ze'ev Boim. He
accused Arab MKs of "trying to control the plenum by shouting, not
allowing anyone else to speak. Those who support great democracies like
Mahameed, however, appealed to Attorney-General Elyakim Rubinstein to investigate Landau, and opposition leader Yossi Sarid (Meretz) said he was asking the Ethics Committee to look into Landau's remarks. "If Landau has proof that one of the Arab MKs is a foreign agent, let him go to court and prove it. If he has no evidence, he cannot slander MKs, even if they are Arabs," Sarid said.
Arab MKs portrayed the incident as part of an ongoing effort by MKs on the Right to delegitimize them.
"The manifestations of incitement against the Arab MKs, who represent the authentic views of the Arab population, are not over," said [Arab MK] Taleb a-Sanaa (United Arab List). "I am afraid that those who are against us have become a majority in the Knesset, even some ministers."
A-Sanaa called on Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, who was present during the turmoil, to fire Landau "immediately. He cannot represent all the citizens of this country."
Bishara said that what disturbed him most was that "Landau made his remarks...
in premeditated fashion." Calling political rivals "spies" is
"a fascist tactic which is used in
On Monday, Bishara told a protest meeting that "the Knesset is marching toward apartheid. They want docile Arabs, like they had in the 1950s, but those Arabs are no longer around. Step by step, law by law, the Right is competing to see who can incite more against the Arabs."
The meeting had been called to discuss the "attack on democracy," after the Knesset last week removed Bishara's immunity and approved on first reading a bill which would exclude from the Knesset those who express support for an armed struggle against the state. Although dozens of local council heads, human rights activists, and others were expected, less than 15 showed up.
(c) 2001 The
[Note: With respect to the Arab MKs' recurrent claims of disparate treatment between Jewish and Arab prisoners, it is pointed out that many Arab prisoners have had their sentences extinguished during Ramadan and that many Arab prisoners have been similarly released as part of the illusory "peace process" between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. For the sake of accuracy, the Arab killed by Yoram Skolnick was not a "suspected" terrorist; on the contrary, having already attempted to murder a Jew with a knife, he was, in fact, a confirmed terrorist. Finally, with respect to Leftist MK Yossi Sarid's high-minded declaration that: "If Landau has proof that one of the Arab MKs is a foreign agent, let him go to court and prove it. If he has no evidence, he cannot slander MKs, even if they are Arabs", please read the next news item recounting how, during a Knesset session held less than a week after the foregoing session, Arab MK Ahmed Tibi called Ariel Sharon, an MK and the Prime Minister of Israel, a "bloodsucking dictator". Needless to say, MK Sarid did not feel moved, after this latter diatribe, to remind MK Tibi that MKs shouldn't slander each other -- even if the target of the slander is from the Right (and also happens to be the highest elected official in the country).]
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Tibi calls Sharon a 'bloodsucking dictator'
By MIRIAM SHAVIV AND HERB KEINON
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(
Tibi mentioned the anti-Semitic
He asked whether Foreign Minister Shimon Peres's plan to lodge a formal complaint with the UN was "an exaggeration".
"Turning
"I don't write these satires, but I can explain to you that Ariel Sharon's image in the Arab world is 10 times worse than a monster. In their eyes, he is a bloodsucking dictator. That is my opinion about him, and that is the opinion of the Arab world," Tibi said..
Yahalom demanded that Tibi's speech be curtailed, but Deputy Speaker Yehudit Naot refused to force Tibi off the podium, saying that she is "in favor of freedom of expression."
Meanwhile Ambassador to UNESCO Yitzhak Eldan yesterday called on the organization to condemn the skit.
In a letter, Yitzhak Eldan wrote that it is incumbent upon the organization to "condemn this despicable hate and incitement program, and to instigate an effort to promote the spirit of compromise and tolerance so enshrined in the organization's foundations."
By doing so, Eldan wrote, UNESCO would be true to its credo, "since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defenses of peace must be constructed."
He did not only refer to Friday night's skit, but also to the first segment of the program that aired a few days earlier, entitled "I Hate Israel," a reference to a popular Egyptian song of the same name that was a major hit earlier this year.
"In the
The Foreign Ministry said that Proctor & Gamble, which ran advertisements on the show, has withdrawn the ads. The Italian firm Ferraro, which makes Kinder chocolate, also pulled its ads.
[Arab MK Muhammad Kanaan expresses support for Osama Bin Laden]
By: Isabel Kershner
... At the first Israeli Arab demonstration held in support of the people of Afghanistan and against the U.S. military campaign there [which was initiated by the United States in response to the September 11, 2001 terror attacks], in the Galilee town of Tamra on October 20 [, 2001], Knesset member Muhammad Kanaan of the [southern wing of Israel's] Islamic Movement questioned the true identity of the Twin Towers [World Trade Center] attackers and sent his greetings to Osama bin Laden, as organizer Sheikh Raed [Salah, leader of the northern wing of the Islamic Movement in Israel,] smiled over his right shoulder. ...
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By GIL HOFFMAN
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(
Tibi and Barakeh said they met with Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine deputy secretary-general Abdel Rahim Maluah on Wednesday night in Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat's office in Ramallah.
The PFLP, which is on the Israeli and American lists of terror groups, claimed responsibility for the assassination of tourism minister Rehavam Ze'evi last month.
"The PFLP is a terrorist organization, and I think that anyone who
meets with terror groups that carry out murders and attacks needs to be dealt
with as the law requires,"
Deputy National Infrastructure Minister Naomi Blumenthal and MKs Yuval Steinitz (Likud) and Zevulun Orlev (National Religious Party) each wrote Rubinstein Thursday asking him to investigate the two Arab MKs after the story broke on the Web site of Yediot Aharonot.
Tibi (Arab Movement for Renewal) told Channel 1 Thursday night that he and
Barakeh went to Ramallah to meet with Arafat, and Maluah happened to be
present. He said they discussed diplomacy,
"Maluah is an important Palestinian political leader and intellectual, and I am glad to have him as my friend," Tibi said. "As far as I know, he is not wanted by the Israeli government, but even if he were, I would not have to act according to the rules of the IDF."
Blumenthal said the behavior of Tibi and Barakeh has crossed all boundaries of decency, and the public has grown sick of it. Citing the recent decision by the Knesset to remove Balad MK Azmi Bishara's immunity to facilitate a criminal investigation, Blumenthal said Arab MKs have become a "bridge to terror" instead of the "bridges to peace" everyone had hoped for.
Coalition chairman MK Ze'ev Boim said the meeting was a dangerous identification with a terror organization responsible for the murder of an Israeli minister.
"The meeting of Tibi and Barakeh with Arafat and Maluah is a meeting between the political force of terror, Tibi and Barakeh, and its military wing, Arafat and the deputy [of the PFLP]," Herut MK Michael Kleiner said.
National Infrastructure Minister Avigdor Lieberman condemned their meeting, and said his party would work to prevent Tibi and Barakeh from running in the next Knesset election.
Tension between Arab MKs and their colleagues in the Knesset on the Right has escalated in recent months.
Likud MK Yisrael Katz succeeded in passing a bill on its first reading last month aimed at excluding from the Knesset political parties or individuals who express "support for the armed struggle of an enemy country or terrorist organization against the State of Israel."
Channel 2 reported Thursday night that Katz told a rally of supporters of former prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu that he is afraid of United Arab List MK Abdel-Malik Dehamshe.
"He wants to be a martyr for al-Aksa," Katz said "I'll tell you the truth. When I see him enter the Knesset, I always have to check if the bulge in his coat is natural or whether he is planning something."
Opposition leader Yossi Sarid said there are MKs who want relations between Jews and Arabs to explode, and Katz is one of the most dangerous.
(c) 2001 The
[WAFA, THE OFFICIAL NEWS AGENCY OF THE PALESTINIAN NATIONAL AUTHORITY,
REPORTS THAT ISRAELI ARAB MKS AHMED TIBI AND MUHAMMED BARAKEH ATTEND SOLIDARITY
RALLY FOR YASSER ARAFAT IN THE GALILEE REGION OF
(WAFA, December 8, 2001) President Arafat to the Palestinians in
"Our strategic choice is to achieve peace with the Israelis"
"We are the victims and we need International protection"
"We kneel in submission only to the Almighty God"
Ea'belin/Galilee, December 8th, Wafa, Addressing the "Solidarity Rally" for President Yasser Arafat and the Palestinian people in their struggle against occupation, President Yasser Arafat emphasized yesterday via phone, that peace with the Israelis is our strategic choice, according to what have been agreed upon in Madrid and afterwards and the International legitimacy".
Many Arab and Palestinian figures participated yesterday, in this "Supporting Festival" that was held by the Israeli Palestinian political party "Movement for Change" headed by [Arab MK] Dr. Ahmad Tibi, also Egyptian and Jordanian Diplomats, and Israeli Palestinian political, social, religious (Muslim and Christian) figures participated in this event of solidarity, where President Arafat also said: "we are the victims and we need an International protection, we have legitimate rights, and we do not know how to kneel except for God the Almighty".
Hereby some selected quotes from the speech:
"Dear beloved, you who stood alongside with your brothers in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip in their struggle for independence and peace according to the International legitimacy and the UN resolutions 242, 338 ,425, and the resolution for the refugees 194. Your standing with your people at the time when we have lost over 1900 martyrs and over 39000 wounded and our infrastructure, civil establishments and civilians, assures and strengthen us. Therefore I here do reaffirm our commitment to the "Peace of the Brave" that I have cosigned with my late partner Yitshak Rabin according to all resolutions and agreements related to this issue. "
From the other side, [Arab MK] Dr. Tibi said that every occupied nation
has the legitimate right to resist and fight back the occupation until removed.
[Arab] MK Muhammad Baraka warned Sharon that if something should happen
to President Arafat's life or well being, then all restrictions and boundaries
will fall.
Dr. Mazen Altal the Jordanian representative said that Jordan, King and
people support President Arafat and the Palestinian people, until establishing
their independent Palestinian state with
http://www.wafa.pna.net/EngText/08-12-2001/page001.htm
ARAB KNESSET MEMBERS MEET WITH ARAFAT, THEN INSULT IDF TROOPS
(Arutz Sheva, December 17, 2001) Arab Knesset Members Muhammed Barakeh and Ahmed Tibi met with Yasser Arafat in Ramallah today in a show of support for the PLO leader. Following the meeting, the two MKs incited a riot at the nearby IDF A-Ram checkpoint on the northern border of the capital. Soldiers manning the roadblock say that MK Tibi spat at them and cursed them, and then incited Arabs there to a violent riot. Security forces dispersed the mob by firing their weapons in the air. Police and the army are investigating the incident. In September, 1987, Dr. Tibi was dismissed from the Hadassah hospital medical staff for striking a guard at the hospital entrance.
http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com
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Soldier says MK Barakei spit at him
By ETGAR LEFKOVITS
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(
It was the third complaint lodged against Barakei by a soldier or policeman in the last six months.
Barakei, who is already under police investigation for slapping a policeman
outside the Interior Ministry in east
The incident in question occurred at about 11:30 a.m. Monday at the Kalandia
checkpoint, north of
Corp. Elad Abutbul, 19, was checking the identity cards of Palestinians
heading back to Ramallah from the
Suddenly Barakei walked past him, without flashing an identity card or his VIP card.
The soldier asked for identification, at which time Barakei allegedly snapped at him: "Who are you at all?"
In an interview from his base, Abutbul said: "I asked him again for his ID card, and he approached me and spat in my face. I was shocked; never in my whole service have I ever encountered such a thing."
Barakei then began swearing at the soldiers, witnesses said, and a crowd of onlookers, including MK Ahmed Tibi, gathered.
Feeling threatened, a second soldier on duty fired a shot in the air, but succeeded to only further stir the tensions. Eventually several officers, including the battalion commander, arrived and managed to restore calm.
"I have lived with Arabs all my life," said Abutbul, from
Barakei said that he felt "threatened" by the shot, and charged that the soldier had called him "a zero" and cursed his family. Abutbul and his colleague denied the charges.
Calling the incident both grave and disturbing, battalion commander Lt.-Col. David Bloomenfeld said that he felt it was of the utmost importance to lodge the police complaint.
"As a military man, I would like to say that it is a great shame and extremely frustrating that a soldier in the IDF should be put in this sort of situation by an MK," Bloomenfeld said in an interview at his office Tuesday.
(c) 2001 The
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Naveh rape comment sparks Knesset tumult
[Arab MKs slander Jewish MK in order to defend Yasser Arafat's honor]
By MIRIAM SHAVIV
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(
During the session, five Arab MKs were removed from the plenum, Deputy Speaker Yehiel Lasri (Center) called in the Knesset Guard, and proceedings were suspended for five minutes.
The storm broke out during a debate on the government's decision not to
allow Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat to travel to
"Arafat stayed in Ramallah for the simple reason that he is not a Christian saint, but a Muslim terrorist," Naveh said in a response on behalf of the government.
The statement provoked a barrage of catcalls, and Naveh, attempting to illustrate that Arafat and his men are no friends of the Christians, made the allegation of sexual assault which, he said, "Arafat's men did nothing to stop."
MKs Ahmed Tibi (Arab Movement for Renewal) and MK Muhammad Barakei
(Hadash) responded with cries that Naveh is "garbage," "an
inciter," and "lowest of the low."
When Barakei and MK Uri Ariel (National Union-Tekuma) approached each other, Barakei shouted at Ariel, "Get out of here, garbage."
After a five-minute break called by Lasri, who was chairing his first Knesset session, Naveh repeated his statements, claiming they originated in a report in the Hebrew daily Ma'ariv.
"What you just said in the plenum is hurtful, insulting, humiliating, and not worthy of your arguments," MK Yossi Paritzky (Shinui) told Naveh, leaving the hall in protest with MK Ophir Pines-Paz (Labor).
"You are embarrassing the state of
Minutes later, MK Taleb a-Sanaa (Arab Democratic Party), now at the
podium, called Naveh "a miserable racist and fascist," and when he
refused to take back his words, the Knesset Guard forcefully removed him.
"Naveh was allowed to incite from the podium, but the second we start to
speak, they shut us up," a-Sanaa told The
The Knesset voted to refer the debate to the Ethics Committee.
Following the session, Barakei called Naveh "Danny Nazi" and
Tibi called him "Danny Goebbels." "We are used to hearing
allegations of rape from other sources, namely Nazi propaganda," said
Barakei. "This was an unprecedented deterioration. Naveh is trying to
build his name by attacking Arabs. It is time that the Knesset threw out such
miserable creatures.
"There are levels to which we cannot sink," added Tibi,
"but we just hit the lowest of the low."
(c) 2001 The
[Note: MK Naveh attacked, not an Arab MK nor the Arab citizenry of
Interview: Hadash MK Issam Makhoul: Palestinians can kill armed settlers
Aaron Lerner Date: 1 January, 2001
Background: The following is the text of Proposed Law 4794B presented by Hadash [Arab] MK Issam Makhoul, [Arab MK] Mohammad Barakeh and [Jewish MK] Tamar Gozansky, presented to the Knesset on 31.12.2001 [January 31, 2001]:
3215/P: Proposed Law to Amend the Order for Preventing Terror (Struggle Against Occupation), 2001
Amendment to Paragraph 1: 1. In the Order for Preventing Terror 1948, at the end of the definition of "terror organization" will come:
Excepting a group of people who struggle against the occupation that do not carry out one of the following:
(1) Acts of violence that may cause the death or wounding of a person directed towards someone who is not among the security forces.
(2) Threatening the use of weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear, biological or chemical weapons.
+++
IMRA interviewed Hadash [Arab] MK Issam Makhoul, in Hebrew, on 1 January 2002:
IMRA: I had a question about your proposed law. I see in the text the line "someone who is not among the security forces". What is the status of settlers in this law? Are they considered as being among the security forces?
Makhoul: These are things that should be clarified more when we make preparations in committee for the first and second reading. The proposed law does not say that there should or should not be opposition to the occupation, and things that are a part of the occupation such as the opening of a bypass road, confiscation of land, settlements. The proposed law addresses the question as to whether opposition to the occupation is terror. From that standpoint it is not terror.
IMRA: There is a subparagraph and I will read it to you: "Acts of violence that may cause the death or wounding of a person directed towards someone who is not among the security forces". Are settlers considered as a group that is "among the security forces"?
Makhoul: Armed settlers who carry out hostile acts -- yes.
IMRA: A settler who drives in his car and carries a weapon.
Makhoul: What can I tell you. I will be more concrete. From my standpoint
blowing up a bus in
IMRA: I am relating to what is written here. Subparagraph 1. According to the text you proposed are settlers considered "among the security forces"? A settler who carries a weapon in his car is considered "among the security forces"?
Makhoul: Look, armed people are part of the occupation forces. The basic matter in this proposed law that should be taken into account is that there is considerable hypocrisy in the reaction to it after the proposed law by Yisrael Katz that a party list that supports a terror organization cannot run for the Knesset. We are, after all, trying to have the law be in accordance with international law. Everyone is going wild on this.
IMRA: A bus of settler children. . .
Makhoul: Look, for me this is something that is unforgivable. But I am talking about people who are carrying out activities that are part of the Occupation.
IMRA: Are you aware of any Palestinian group that would qualify via this amendment for removal from the terrorist classification? The moment you say that an action against children who are settlers is an act of terror . . .
Makhoul: It is not part of the rules of the game.
IMRA: Then is there any Palestinian organization that would qualify to be removed from the terrorist classification [on the basis that it limits itself to attacking Israeli soldiers]?
Makhoul: Of course. Almost all the elements of the PLO -- first of all -- are for peace, and struggle for the end of the Occupation. As long as their activities are within this framework, then it is not to be considered terror. It may be considered an act of violence, and it could be considered something not to be done, but it is not an act of terror.
IMRA: I get it. Someone who wipes out a bus of [Jewish] children [who are
part of the Occupation by virtue of their residence in the
Makhoul: No a bus of children is an act of terror.
IMRA: So you are not thinking of Fatah Tanzim [who have murdered Israeli civilians, including children] but some other group inside Fatah? I am trying to think of the subgroups of Fatah, which subgroup would have that description [of not attacking Israeli civilians]?
Makhoul: I think that Tanzim. Tanzim doesn't advocate it and do not do it. [Israeli Defense Minister Binyamin] Ben Eliezer and [IDF Chief of Staff Shaul] Mofaz can claim what they want all day, but in practice they attack soldiers in the struggle. . .
IMRA: Only soldiers?
Makhoul: Soldiers.
IMRA: When I saw subparagraph (1) "Acts of violence that may cause the death or wounding of a person" does this mean that someone who throws a rock or a firebomb at a car that may cause death or injury would be engaged in terror?
Makhoul: But that is not an act of terror. It is an act of violence -- rebellion. It cannot be compared to terror.
IMRA: I get it. Throwing rocks and firebombs in order to kill someone is not an act of terror.
Makhoul: It is a popular act. Around the world you see it -- blocking roads, burning tires. . .
IMRA: And throwing rocks and fire bombs?
Makhoul: It is not terror. The strong claim that rock throwing is an act of terror.
IMRA: Was [PLO Chairman Yasser] Arafat's letter of September 1993 -- in which Arafat promised not to use violence but instead to negotiate a forfeiting of what you see as an international right to use force to liberate the occupied territories . . .?
Makhoul: It is naive to make such a claim. This [commitment to nonviolence]
was a promise made within peacemaking -- [it was] not [given for the
purpose of permitting
IMRA: So it was conditional.
Makhoul: I am not saying that. When you continue the war against the Palestinians you cannot expect this to be honored.
IMRA: You are saying that the Israelis started it?
Makhoul: That's not the point. I am saying who decided that
IMRA: The Fatah declaration that the Intifada should continue along with the negotiations is just rhetoric.
Makhoul: No. I think that if the Israelis with the help of President Clinton tried to impose a final agreement that was not just on the Palestinian people -- that left some occupied Palestinian land under occupation -- that should be freed according to UN decisions, and left other issues unresolved, then this is not acceptable.
IMRA: I do not want to take your time. Am I to understand from what you are saying that Arafat's commitment in the letter only applies if all the demands of the Palestinians are met?
Makhoul: All the commitments of the
IMRA: Let's put it this way: As long as Israel does not offer complete withdrawal to the 1967 line and the removal of the settlements in the final agreement, then Arafat has the right to go out of his promise not to use violence.
Makhoul: That is my position -- that the withdrawal must be to the 1967 lines. As long as the Israeli government continues with the position that they seek a military rather than diplomatic resolution of the conflict then Arafat's commitment does not hold.
www.imra.org.il
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Hadash bill would legitimate terror attacks on IDF
By MIRIAM SHAVIV
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(
"It is not the job of legislators to condone any kind of
violence," said opposition leader Yossi Sarid (Meretz). "We, who
object to
Coalition chairman Ze'ev Boim (Likud) called [Arab MK] Issam Mahoul, [Jewish MK] Tamar Gozansky, and [Arab MK] Muhammad Barakei, the MKs who sponsored the bill, "Yasser Arafat's Trojan horses."
"It is very bold, and disgraceful, for Israeli parliamentarians to
allow themselves to suggest a law which legitimates terror and the murder of
Israelis," he said. The bill, which was presented to the Knesset on
Monday, stops groups which fight occupation from being defined as
"terrorist organizations" under the Prevention of Terrorism Act,
unless they target civilians or threaten to use weapons of mass destruction.
National Union-Yisrael Beiteinu MKs Yuri Stern and Uri Ariel Tuesday appealed
to the Knesset presidium not to allow the bill to come up for its preliminary
reading. They noted that under the Knesset regulations, the Knesset speaker
does not have to present a bill that he determines is racist, or which denies
"There is no need to change the Prevention of Terrorism Act, and we must not give legal legitimacy to terror activity, which will be given the disguise of innocent opposition to occupation," Stern said. "I cannot sit in the Knesset with people who permit the blood of our children to be spilled."
MK Issam Mahoul dismissed criticisms of the bill as "attempts to distort it. According to international law, in a state of war, it is legitimate to oppose Occupation, and actions taken under that framework are not terrorism."
(c) 2001 The
No pensions to families of terrorists
[Arab MKs believe that the families of Arab terrorists with Israeli
citizenship should receive national welfare payments to compensate them for
their loss when these Arab citizens of
By: Zvi Zarhiya, Ha'aretz, 3 January 2002
According to new legislation which passed a preliminary reading in the Knesset plenum yesterday, the National Insurance Institute (bituach leumi) will no longer pay pensions to the families of terrorists killed or maimed in terror attacks [thereby changing the prior law which required Israel's national welfare agency to compensate Israeli Arab families for the loss of their terrorist members]. Thirty-two MKs, including the prime minister, voted in favor of the new law submitted by Zvi Hendel (National Union). Eleven MKs from the Arab factions [constituting all of the Arab MKs of all of the Arab parties] and [Jewish MK] Mussi Raz of Meretz voted against.
MK Dehamshe: Israeli Arab October rioters were "noble and right", murderers were "prisoners of conscience"
By: Ori Nir, Ha'aretz, 3 January 2002
Israeli Arab security prisoners, including those who had admitted to murder, were "prisoners of conscience," MK Abdulmalik Dehamshe (United Arab List) said yesterday.
Speaking before the Or Commission of Inquiry, which is investigating the October 2000 disturbances in which 13 Arab citizens were killed by Israeli security forces, Dehamshe said these were "people whose conscience led them to do something, not out of a desire for personal gain," but out of empathy for their brothers in the territories and a desire to further their struggle.
"From their point of view, they did something so noble and so right. It is unthinkable that we should turn our backs on them," Dehamshe added.
The lawmaker, who was a security detainee himself in the past, was questioned about remarks to this effect that he had made during a solidarity rally in support of Israeli Arab security prisoners at Umm al Fahm some 18 months ago.
Dehamshe was also asked to explain why he had called for the use of force against policemen who were sent to guard workers busy with demolishing illegal buildings. Shortly before the October riots, Dehamshe said that the policemen's "legs and arms should be broken."
Several police officers who appeared earlier before the panel said that certain remarks by Arab politicians had been tantamount to a license to attack policemen. Dehamshe told the panel yesterday that he felt it was legitimate to use force, "in self defense," if the police physically attacked people who were defending their homes.
Today, the panel is due to hear testimony from Science, Culture and Sport Minister Matan Vilnai, who was in charge of relations with the Arab sector during the October riots. Vilnai is the first member of the present cabinet who is being called to testify.
Israeli-Arabs join Arafat with call "Millions of martyrs (Shahids) are
marching on
[Arab MK Ahmed Tibi takes "Israeli" Arab delegation to Ramallah in order to show support for "Palestinian" Arab suicide bombers]
By Ori Nir, Ha'aretz 9 February 2002
A delegation of Israeli-Arabs, members of the "Arab Movement for
Renewal", led by MK Ahmed Tibi, visited Palestinian Authority
Chairman in Ramallah on Saturday and participated in a chant calling on martyrs
to march on
The group had gone to Ramallah where Arafat has been kept by IDF troops who have encircled the city and positioned tanks just 100 meters from his office, for nearly two months, to express support for Arafat.
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has said that Arafat will be allowed to leave
once those responsible for the killing of tourism minister Rehavam Ze'evi and
the Karine A weapons boat [which was transporting 50 tons of weapons, including
3000 pounds of C-4 explosives, from
The delegation chanted "Millions of martyrs (shahids) are marching on
Arafat told the delegation that the Palestinian people, with its resilience
and its ability to withstand, would overcome
Tibi spoke of the importance of Palestinian unity in the face of
"Israeli aggression."
[Note: In "Palestinian" argot, the term "shahid"
(martyr) generally refers to a "Palestinian" who dies while
attempting to murder Jews; in the present context it specifically refers to
"Palestinian" suicide bombers. Just a few days earlier, on February
3, 2002 in the New York Times newspaper, the very same Arafat, through his
ghost-writers, had published a statement in the New York Times declaring:
"Let me be very clear. I condemn the attacks carried out by terrorist
groups against Israeli civilians. These groups do not represent the Palestinian
people or their legitimate aspirations for freedom. They are terrorist
organizations, and I am determined to put an end to their activities.... No
degree of oppression and no level of desperation can ever justify the killing
of innocent civilians." But, of course, these rare and ephemeral words of
conciliation were written in English for an American audience -- and,
predictably, they were neither republished nor even acknowledged
by "Palestinian" radio, television or newspapers in Judea,
MK Tibi: Only a few chanted "Millions of martyrs (Shahids) are marching
on
Aaron Lerner Date: 10 February 2002
On Israel Radio this morning, MK Ahmed Tibi was asked why his party members
chanted "Millions of martyrs (Shahids) are marching on
Tibi responded that: "900 - 1,000 people were there. Only six to seven joined in the chant. It is not my view; I don't want death. But I support the struggle of liberation."
Anchor Aryeh Golan asked: "Yasser Arafat wants to send millions of
martyrs to
Tibi replied: "I join in his struggle, but that doesn't mean that I agree with everything he does. I am against bombing in Palestinian cities. 99% of those there did not participate. Six or nine kids joined in.
Golan: Arafat chanted -- he does every day.
Tibi: You have to be in his place -- with tanks etc. You can't expect him to sing Hatikvah.
Tibi also denied that Arafat sent children to carry out attacks.
Herut MK Michael Kleiner was on the program immediately after Tibi, and noted that neither Tibi nor anyone else at the meeting of Israeli Arabs with Arafat raised objection to the chant during the meeting.
[Note: It is amazing that six (or so) "Palestinian"
children were able project their voices in such a way that they sounded like a thousand
adults! Tibi says of Arafat: "You can't expect him to sing HaTikva" (
TERRORIST'S BODY WRAPPED IN PIGSKIN
[Arab MKs are enraged that an Arab terrorist's corpse was "defiled" by its contact with a pig's carcass]
(Arutz Sheva, February 20, 2002) "Residents of Gush Katif [in the Gaza Strip] decided to take matters into their own hands," said local Rabbi Yosef Al-Nekaveh yesterday, "and when we were involved in evacuating the bodies of the three murdered Israelis (at the Kisufim attack this past Monday night), they placed pig fat and pigskin on the body of the dead terrorist." He said that a "right-wing kibbutznik" had supplied them with the swinish tissues. Arab MKs responded with outrage. [Arab MK] Ahmed Tibi said, "This is a pig-like act of a man who is not worthy of being a rabbi," while [Arab MK] Abdel Malek Dahamshe added, "The ethical inferiority and lowliness that the settlers have reached is intolerable. This is an act of first-degree desecration of God's Name... It is especially shocking to think that a rabbi did this." On the other side of the spectrum, [Jewish MK] Tzvi Hendel said, "If these primitive murderers stuff their brains with nonsense about Paradise and who-knows-how-many virgins waiting only for them, then they certainly believe in the other nonsense that being buried with pigskin blocks their way to Paradise."
[Note: No one should be shocked or surprised that "Israeli" Arab MKs are more concerned with the dignity of a dead terrorist than they are with the right of Jews not to be murdered. As for their outrage at the commingling of pig and terrorist, it is much more likely that the pig's corpse was defiled by its contact with the terrorist's carcass than the other way around.]
--------------------------------------------------------
PA arrests three of Ze'evi's killers
By
[Arab MK Ahmed Tibi declares that the murderers of Jewish MK and Tourism
Minister Rehavam Ze'evi should not be turned over to
[excerpts of article are republished below]
--------------------------------------------------------
(
[Note: MK Tibi is lying when he states that
Arab deputy calls for ICJ probe into Israeli war crimes
["Israeli" Arab MK Mohammad Barakeh files a request with the
International Court of Justice that it investigate
(
In a letter to the ICJ, a copy of which was obtained by AFP, the communist
MP accused the Israeli forces, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Defence
Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer of carrying out "war crimes" in the
The Israeli army launched on March 29 its largest military operation inside
the occupied territories since the 1967 Middle East war, invading six
Accusing
"The Israeli army has indiscriminately shelled refugee camps, using helicopters, warplanes, tanks and heavy artillery, killing hundreds of people. Medical assistance has been denied, hospitals have been shelled," said Barakeh's letter.
"The population is starving because of the curfew, while water pipes
and electricity networks have been destroyed," the MP went on.
Two days ago, Lebanese president Emile Lahoud called for the Israeli leadership to appear in front of the ICJ for the "massacres" committed by the army in the Palestinian territories.
Barakeh, from the Hadash Party which counts both Israeli Arab and Jewish members, has been a vocal critic Israel's hard-line premier and recently lost an appeal with the Supreme Court which he had urged to rule as illegal Israel's policy of assassinating suspected Palestinian activists ["activists", i.e., operational leaders of the terror organizations, such as Tanzim, Force 17, Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, Hamas, and Islamic Jihad].
[Note: Without addressing each and every slanderous allegation made by this
Arab MK, suffice it to say that if any "Palestinians" were actually
"starving because of the [present] curfew" or because of any prior
curfews or closures (as has been continuously alleged by
"Palestinian" Arab spokesmen and "Israeli" Arab MKs), then
the world would already have been provided with some actual proof
(rather than merely an endless repetition) of such allegations through
the ubiquitous eye of the international media. It is certainly treasonous
that, when this Arab MK -- who has publicly taken an oath of loyalty to the
State of Israel -- was outraged enough by the continuing carnage to demand a
war crimes investigation, such outrage is publicly directed: neither at
the Palestinian Authority (through its Tanzim, Force 17 and Al-Aqsa Martyrs
Brigades terror appendages) or Hamas or Islamic Jihad; nor -- to be
"even-handed" in the interests of "the peace process"-- at
both these entities and the State of Israel; but only at the
State of Israel. Clearly, in the view of this and the other Arab MKs,
What happened at Jenin? [Excerpt republished below]
[Despite the fact that the terrorist cells of Tanzim, Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, Hamas and Islamic Jihad which were ensconced throughout Jenin had booby-trapped most of the buildings, vehicles, and alleyways there, thereby causing most of the structural damage suffered by the town, and despite the fact that virtually all of the Arab dead there were, in fact, armed combatants, Arab MK Ahmed Tibi attempts to bolster the blood libel that Israel murdered hundreds of noncombatants there.]
By: Stewart Bell (National Post, with files; Reuters, April 15, 2002)
National Post reporter Stewart Bell interviewed Palestinians fleeing the Jenin refugee camp and Israeli military officials in an attempt to sort out the two sides' widely disparate claims about the conduct and human cost of the battles in the camp.
- - -
RAMANEH, West Bank - Ramaneh Elementary and Preparatory School normally echoes with the squeals of children. Yesterday it served a more sombre function as a refuge for hundreds of war-weary Palestinians displaced by the fighting in nearby Jenin.
There was a woman who had fled her home in such a panic she grabbed the wrong child, realizing too late that she was running away from the battle with her nephew rather than her son. She still does not know what happened to her boy.
There were young men who told of being rounded up en masse by Israeli troops, detained and released with orders to carry crude army-issue photo identity cards. And there were those who said missiles had struck their homes, all but destroying them.
During a stop at the Ramaneh school, Ahmed Tibi, an Arab member of the
Israeli Knesset, said he had met hundreds of Palestinians displaced by what he
termed the "massacre" in Jenin, where 23 Israeli troops and at least
100 Palestinians were killed last week.
"Everyone has a story," he said. "Everyone has a tragedy,
about executions they saw, about their whole family that was killed, about the
most tangible concern --where is my family?"
While the people of Jenin had vivid accounts of the fighting and destruction of homes, few seemed to have first-hand knowledge of the massacres said to have taken place. The lack of solid information has fuelled the rumour mill.
A grocery store owner near Jenin spoke in a hushed voice about seeing Israeli troops loading the bodies of massacred Palestinians into a refrigerated truck which he said was still parked on a nearby hill.
Asked to elaborate, he declined. "The people that are sitting there are collaborators," he said.
The refrigerated truck was parked on a grassy hill, where Israeli troops were resting with their tanks and armoured vehicles listening to Alanis Morissette on a stereo.
When a National Post reporter inspected the truck, it contained not bodies but apples and other food and supplies for the troops.
Yesterday was a day of diplomacy in the
The Jenin refugee camp, a hotbed of Palestinian militancy, was the scene of the heaviest fighting of the current Israeli counter-terrorism offensive. Although the house-to-house street battles ended four days ago, the camp remains off-limits (still, the Israeli army took a hand-picked group of reporters on a guided tour yesterday).
The Israelis say the camp has not been opened up because it was extensively booby-trapped by Palestinian militants. But that has only fuelled speculation that the Israelis are buying time to cover up a massacre. A few reporters who snuck past security lines or broke away from the official tour overseen by Israeli officials found bodies, frightened civilians and heavy damage to buildings.
The contorted bodies of four Palestinian men, blackened by decomposition, were found in a living room apparently hit by a missile. Andeera Harb, 34, a child psychologist whose relatives owned the house, said the four men had been eating dinner.
However, there was a helmet on the head of one body. What appeared to be pipe bombs were partially hidden under a coat.
In a room of a house 100 metres away, the bloated body of a middle-aged man, arms and one leg suspended in rigor mortis, lay on its side next to a bookcase.
Only a few dozen residents were seen, all women, children and older men. They said the army had killed or detained all men of fighting age, whether they were militants or not.
Many homes, including some untouched by fighting, seemed to have been ransacked. Residents claimed money, jewelry and other valuables had been stolen, and that larders were raided.
In
Jacob Dallal, an army spokesman, said 26 bodies lay unretrieved around the once-teeming concrete camp, home to Palestinian refugees since 1948, and more could be under the wreckage. Another nine Palestinian bodies were turned over [by Israeli forces] to two hospitals for burial and two more had been buried by relatives.
All but three were members of the estimated 200-strong, hard-core Palestinian militant force in the camp, Mr. Dallal said. The others were two women and a child.
Jenin has exacted the highest Israeli toll -- 23 soldiers [15 of them when a
adolescent suicide bomber exploded himself in their midst and nearby terrorists
detonated pre-planted explosive charges which collapsed an entire building on
the soldiers] and scores wounded -- in the 16-day incursion into
Mr. Dallal cited these as one reason why 26 bodies had yet to be retrieved. "Some of the bodies themselves may be booby-trapped."
Army officers said the Palestinian Red Crescent had been reluctant to collect bodies for safety reasons. However, Palestinian medics say the army has barred them from entering the camp and some Palestinians said the army was secretly burying corpses in mass graves to cover up a massacre.
Standing before eight-metre mounds of rubble and earth in the square, army officers said most of the camp's 15,000 residents had been evicted by militants who placed booby traps in their homes, before the army arrived.
Camp residents said the army drove them out by threatening to destroy their homes, and then kept them out.
"Most of the houses we approached on entering the camp were empty [of civilians]. The camp was ready for war," said Israeli platoon commander Yoni Wolff.
"People are living in agony because of these massacres," Mr.
Tibi said. "No one has any numbers but people here are talking about
hundreds of Palestinians murdered. People are talking about a missile attack by
helicopter, by tank."
Major Natan Golan, spokesman for the Israel Defence Forces, countered that what the Palestinians are calling a massacre was really an extremely heavy battle between government troops and armed militants who set bombs throughout the village.
Jenin was "littered with explosives and [defended by] very certified terrorists," he said. He acknowledged there was heavy damage to the camp but said it was a result of booby-trap bombs that were either set off by Palestinians or blown up by Israeli forces.
He also said the Israeli army had dispatched rescue teams to Jenin yesterday to help rescue 19 Palestinians trapped in two collapsed buildings.
Tanks were not used in the operation because the streets are too narrow and helicopters were only used on one day, when a group of Israeli troops were ambushed. "There was no massacre in the Jenin refugee camp," Maj. Golan said.
He blamed the Palestinian propaganda machine for the massacre story. "They are doing their job well," he said.
. . .
[Note: Had
--------------------------------------------------------
Israeli-Arab extremism
By Evelyn Gordon
--------------------------------------------------------
(
Based on videotapes of the event, police believe the five detainees -- who
include the head of a movement for Bedouin educational rights, the head of the
["Israeli" Arab town of] Rahat sports and culture center and the head
of the Arab student union at
That such violent statements came from respected community leaders rather
than the lunatic fringe is deeply disturbing. That many other community
leaders, though claiming to oppose such statements, nevertheless defended them
at the press conference as legitimate political speech is even more so. Yet
most disturbing of all was the rationalization offered by Arab MK Taleb a-Sanaa
(United Arab List): The police, he told reporters, are persecuting leaders who
did nothing more than express views shared by all Israeli Arabs.
What makes a-Sanaa's statement so frightening is that one need only accept one (not implausible) premise - that Arab MKs truly represent the public that elected them - to find it irrefutable. For over the last few years, statements praising violence against Jews have become standard fare among these MKs.
MK Abdul Malik Dahamshe (UAL), for instance, told the Or Commission of
Inquiry in January that Israeli Arabs convicted of murdering Jews were
"prisoners of conscience," because murder, even of noncombatants, is
"something so noble and so right" if selflessly committed to further
the Palestinian cause. Hashem Mahameed (UAL) told the same panel in November
that throwing rocks at Jews is a legitimate form of democratic protest.
Azmi Bishara (Balad) gave a speech in
Mohammed Barakei (Hadash) gave a speech in November 2000 in which he
urged Israeli Arabs to participate in Palestinian violence against
THE ARAB parties have 10 seats in the current Knesset, representing roughly
two-thirds of the Arab electorate. Part of the remainder boycotts the polls at
the behest of the [northern wing of
This conclusion is particularly significant given the recent reemergence of
the doctrine of "transfer" (expulsion of the Arabs) into Israeli public
discourse. Today, an overwhelming majority of
Ironically, one of the few Israeli Arab leaders to have understood this is MK Mahameed ("rock-throwing is legitimate"). In an interview with Ha'aretz in January, Mahameed warned his fellow MKs that when they cast their struggle as being "against the Jews or against the state" instead of merely as against government policies, this lends credence to transfer advocates.
"I don't want us to wave around radical slogans today and cry tomorrow over the results," he said.
A similar awakening is desperately needed among other Israeli Arab leaders - and even more so among the Israeli Arab public. While a few Israeli Arabs have publicly expressed dismay over their elected representatives' extremism, the jury is still out on whether they represent the silent majority.
The acid test will be the next Knesset elections, when Israeli Arabs will
have the choice of reelecting or rejecting the current crop of extremists. They
may well be voting on the future of Jewish-Arab coexistence in
(c)
[Note: The late Rabbi Meir Kahane wrote, and spoke about, this issue some 20
years ago, and he came to the conclusion (based upon Torah law as well as upon
pragmatic grounds) that the forcible "transfer" (with certain
exceptions based upon proven loyalty to the Jewish State) of the
"Israeli" Arab and "Palestinian" Arab population to one or
more Arab states was the only solution. Now, two decades later,
commentator Evelyn Gordon finally opens her eyes in surprise and discovers that
Arab MKs who -- on a daily basis -- essentially advocate for the destruction of
Israel actually represent the views of their constituency which -- year
after year -- returns them to the Knesset. The real question is: What
took this astute commentator so long to acknowledge the obvious, namely,
that "Israeli" Arabs do not accept -- and will never accept
-- the legitimacy of a Jewish State in any part of the biblical
CLOSING UP "DEFENSIVE SHIELD"
[Arab MKs demand the right to "pray" at the besieged Church of the Nativity]
(Arutz Sheva, April 21, 2001) [excerpt republished]
. . .
In
[Note: All of a sudden, they just wanted to pray there?! The attempt by Arab MKs to enter the Church for the purpose of giving "moral" support and/or providing intelligence information to terrorists who have made war upon the State of Israel is yet further proof that these "parliamentarians" constitute a cancer inside the Knesset. However, giving them the benefit of the doubt -- just this last time -- perhaps these MKs thought that the Church was -- or should be -- a mosque!]
ARAB MKs DISRUPT ISRAELI DEMOCRACY
(Arutz Sheva, April 30, 2002) Arab MKs prevented a Knesset committee from debating today a question of disciplinary action against Arab Knesset Member Ahmed Tibi. The Knesset House Committee was to deal with a request by the Likud Party to take measures against Tibi, in light of the praise that Tibi had for the Jenin terrorists and the strong fight they put up against IDF soldiers. The other Arab MKs shouted and yelled throughout the debate, especially when Likud MK Michael Eitan tried to speak. Finally, Likud MK Ze'ev Boim walked out in anger -- after partially overturning a table -- and the Chairman was forced to call off the session. Likud MKs Boim and Eitan held a press conference afterwards to present their view of the incident. "This is a struggle for the right of Knesset members to engage in parliamentary debate without being interrupted by Arab MKs who don't understand what democracy is and don't know how to talk and hold a cultured dialogue. Interruptions are allowed, but not an organized campaign to shut mouths and silence others from speaking, as they did today."
In a related item the Knesset Ethics Committee decided to sanction Hadash
Party MK Issam Makhoul, barring him from three plenum sessions. Several
weeks ago, Makhoul shouted "Heil Sharon" in the Knesset while making
the Nazi salute with his hand directed towards the Prime Minister [Ariel
Sharon].
SOME ARAB MKs MAY NOT BE ABLE TO RUN FOR KNESSET
(Arutz Sheva, May 1, 2002) By a wide margin of 12-3, the Knesset Law Committee approved today a legislative proposal to ban political parties that support terrorism from running in Knesset elections. Likud MK Yossi Katz initiated the proposal in an attempt to prevent Arab MKs from taking advantage of their Parliamentary immunity to express solidarity with Arab terrorism. Arab MK Ahmed Tibi sparred with Katz today on the matter. Tibi said, "You are attempting to restrain Arab electoral strength. In the next elections, there won't be just one Ahmed Tibi, but three of us - I promise you." MK Katz said, "With all your fancy talk, I can tell you that from the minute this law passes, the next time you find yourself praising the terrorists or encouraging them to fight against soldiers, you will find yourself out of the Knesset." The bill now moves to the full Knesset for final approval.
[Note: It's about time! Yet the existence of a legal mechanism to expel offending "Israeli" Arab Knesset members does nothing to change -- and, what's worse, may even serve to obscure -- the fact that these parliamentarians are only articulating the treasonous views of their "Israeli" Arab constituency.]
RESTRICTING ARAB INCITEMENT
[MK Ahmed Tibi complains that
(Arutz Sheva, May 15, 2002) The Knesset passed two bills today designed to restrict Arab incitement. The first stipulates that one who makes a public call for an act of violence or terrorism, or praise for terrorist acts, will face up to five years in jail -- if there is a concrete possibility that the call would lead to the perpetration of the violence. The second bill, sponsored by Likud MK Yisrael Katz, states that a party whose representatives express support for a violent struggle against Israel would not be permitted to run in national elections.
The second bill passed by a very large majority, 77-18, and the other one also passed, 55-36. MK Katz, only minutes before the vote, enumerated to the Knesset the many inciteful statements uttered by Arab MKs in recent months that had made the law necessary. Minister Sheetrit said afterwards, "The Knesset has put an end to wild incitement… The law does not affect freedom of speech, but merely puts a limit on the freedom of incitement. Democracy has a right to protect itself…" MK Ahmed Tibi, participating in the Knesset debate on the bill, said, "You can't stop me at the starting line just because my name is Ahmed." MK Nissim Ze'ev (Shas) called out, "You support terrorism, you are an agent of the enemy entity, and you will no longer be able to support the enemy as a Knesset Member." Other sharp exchanges involved other Arab MKs and MKs Benny Elon, Tzvi Hendel, Yisrael Katz, and others.
[Note: It is more than obvious that MK Tibi, a former official advisor to Yasser Arafat's Palestinian Authority, really meant to say: "You can't stop me at the starting line just because my name is Ahmed ... and just because the political party which I lead supports 'armed resistance' against the 'Zionist entity' both within the 1967 'occupied territories' and within the 1948 'occupied territories'."]
Knesset panel: Restrict Tibi's freedom of movement
By: Nina Gilbert
(
Michael Eitan's (Likud) request to limit Tibi's immunity was approved 12-5. MKs from Labor, Shinui, and Yisrael Ba'aliya did not attend the vote. The recommendation is to be brought before the Knesset plenum for approval soon.
MKs from the Likud, Shas, Gesher, National Religious Party, and National Union-Yisrael Beiteinu supported Eitan's proposal. Opposing it were committee chairman Yossi Katz (Labor), Naomi Chazan (Meretz), Nehama Ronen (Center), Hadash leader Muhammad Barakei, and United Arab List leader Abdel Malik Dehamshe.
[Arab MK] Barakei slammed the Labor faction for failing to send three of its MKs to the vote, calling them "wimps."
Eitan said he submitted the request after Tibi clashed with soldiers at roadblocks into the Palestinian Authority areas during Operation Defensive Shield, and also entered the Jenin refugee camp in violation of a military order. Eitan said the committee should have curbed Tibi long ago, adding that there are "lines that MKs should not cross."
Tibi called the vote a "black day for Israeli democracy," and vowed to challenge the decision in the High Court of Justice.
He said Eitan's move was only intended as "political persecution" for his opinions, and that he had exploited the ongoing conflict with the Palestinians to punish him.
Tibi said he would continue to represent his electorate, and Eitan could
not scare Israeli Arabs into supporting the government. "I oppose the
government and its policies, not the State," he said, adding that Eitan
could "not turn him into a Zionist."
Knesset legal adviser Anna Schneider said the removal of the privilege would mean that Tibi's right to freedom of movement would be the same as any other citizen's.
However, Tibi still has parliamentary immunity from arrest and indictment, and the attorney-general must have the Knesset approve such requests. As a result, Schneider said in practice the move may not have much impact on Tibi. Moreover, MKs' parliamentary right to freedom of movement only applies inside the country.
The late Kach MK Meir Kahane's freedom of movement and right to send free correspondence were also revoked by the Knesset.
Shaul Yahalom (National Religious Party) and Katz recommended that Tibi's freedom of movement only be limited until the end of the Knesset summer session in August [2002]. However, their proposal was rejected. The 15th Knesset is scheduled to dissolve in November 2003.
Chazan said the committee's decision had turned the Knesset into a court, which she said harms its status as an institution.
Under the MKs Immunity Law, an MK may submit a request to withhold privileges from another MK.
[Note: In the same breath, MK Tibi declares that he will continue representing his constituency; but that he does oppose the government; but that he does not oppose the State; but that he does oppose Zionism. Is this just gibberish? No. MK Tibi means that he and his electorate accept Israel, not as a Jewish State, but rather as a State comprised of its inhabitants which, based upon present demographic trends, will eventually become just another one of the many Arab states in the World, albeit one with a substantial Jewish minority (and, of course, with a formidable nuclear capacity). To that end, he justifies terror attacks against the Jewish people ostensibly to end "The Occupation" of "Palestinian" lands but actually to make life in Israel so dangerous for Jews that their emigration will flow and their immigration will ebb -- all just to hasten that day when the Jewish State is no more.]
Israeli Arab leaders say "no" to security fence
["Israeli" Arab MKs join together with other "Israeli"
Arab leaders to oppose the security fence that
By DAVID RUDGE
(
The decision was taken at an emergency meeting in Umm el-Fahm of the secretariat of the Monitoring Committee of the Israeli Arab Leadership, composed of [Arab] MKs, council heads and prominent public figures.
Work began last week on the construction of a 110-kilometer stretch of the
security fence from the
Participants at the meeting maintained they oppose the fence because they are opposed to the ongoing violence from which both Palestinians and Israelis have been suffering.
"We are opposed to this fence, because we don't believe it can bring about real peace and security," said Abed Inbitawi, spokesman for the committee, after the meeting.
"This fence is not based on borders that have been agreed upon by both sides on the basis of UN Security Council resolutions and therefore it cannot guarantee anything in the short term and certainly not in the long term," said Inbitawi.
The committee also decided, as a matter of principle, to fight any expropriation of Arab-owned land and to oppose any infringement of the municipal jurisdiction of Arab local authorities for the construction of the fence.
The problem was first raised last week by Umm el-Fahm Mayor Suleiman Agbariya, who claimed the route of the fence near his city would exclude some homes and would deny some residents access to their fields and orchards.
The committee agreed that the municipality should continue negotiations with the Defense Ministry over the project, but would support its opposition to any expropriation of Arab-owned land or infringement of its municipal jurisdiction.
It was further agreed to establish a regional subcommittee composed of council leaders in the Triangle area and local landowners to closely monitor the situation and coordinate action with the monitoring committee.
Inbitawi noted that other towns and villages in the Triangle region would be disrupted by the fence, apart from Umm el-Fahm.
The regional subcommittee is to report back to the main forum within a week on its findings and with its recommendations for action.
Inbitawi said that at the moment all possibilities are being considered, including legal action, demonstrations, political lobbying, and raising the issue in the international arena.
He stressed that the opposition of the monitoring committee to the security fence is based on humanitarian grounds, as well as the belief that it would not bring about an end to the violence.
"We believe that the government is misleading the public, primarily psychologically, by giving the impression that this security fence... will help bring about security, whereas there is no guarantee that this will be the case," said Inbitawi.
Meanwhile, Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer spoke with the head of the
Gilboa Regional Council yesterday and assured him that, with work on the Green
Line security fence set to start today, planning for a continuation of the
fence in the council's northern
Previously, the council heads threatened to raise funds for building their own security fence in the council's jurisdiction.
(c) 2002 The
[Note: While Jews both advocate and oppose the building of the security fence based upon a unitary theme, namely, whether or not they believe the fence will save Jewish lives, Arab MKs oppose the fence for a very different reason, namely, their fear that the fence will succeed in restricting the virtually unfettered access of "Palestinian" Arabs, among them terrorists, to Israel within the 1949 armistice demarcation lines.]
EMANUEL TERRORISTS CLAIM TWO MORE
[Arab Knesset member Azmi Bishara praises terror attack]
(Arutz Sheva, July 17, 2002) [excerpt republished]
. . .
At least four Palestinian terrorist organizations took credit for the attack
[at the entrance to the Jewish
Conflicting voices were heard in the Palestinian Authority about the
slaughter. Although Arafat's Fatah organization was quick to take credit for
it, the PA itself issued an official condemnation of attacks on "innocent
civilians." The condemnation was given an interesting spin by PA cabinet
secretary Ahmed Abdel Rahman: "(These civilians) were in the wrong place
at the wrong time. If they call themselves Israeli citizens, let them stay
there and not come into our land." He further said that the official
condemnation was issued only because of heavy international pressure, and that
the PA "supports and even aids" terrorist attacks in Judea and
Israeli-Arab Knesset Member Azmi Bishara was almost as outspoken:
"If the Palestinians want a state, attacks like this help them," he
told an Egyptian television station yesterday. Bishara refused to condemn the
attack, saying afterwards, "I have always been against attacks against
civilians -- but never [against attacks] in the territories (Judea and
Bitter Circus Erupts as
[Arab Members of Knesset give moral support to PLO terrorist on trial in
(New York Times, August 15, 2002) By SERGE SCHMEMANN [excerpt republished]
JERUSALEM, Aug. 14 — Marwan Barghouti, the most prominent Palestinian leader to be brought before a civilian Israeli court, made clear at his indictment on terrorism charges today that he intends to turn his public trial into a political duel with Israel.
Waving his handcuffed hands in his first appearance since his capture on April 15, Mr. Barghouti shouted in Hebrew (a language he learned during his previous incarcerations in Israeli prisons), "I have charges against the Israeli government!"
As television cameras and radio microphones recorded the proceedings, he
continued, "I have a charge sheet with 50 clauses against
Mr. Barghouti was twice pulled out of the Tel Aviv courtroom by guards in attempts to stop his speeches before the session finally ended with the announcement that the next hearing in his case would be Sept. 5.
But Arab members of the Israeli Parliament who were in the courtroom
picked up his theme.
"This will be a trial of the Israeli occupation and
oppression," said one of them, Ahmed Tibi.
The Israeli prosecutor made equally clear that
Chen, the prosecutor, said her evidence in the case includes the testimony of Mr. Barghouti's supposed associates who are also in Israeli custody; documents seized by the Israeli Army during its large-scale raids into the West Bank last spring — including some intended to establish Mr. Arafat's personal role in approving and financing terror strikes, and statements made by Mr. Barghouti himself during his interrogation.
"The charges are murder, attempted murder, conspiracy to murder and activities in a terrorist organization," Ms. Chen said.
Israel's basic case is that Mr. Barghouti, as the West Bank leader of Fatah [-- the main faction of the Palestine Liberation Organization], Mr. Arafat's core political movement, was responsible for terror attacks carried out by Fatah's secretive and deadly Aksa Martyrs Brigades. The charge sheet, which she did not read out in court, specifically cites 37 attacks in which 26 people were killed and scores wounded.
"The accused, a Ramallah resident, heads the
. . .
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Barghouti gets French Jewish lawyer
By MATTHEW GUTMAN
[Arab MK Muhammed Barakei complains that Israeli court is biased against mass murderer]
(
Gisele Halimi, a 75-year-old French lawyer who earned her reputation by defending Algerians fighting French rule, announced on Saturday that she will lead the team defending the Tanzim leader and founder of the Aksa Martyrs Brigade who was indicted on numerous counts of murder, attempted murder, and leadership of terrorist organizations.
The polished Halimi, who said she met with Barghouti last Friday -- a day
after the stormy opening session of the Barghouti trial -- immediately
questioned
"Who is Marwan? What has he said? What has he written?" she asked. "We can't talk here of any real proof or facts."
Daniel Taub, the Foreign Ministry's point man for the Barghouti trial, responded by calling the evidence gathered against Barghouti "a very serious charge sheet."
Regardless, Taub said Halimi's work will be in vain. "I have no idea what she thinks she is going to be doing for [Barghouti]," he said. "She will certainly not be representing him in court."
According to Israeli law, only members of the Israeli Bar may represent their clients in court. The only exception, last utilized in the Ivan Demjanjuk case in the late 1980s and early 1990s, is geared for the trial of suspected Nazi war criminals.
Earlier on Saturday, Barghouti's lawyers said they will appeal Israeli jurisdiction to try their client. Jawad Boulus, who until Saturday was Barghouti's lead attorney and still remains on his legal team, has said that agreements signed with Israel in 1994 give Palestinian militants immunity; because Barghouti is an elected member of the Palestinian Legislative Council, Boulus added, Israel has no right to try his client.
Barghouti will next appear in court on October 3, when he is again to represent himself so that he may present what his lawyers call "a political trial."
On Friday, MK Muhammed Barakei (Hadash) called on Supreme Court President
Aharon Barak to disqualify Sarah Sirota, the presiding judge in the Barghouti
case, for comments she made on last Thursday's stormy session.
After repeatedly rejecting the court's right to try him, and refusing to hear his indictment -- against the advice of the court -- Barghouti stated that "the Israeli government is waging a war of genocide, and I am a freedom fighter for peace between the two peoples."
In response, Sirota snapped, "Peace activists do not turn children into bombs and kill people."
That comment effectively passed judgment on the defendant before the
presentation of evidence in the court had commenced, said Barakei, who also
condemned the scolding tone Sirota used with the defendant.
Generally, either the prosecution or the defense, not an uninvolved third party [such as MK Barakei], calls for the judge's disqualification.
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(c) 2002 The
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Arafat still isolated; Mukata destruction halted
[Three Arab MKs -- and one Jewish MK -- attempt to make a solidarity visit to the besieged Mukata compound of Yasser Arafat]
By MARGO DUDKEVITCH and LAMIA LAHOUD [excerpts republished]
(
. . .
The city remains under curfew, and yesterday afternoon the IDF barred a
number of Knesset members from entering Ramallah to visit Arafat. MKs Muhammad
Barakeh, Tamar Godzansky, Isam Mahoul and Ahmed Tibi were informed that the
area is a closed military zone. According to reports, Arafat called the MKs to
thank them for their support.
. . .
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(c) 2002 The
FORMER NEGOTIATOR: ARAFAT TALKED OF WAR IN '95 [excerpts republished]
["Israeli" Arab MK Taleb a-Sana leads a post-siege solidarity mission of "Israeli" Arabs to the Mukata compound of Yasser Arafat]
(Arutz Sheva, October 3, 2002) Maj.-Gen. (res.) Oren Shachor - who served as
head of the Civil Administration in Judea and
. . .
What should be done with Arafat now? Shachor feels he should have been
expelled, regardless of the boost it would have given his image, but "for
now, after the Mukata siege [of Arafat's headquarters in Ramallah] ended the
way it did, it's too late." As if to accentuate the point, a group of
Israeli-Arabs, headed by MK Taleb a-Sana, met with Arafat today in Ramallah.
Peres pledges to exhaust diplomatic efforts to resolve
[Arab MK Ahmed Tibi justifies
By NINA GILBERT
(
Peres said he believes Hizbullah is behind the unilateral water
"provocation," and not the Lebanese government. He warned that the
Lebanese pumping is liable to cause a serious escalation between
But Peres, who was speaking to the Knesset, said that he does "does not
want to make threats." He said
Peres said the Lebanese pumping is liable to drastically reduce the quantity
of water flowing into
He added that water supply possibilities in
Peres said Prime Minister Ariel Sharon would be discussing the Lebanese
pumping from the
He noted that in the past year,
The current project is large-scale, however, and goes well beyond local
demand, Peres said. According to Peres, the water is being diverted to areas
that can be served by the
The project is to draw water from the Wazzani tributary of the
According to Peres, the Hatzbani provides 9 percent of
Peres was responding to a motion to the agenda from Shas MK Nissim Ze’ev.
Arab Movement for Change MK Ahmed Tibi told Peres that an Israeli water
expert was interviewed on
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(c) 2002 The
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SOME ARAB MKS EXPECTED TO BE DISQUALIFIED
(Arutz Sheva, December 19, 2002) The Central Elections Board is expected to
respond at least partially affirmatively to the request by the Likud and Herut
parties to disqualify two Arab parties from running in the upcoming national
election. Herut, headed by MK Michael Kleiner, reported that it had submitted
samples of statements by the MKs in question that prove their opposition to
* Ahmed Tibi, who is running on the Hadash-Taal list, said in 1999, "We hold that the Jewish character of the State of Israel must be annulled."
* His party leader Muhammad Barakeh said in Nov. 2000, shortly after the outbreak of the Oslo War, "We welcome and admire this intifada, and we think this is the right response at the right time."
* A sample from MK Azmi Bishara (Balad): "Hizbullah won, and for the first time since 1967 we have tasted the taste of victory."
MK Michael Eitan (Likud) said this morning that Tibi "always says he is
against terrorism, but then says that killing Jewish civilians in Judea and
Attorney-General Elyakim Rubenstein added some goodies of his own against MK
Azmi Bishara. Rubenstein said that Bishara told Hamas leaders in
Another request for disqualification was submitted by Labor against the #2 man on the Herut list, Baruch Marzel of Hevron. MK Effie Oshaya, Labor's Knesset faction head, told Arutz-7's Yosef Zalmanson today that Labor is not in favor of disqualifying entire lists -- "let the voting public decide" -- but that individual names on party lists is a different matter. Asked why Labor had not asked to disqualify Bishara or Tibi, Oshaya said, "Ask [Labor secretary-general MK] Ophir Pines -- it's his decision." Aides to Pines, however, said that he was not involved, and that Amnon Loch, one of Labor's representatives on the Elections Board, should be contacted.
Loch, in turn, said that Labor's request to disqualify Marzel was based on a
book the Hevron activist had written about Baruch Goldstein [who, in 1994,
killed scores of Arabs in the Tomb of the Patriarchs and Matriarchs in
The decisions as to whom to disqualify will be made next week by the Elections Board, a 42-member body presided over by Supreme Court Justice Michael Cheshin. Each political party has at least one representative on the board, with larger parties receiving more representatives.
[Note: Mr. Zalmanson's claim that Labor is not in favor of disqualifying entire parties from the Knesset is not true, as Labor voted to disqualify the entire Kach party in 1984. Mr. Loch's implied assertion that he is unable to form an opinion as to whether Arab MKs Azmi Bishara and Ahmed Tibi have committed treason against the State of Israel until he has first seen the government's proof is disingenuous and absurd; for, it is similar to claiming that one is unable to form an opinion as to whether Adolph Hitler planned to annihilate the Jewish people without first seeing the Allied Powers' dossier on the mass murderer. The public declarations and the public activities of these Arab MKs are so well-known that anyone who reads a newspaper and/or watches television -- let alone a Labor party insider -- would be able to form such an opinion.]
MK Ahmed Tibi barred from Knesset race
By DAN IZENBERG
(
For the second time in two days, the committee ignored the recommendation of its chairman, Supreme Court Justice Mishael Cheshin, and overwhelmingly voted in accordance with party orders. The vote was 21 to 18 with two abstentions.
Tibi, who knew early on that he would lose the vote, said he would appeal the ruling to the Supreme Court.
Earlier in the day, the committee rejected a petition to disqualify the entire Hadash-Tibi list by a vote of 27 - 1, with nine abstentions.
Tibi charged that his opponents had committed character assassination and deliberately distorted the things he had said in order to delegitimize him.
In an impassioned speech to a largely hostile forum, Tibi said, "Some of the statements attributed to me are untrue. Politicians have good times and bad times. There is no question that the past two years have been very difficult, especially for the Arab MKs. We have been kicked out of the community and delegitimized. We are being told we don't have the right to protest, to express a different opinion."
Tibi refused to declare unequivocally that he opposes Palestinian terrorism against civilians and the killing of soldiers, a condition that many of the committee members insisted on in order to vote against the disqualification bid.
He said he would not be treated like a "schoolchild" and do what he was told. But Tibi insisted that he opposes bloodshed, and had said so many times.
"I have never made one statement or declaration in favor of armed conflict," he said. "On the contrary, I was the first to say I oppose the militarization of the intifada."
The one moment of humor in his speech came when he said that he had been under pressure to overtly reject terrorism: "For the past three days, people have been sending me suggestions to say this or that. To make deals. What do they think? That I belong to the Likud?"
Even the Likud representatives laughed at that. But Likud MK Michael Eitan,
who called for Tibi's disqualification, accused him of supporting terrorism.
"Tibi calls the PLO a liberation movement," he said. "But the
PLO consists of organizations whose aim is to destroy
Eitan added that Tibi did not hide the fact he supported the current
intifada, which is an armed struggle against
Attorney Talia Sasson, Attorney-General Elyakim Rubinstein's representative
on the CEC, said Tibi's statements did not meet the criteria of the law for
disqualification. The proof that Tibi supports armed struggle against
Cheshin also argued that Tibi should not be disqualified. He said he was not
convinced that Tibi supports terrorism. Although many of Tibi's statements were
infuriating,
Cheshin also called on the CEC members to keep in mind that "Tibi is an Arab. He feels the pain of his people. That does not mean he should be disqualified. There is no question that his democratic right to stand for election outweighs the arguments for disqualifying him."
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(c) 2002 The
WHAT TIBI AND BISHARA SAID; TIBI'S OUT, AND BISHARA PROBABLY
(Arutz Sheva, December 31, 2002) The Election Committee ruled yesterday that Arab MK Ahmed Tibi, who has long served as an advisor to Yasser Arafat, may not run for Knesset. Tibi said that he would appeal the decision to the special Supreme Court body assigned to be the final arbiter on the eligibility of candidates.
Samples of Tibi's remarks in the past:
* In July 2001, he told a Jordanian newspaper that if the PA [Palestinian Authority] avenges the deaths of the three members of the [Arab] Tamizi family [by attacking Jews], "I will not condemn it." He was referring to the roadside killing a few days beforehand outside an Arab village, though it was not clear whether the murderers had been Jews or Arabs.
* In August of that year, Tibi took part in the funeral of arch-terrorist
Abu Ali Mustafa in Ramallah, who had been killed by an Israeli missile. Tibi
said that many of those leading the Palestinian violence against
* Last year, Tibi and MK Muhammed Barakeh met with the #2 man in the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine terrorist organization, members of which had assassinated [Israel's Tourism Minister] Rehavam Ze'evi only weeks before.
* Earlier this year, Tibi had his immunity partially removed by the Knesset because of his strong praise for the Jenin terrorists and the strong fight they put up against IDF soldiers.
* In 1999, he said, "We hold that the Jewish character of the State of Israel must be annulled."
Sha'ul Mofaz and Moshe Feiglin [both of the Likud party] also plan to appeal their disqualifications, and the Labor Party plans to appeal the rejection of its request to disqualify Baruch Marzel [of the Herut party].
The Elections Committee will decide today whether to nullify Arab MK Azmi
Bishara's candidacy, in light of his statements of support for Hizbullah and
other comments reflecting his wish to see the end of
Knesset elections panel under fire
By DAN IZENBERG
(
Former Kach leader Baruch Marzel has been approved as a candidate for the Herut Party, while lawmakers Ahmed Tibi and Azmi Bishara are not being allowed to run in the January 28 balloting, despite recommendations to the contrary from the committee chairman, Supreme Court Justice Mishael Cheshin and Attorney General Elyakim Rubinstein.
One reason for the criticism is political. For ideological reasons, most supporters of the Left would have preferred Marzel to be disqualified and Tibi and Bishara approved. Had they enjoyed a majority in the committee, they would have seen to that result.
The more serious reason, however, is the fact that in this discussion, the only two officials who are non-political and who are experts on the law and experienced in interpreting it also maintained that Marzel should have been disqualified, and the Arab lawmakers approved.
There is no question that the criteria of the committee members in deciding whether to disqualify or approve the candidates who were challenged was overwhelmingly political. In the vote to disqualify Marzel on the grounds that he is anti-democratic, all the members of the Likud, Shas, Center Party, National Union, National Religious Party, United Torah Judaism, Herut, and Gesher voted against the motion. According to the unofficial records, one Labor representative also opposed the bid (but voted with Labor on the motion to disqualify Marzel for being a racist.) Six of the seven Labor representatives, and all of Meretz, Shinui, and the Arab representatives who were present voted to disqualify Marzel.
On the Tibi vote, all the Likud representatives voted to disqualify him as did all the representatives of Shas, Yisrael B'Aliya, Center Party, National Union, NRP, United Torah Judaism, Herut, and Gesher. All of Meretz voted to approve Tibi, as did the representatives of Shinui, Democratic Choice (MK Roman Bronfman, who is now a candidate for Meretz), and all six Arab representatives. Five Labor representatives voted against disqualifying Tibi, while two abstained.
Few, if any, were surprised by the outcome of the votes. The Central Elections Committee is a political body, based on the strength of each of the factions in the Knesset. Its prestige comes from the fact that it is headed by a Supreme Court justice. However, the chairman has only one vote, just like any other member.
Until 1985, this arrangement worked well. At that time, the committee was a technical body whose job it was to look after the administrative arrangements for the election, such as preparing the ballots and ballot boxes and setting up the polling stations.
Since 1985, the panel has become a quasi-judicial body because of two amendments to the Basic Law: Knesset, which give it the power to decide on petitions to disqualify candidates who allegedly violate Paragraph 7 (a) of the law.
The dramatic shift in the committee's role has taken place over the past 20 years in two stages. In 1985, the Knesset passed an amendment stating that anyone who championed racism or denied the Jewish and democratic character of the state could not run for parliament.
Last May, it expanded this to include anyone supporting acts of terror or
armed struggle against
In doing so, the Knesset gave the committee a judicial role even though the law does not stipulate that its members must know the law or be qualified to determine what constitutes a violation.
Cheshin told the committee that this point has been made several times by the Supreme Court and that he himself had urged the Knesset to change the law so that the committee would not decide on such matters.
He also quoted from a ruling handed down by Supreme Court president Meir Shamgar in 1988, "This court pointed out [in earlier rulings] the problem of granting the authority to approve lists of candidates to a political body. The Knesset thought differently and left matters as they were, even after it passed Amendment 7 (a) to the Basic Law: Knesset. Anyone who expects a body made up of politicians to behave like judges is confusing apples with oranges."
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(c) 2003 The
[Note: The news account is in error with respect to Attorney General Elyakim Rubinstein -- like Supreme Court Justice Mishael Cheshin, he voted in favor of Tibi; but unlike Justice Cheshin, he voted against Bishara and his Balad party. Nevertheless, it is absurd to imply that the views of the two "non-political" committee members, Justice Cheshin and Attorney General Rubinstein, are superior to those of the "political" committee members. Clearly, both of these "independent" members have their own ideological leanings, as they made amply clear by voting to (a) reject a Jewish candidate for Knesset who advocates far-reaching measures to safeguard Israel from both its external as well as its internal Arab enemies, and (b) approve one or more Arab candidates for Knesset who advocate a grand alliance between "Israeli" Arabs and Israel's external Arab enemies in order to destroy Israel as a Jewish State. Thank God that the "body made up of politicians" did not "behave like judges".]
High Court overturns disqualifications of Tibi, Bishara
By: Dan Izenberg
(
The court also upheld CEC decisions to disqualify Likud would-be candidates Shaul Mofaz and Moshe Feiglin on technical grounds.
The justices did not explain the reasons for their decisions, saying they will come at a later time.
The 11-member panel headed by Supreme Court President Aharon Barak also comprised Deputy President Shlomo Levin and Justices Eliahu Mazza, Tova Strasberg-Cohen, Dalia Dorner, Jacob Turkel, Dorit Beinisch, Izhak Englard, Eliezer Rivlin, Ayala Procaccia, and Edmond Levy.
The court was asked to decide whether the substance of the platforms and
political messages of Tibi, Bishara, Balad, and Marzel rejected the Jewish and
democratic nature of the state, incited to racism, or supported armed struggle
against
The CEC had rejected Tibi, the No. 3 candidate on the joint Hadash-Arab
National Movement (Ta'al) slate, on the grounds that he supported a terrorist
movement in its violent struggle against
The justices unanimously rejected the CEC ruling.
The CEC had rejected Bishara and Balad despite the opinion of Cheshin, but in accordance with that of Rubinstein, who went so far as to submit his own petition to the CEC against the party and its leader. The CEC ruled that Bishara and Balad sought to destroy the Jewish character of the state and supported the armed struggle against it. The High Court ruled seven-to-four to overturn the CEC ruling, with Levin, Strasberg-Cohen, Turkel, and Levy voting against the bench majority.
The CEC had rejected a petition by Labor Party MK Ophir Pines-Paz to disqualify Marzel. Pines claimed that Marzel, the No. 2 candidate on the Herut Party list, continues to support the racist and terrorist aims of the outlawed Kach movement of which he had been a leader. The CEC rejected the petition, even though Cheshin and Rubinstein had backed it. The court rejected the appeal to overrule the CEC decision by seven to four, with Levin, Strasberg-Cohen, Beinisch, and Procaccia voting against the majority.
The court unanimously rejected the petition of Mofaz against his disqualification by the CEC on technical grounds. It upheld the CEC ruling on the grounds that Mofaz would not have completed the mandatory six-month cooling-off period between the day he left the army and the day of the general election. The court also upheld the CEC ruling declaring that Feiglin was ineligible to run for the Knesset because he had been sentenced to over three months in jail after being convicted of sedition, a crime the CEC had determined involved moral turpitude. Levy voted against the majority.
Adalah, the Israeli Arab human rights organization that represented the Arab candidates, issued a statement declaring that "the High Court decision proved that when the sides hold a rational discussion without belligerency, as opposed to the one in the Central Elections Committee, the outcome will be a positive one."
The court's decision to allow Tibi, Bishara, and Balad to run was a wise
one, said Mordechai Kremnitzer, professor of law at
He said the decision to allow Marzel to run was also a wise one, given the fact that he was one of three candidates and a political party that all faced disqualification.
"Had circumstances been different, if the question of Marzel had been the only one, the court's decision would have been different," according to Kremnitzer.
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(c) 2003 The
CONTROVERSIAL CAMPAIGNING
[Arab MK Abdel Malek Dahamshe and his United Arab List party urge
"Israeli" Arab voters to support jihad against
(Arutz Sheva, January 13, 2003) Calling it an ad of "incitement," Election Committee Chairman Justice Mishael Cheshin disqualified the United Arab List’s infomercial calling upon Arabs to "liberate al-Aqsa Mosque [on the Temple Mount] and to fight against Israeli occupation." MK Abdel Malek Dahamshe said that the text of the ad "was apparently not translated [from the Arabic language into the Hebrew language] correctly, which is why the judge disqualified it."
In a related story, MK Sopha Landver (Labor) has asked Justice Cheshin to disqualify a campaign ad produced by the Shas party [whose platform includes opposition to Christian missionary activities in the State of Israel, especially those which target new immigrants]. The ad in question shows a Jewish family undergoing a Christian baptism. Landver said that the ad is "very insulting" to the immigrant community.
Meanwhile, National Union party activists hit the intersections of Raanana
and the
HIGH COURT ALLOWS PLO FLAG IN ELECTION ADS
["ISRAELI" ARAB PARTIES RUNNING FOR THE KNESSET IN THE JANUARY 28,
2003 ELECTIONS MAY NOW USE THE FLAG OF THE
(Arutz Sheva, January 22, 2003) The High Court of Justice has accepted a
petition from the Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) against the
ruling of Central Election Committee chairman Justice Mishael Cheshin. Cheshin
had ruled that a PLO flag displayed in election infomercials of Arab parties
was unacceptable. The Supreme Court reversed that decision and said that the
PLO flag may appear, despite the still-undeclared state of war that exists
between
The Elections Committee recently disallowed the airing of a Herut Party
infomercial featuring a satiric version of
Yad Vashem Gives Israeli Arabs Material Denying Nazis Ties Of Mufti
[Arab MK Azmi Bishara claimed in 1995 article that the Arabs had no connection to the Shoah (Holocaust)]
Aaron Lerner Date: 20 February 2003
IMRA asked Rachel Fadlon, Foreign Media Liaison at Yad Vashem, if the material Yad Vashem is providing to the Israeli Arab representatives of "From Memory to Peace" covers the Mufti of Jerusalem's ties to the Nazis.
"From Memory to Peace" is a group of Israeli Arab and Jewish
public figures who will be visiting
Fadlon advised IMRA today that the group was provided with two articles that each mention the Mufti in a few sentences. One was an article by a Lebanese intellectual while the other was an article written by Israeli Arab MK Azmi Bishara that was published in Zmanim, Summer 1995.
This is what Azmi Bishara wrote: "The Shoah and everything connected with it are a European phenomenon... We as Arabs have no connection to it ... the Palestinian national movement at least once considered ... making an alliance with Nazi Germany. This alliance did not come to fruition."
As Elliott A Green notes in an article published in Midstream, (May-June 2001), this is far from the case.
"Bishara conveniently overlooks the fact that the Mufti was active in the Nazi-fascist domain from November 1941 until the German defeat in May 1945. The Germans put considerable sums at his disposal to maintain himself and his entourage, which included other Palestinian Arabs from leading families, and to set up offices called "Buro der Grossmufti." In return, Husseini made propaganda broadcasts to the Arab world over Radio Berlin ("Kill Jews wherever you find them"), recruited Arab troops (among Allied prisoners of war) for an "Arab Legion," helped organize a Bosnian Muslim SS division (notorious for atrocities in its own right against Serbs, Jews and Gypsies), indoctrinated imams from the Soviet Union, and also broadcast in that direction, exhorting Soviet Muslims to support the Nazis, which some of them did by joining German-sponsored military units, and even the Einsatzgruppen.
In his discourse, Husseini explicitly identified Nazism with Islam. All of
this surely sounds like an alliance, despite Bishara's apologetics.
Significantly, Husseini urged the Germans to extend the Holocaust to [Jews
residing in] Arab lands. Concretely, he intervened several times with German and
Italian ministers and Axis satellite governments in
This information has long been available in English and Hebrew, etc., for
many years. Researchers who have written on the subject of Arab-Nazi relations
and the Arab-Holocaust nexus include Bernard Lewis, Lukasz Hirszowicz, Elias
Cooper, Daniel Carpi, Jenny Lebel, Joseph Schechtman, Bartley Crum, and others.
Nevertheless, Bishara claims, "We Arabs have no connection to it"
(the Holocaust), also ignoring the presence of other prominent Arab
nationalists in
The Palestinian Arab political leadership constituted in the Arab Higher
Committee for
ISRAELI-ARABS JOIN ANTI-U.S. PROTESTS
[Arab MK Azmi Bishara participates in "Day of Solidarity with
(Arutz Sheva, March 23, 2003) "Day of Solidarity with
Pro-Iraq rallies were reported again today in
Tens of thousands of PA Arabs demonstrated on Friday in various cities
against the American attack on
The PA protestors burned American flags and called for Saddam to bomb Tel
Aviv with chemical weapons. Officials from the Palestinian Authority were not
seen participating in the protests in
MK AZMI BISHARA: PRO-IRAQ AND PAN-ARABIST
(Arutz Sheva, April 4, 2003) Azmi Bishara, a member of Israel's Knesset representing the Arab Balad party, cheered Iraqi resistance to American "invaders" in Iraq and praised a revitalized pan-Arabism in the al-Ahram Weekly (of March 27 - April 2, 2003), published in Egypt.
Bishara's article begins by describing the difficulties faced by the
coalition forces in
"The real
MK Bishara goes on to explain that "irrespective of what the Americans may do after the end of this war, whoever cooperates with them will not be cooperating with benign victors but with wily invaders."
Bishara goes on to praise the Iraqi resistance to the American
"invaders," noting that the Iraqi resistance "is of great
historic importance. This importance exceeds any losses the current regime and
its supporters may endure." He writes that it will remind Israelis and
Americans of the policy of violence used by the Hizbullah - successfully, in Bishara's
view -- to remove the IDF and the South Lebanese Army from
Other choice quotes:
[S]olidarity with the Iraqis once again proves this most vital fact:
Pan-Arabism is alive. Arab masses in
Arutz-7's Nissan Ratzlav-Katz notes that pan-Arabism is the philosophy
calling for an Arab empire - either a supra-state in the
With his recent al-Ahram Weekly article, Azmi Bishara makes it clear that
while coalition forces are making every effort to destroy the Baathist
infrastructure in
Israeli Arab MK Darawsheh joins ‘Fatwa’ Council in Condemning US-led War on
Press Conference Summary - ‘Fatwa’ Council Condemns US-led War on
April 5, 2003
http://www.palestine-pmc.com/details.asp?cat=2&id=171
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‘American Cowboys are Slaughtering Iraqi People Under the Pretext of Liberating Iraq’, Arab MK Darawsheh
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Sheikh Ekrima Sabri, Mufti of Jerusalem and
In a press conference held at the Palestine Media Center (PMC) on Saturday and attended by Rafiq al-Natsheh, the minister of agriculture, and the Arab Knesset Member, Abdel Wahab Darawsheh, Sheikh Sabri announced a new fatwa by al-Fatwa Supreme Council in the occupied city of Jerusalem condemning the
US-led war on
The highest Muslim authority in
"The US and Britain want to occupy Iraq to put their hands on the Iraqi oil fields, which represent the largest oil reserves in the world," the Sheikh said.
Sabri further accused the coalition forces of targeting Iraqi civilians and infrastructure "hoping that the Iraqi people would surrender or revolt against their leadership."
He mocked reports that the coalition forces were using "smart
weapons" in their war on
For his turn, the PNA minister of agriculture, Rafiq al-Natsheh, said that
the Palestinian people "condemn the aggression on
He added that the Palestinians "stand against any aggression on any
people in the world" pointing out that the
Among the speakers was Arab Member of the Israeli Knesset, Abdel Wahab
Darawsheh, who accused the American "cowboys" of "slaughtering
the Iraqi people under the pretext of liberating
Darawsheh said that Arab Israelis have organized protests against the
US-led war on
Hanegbi: More Islamic Movement members face arrest
["Israeli" Arab MK Ahmed Tibi defends treasonous activities of the
northern faction of
By Nina Gilbert
(
Hanegbi told the Knesset Interior Committee that the probe into the movement started two years ago, looking into violations of the Anti-Terrorism Act, money laundering, and unlawful assembly.
Currently, it is concentrating on the alleged role the movement played as an
intermediary in transferring funds from overseas to Hamas-affiliated
organizations in the West Bank and
He said the movement is likely to claim the money was for humanitarian
needs, but "no distinction can be made between a terrorist organization's
general infrastructure and its operational one." A terrorist organization
cannot survive for long without resources, he said, claiming Hamas and Islamic
Jihad receive enormous resources from terrorism-supporting states such as
Hanegbi cautioned against regarding the probe as an "indictment against the entire Arab-Israeli public," more than 99 percent of which is not involved in hostile activities. He added that the many members of the movement are not suspected of wrongdoing, but only individual leaders, such as main suspect Sheikh Raed Salah, the head of the organization's northern faction. Hanegbi warned the leaders against inciting members for their personal defense.
MK Ahmed Tibi (Arab Movement for Change), however, said the arrests have
trigged an "all-out attack on the Israeli Arab public," which is
being "stereotyped." Tibi charged that similar investigations in the
past did not uncover any wrongdoing, and expressed hope the current case would
also be closed. He added that the movement has a right to "conduct
political activities."
MK Eliezer Cohen (National Union) warned that if terrorism is not eliminated "it will eliminate us," adding that terrorism is the monster that succeeded Nazism.
President Moshe Katsav took a more cautionary tone, warning against jumping to conclusions about those in custody. "We must allow law enforcement and security officials to complete their investigations."
Commenting on the arrests, President Moshe Katsav cautioned against leaping to conclusions about the guilt of Israeli Arabs who have been arrested on suspicion of involvement in terrorist activities.
"We must allow law enforcement and security officials to complete their investigations," he said.
If they are indeed guilty, Katsav said, the Arab community should be pleased that those who represent a threat to peaceful coexistence have been apprehended and brought to justice. If they are not guilty, he continued, they will be released, and this, too, will be a relief for the Arab community.
Jews and Arabs alike should be concerned by any threat to the security of the State, he added.
(©) The
["Israeli" MK Ahmed Tibi serves as translator and confidant of P.A. Prime Minister Mamoud Abbas (Abu Mazen)]
By Akiva Eldar, Haaretz Correspondent 28 May 2003
http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/297876.html
[IMRA: "Moderate" Abu Mazen wants a Palestinian state next to an "Israeli" state within the Green Line flooded with Palestinian refugees = one Palestinian state + one binational Jewish/Palestinian state (for starters) with a constantly increasing Palestinian population. The idea behind having Israel declare an end to violence and incitement is to have Israel, in effect, admit it has been engaged in violence and incitement, and to straightjacket Israel so that it cannot defend itself either through operations or information (is the distribution of a press release connecting the PA to terror activities "incitement"?)]
Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) skips easily over any attempt to extract a vehement comment against the occupation authorities or against Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.
"I don't want to judge
Abu Mazen, in a brown suit, weighs his every word. Sometimes he pays
attention to a comment from MK Ahmed Tibi, one of the people closest to him,
who served as the translator for Abbas' first interview with an Israeli
newspaper.
According to the Palestinian prime minister, the Americans proposed he not
pay any attention to any of the talk about [Israeli] comments and reservations.
They promised him they too would not allow
Abbas says that he told
One of the issues that prompts Abu Mazen to issue a vehement statement is
Arafat's isolation. "Arafat is the elected president of the Palestinian
Authority and should not be isolated. I reject, both morally and politically,
all the pressure on countries and personages not to meet him. That has
ramifications for the Palestinian street and for us in the leadership. It is
difficult for me to explain to our citizenry that we have a new government,
conducting open negotiations with
"If we go back to the cycle of reaction and action, that will make it difficult for us to achieve the goal. It is impossible to achieve 100 percent success in a brief period. It is important that the Palestinians see change on the ground, like a cessation of the assassinations and demolitions, and prisoners being freed, and the Palestinian civilian should feel something has changed in the atmosphere and he can go to work and move around. These things are critical so the street supports the process. That will accelerate the process and prevent more suffering."
He does not conceal his view that the intifada caused great damage to the Palestinian cause. But he makes clear there is no greater folly than the claim that the intifada was planned in advance.
"There was no conspiracy or planning - on our side," he says, emphasizing "our side."
"The circumstances that led to it were mostly the failure of the
negotiations at
Asked about a hudna, an Islamic truce, he says that he would not make do with that. "I don't to want to talk about a hudna, but about absolute calm. "That's what he is demanding from the Hamas "clearly and frankly."
"We hope and think it is important to control the violence, put an end to it, and we expect the Israelis to understand that even if here and there some violent incidents take place, we don't agree to it.
The refugee issue, considered most sensitive of all, is also known as particularly close to the heart of the refugee from Safed. After reiterating that the "refugee problem is a subject for discussion in the permanent status negotiations and should not be brought up as a precondition," he proposes a substantive reason for postponing it to the end.
"We cannot accept relinquishing the right of return. The Arab League initiative refers to a just and agreed solution, based on UN decisions. That is a very clear statement." But then he adds immediately, "this does not mean we want to destroy the State of Israel -- we recognize it in the borders drawn by [Resolution] 242."
IMRA - Independent Media Review and Analysis
Website: www.imra.org.il
[Note: With respect to this article, all bracketed comments and insertions, except
for the one related to MK Tibi and except for this note, are from IMRA. The
referenced "roadmap" is a diplomatic undertaking by the international
community, led by the
["Israeli" Arab MK] Bishara to Arab world: Don't recognize
By Nina Gilbert
(
"Does the Arab world have to join the Zionist movement and recognize
Balad's platform calls for
A dozen MKs raised motions to the Knesset agenda on the summit.
Likud and coalition chairman Gideon Sa'ar criticized the road map and the
government's approval of it. "The road map is one-sided, unbalanced, and
bad for
MK Yuri Stern (National Union) said that if the Aqaba summit leads to another cease-fire it will in the end "bring on another, but more difficult war." Stern said the road map has not corrected any of the mistakes of the Oslo Accords.
Likud MK Michael Eitan demanded that the
Minister Gideon Ezra, the Knesset liaison, said the government is continuing
to handle the Pollard matter "discreetly," and has raised the issue
in talks with the
National Religious Party MK Gila Finkelstein said
Shas MK Nissim Ze'ev launched a harsh attack on Prime Minister Ariel Sharon,
saying he has "lost his credibility," after leading
["Israeli" Arab] MK Abdul Malik Dehamshe (United Arab List)
said the Aqaba summit has "created an historic opportunity that cannot be
missed." He said he is not sure when another chance for peace will arise.
(©) The
[Note: Although, by his effusive praise for the Aqaba summit and the "chance for peace", MK Dehamshe might appear to be more reconciled to the existence of Israel as a Jewish State than is MK Bishara, it is nonetheless clear from Dehamshe's past actions -- such as referring to Nazareth, which is inside pre-1967 Israel, as "Nazareth, Palestine" in a widely-publicized letter to the President of Syria, a nation which does not recognize juridical existence of Israel and still considers itself to be in a state of war therewith (see the April 19, 2001 and April 24, 2001 items in this Compendium) and such as publicly declaring that he longs to become a "shahid" (martyr) in the "Palestinian" Arab jihad against Israel (see the September 12, 2001 item in this Compendium) -- that he shares with MK Bishara the pan-Arab goal of dismantling the Jewish State.]
Court upholds remand of Islamic Movement leaders
["Israeli" Arab MKs demand that
By DAVID RUDGE and DAN IZENBERG
(
Ruling against the appeal, Bar-Ophir noted that "the outlines of the indictment are growing clearer: Violations of the Money-Laundering Law, violations of the Emergency Defense Regulations, violations involving illegal organizations, and widespread contacts with [terrorist] organizations, and the list is not yet exhausted."
According to the testimony gathered so far, wrote Bar-Ophir, the Islamic Movement "spreads a safety net for the families of terrorists who have been killed in operations perpetrated against the State's citizens and for security prisoners and their families.
"In other words, movement leaders, including those petitioning, are
directly linked to terrorist organizations and extend to them economic help.
This aid is channeled through the Islamic movement in
The Monitoring Committee of the Israeli Arab Leadership, composed of Arab
MKs, [Arab] council heads, and prominent [Arab] public figures, held a
press conference in
Salah, Agbariya, and three other senior members of the movement's northern
branch were remanded Sunday for a further 12 days on suspicion of funneling
millions of dollars raised abroad via
Seventeen suspects were arrested initially following a two-year-long covert inquiry by police and the Shin Beit. Most of the other suspects have been released on bail or placed under house arrest.
The Monitoring Committee is calling for an immediate release, charging that the arrests are politically rather than legally based.
Asked why the Committee is supporting Islamic Movement members, who are suspected of helping finance the civilian infrastructure of Hamas whose leaders, including Gaza Hamas leader Abdel Aziz Rantisi, consistently call for the destruction of Israel, Committee spokesman Abed Inbitawi said: "These people are representatives of the Arab community [of Israel], and we see their arrest as a blow not just to the Islamic Movement, but to the whole of the Arab community [of Israel] and its leadership."
"Furthermore, we believe they have not broken any laws and that this
will eventually come to light. Giving help to orphans and widows is not a
crime. The National Insurance Institute [of
Tens of thousands of people are expected to take part in a rally in Umm el-Fahm football stadium on Friday evening to protest against the continued detention, and to press for their immediate release.
The demonstration is being organized by the northern branch of the Islamic Movement in coordination and with the support of the Monitoring Committee.
While denouncing Wednesday's suicide bus bombing in
"This shows that the real intention of the government, headed by [Prime Minister Ariel] Sharon and [Defense Minister Shaul] Mofaz, is not to move toward peace, but rather to destroy any political process that could eventually lead to a real, just and lasting peace," the Committee said.
(©) The
[Note: It is outrageous for the Monitoring Committee to equate the
treasonous activities of the Islamic Movement with the benign activities of the
National Insurance Institute. While, in the past, the Institute has been forced
to pay out death benefits to the spouses and children of dead
"Israeli" Arab terrorists (as a result of the lack of any provision
in
Interior Ministry razes controversial
["Israeli" Arab MK Abdel Malik Dahmashe accuses "axis of
evil" members
By Matthew Gutman
(
The demolition follows years of intense sporadic pressure on the government
by the
The move to raze the illegally-built structure is considered part of the steady deterioration of Israeli Arab relations with the government.
"This is a war against Islam," charged MK Abdel Malik Dahamshe
of the United Arab List. He also alleged that the demolition represents a
"new Crusade of the Bush-Sharon axis of evil against Islam. It's no wonder
that on same day, they demolish the foundations of the mosque in
Aside from some heated rhetoric, the Islamic Movement's reaction was relatively mild, despite past threats that such a demolition would result in a "sea of blood."
Brief demonstrations outside the mosque, followed by subdued scuffling with police resulted in the arrest of 10 demonstrators.
Concern about the possibility of riots prompted the deployment in the mosque area of 500 police, including border police and special units, in the pre-dawn hours.
Among those arrested were Deputy Mayors Salman Abu Ahmed and Ahmed Zoubi.
Abu Ahmed, the head of the
Conspicuously absent from the day's events was Mayor Ramez Jureisi, a communist, but Christian by birth. Islamic Movement officials accused him of conspiring with police and Interior Ministry officials to raze the foundations.
Uzi Shamir, director-general of the Construction and Housing Ministry, said that the government is working to diffuse the tension. "The government is negotiating with the Wakf to find a solution to the problem for the Muslims who want to pray at the site. We hope to find an alternate site for the mosque."
While the mosque's foundations were leveled, the demolition crews did not touch Shihab a-Din's shrine located in