After citing the anti-Israel statements of Arab Knesset Members such as Taleb a-Sana (who praised a suicide bomber and called for more of the same), Abdul Malik Dahamshe (who calls Israeli Arabs convicted of murdering Jews ?prisoners of conscience?), Azmi Bishara (who praises Hizbullah as the model for Israeli Arab resistance against Israel), Mohammad Barakeh (who urged Israeli Arabs to participate in Palestinian violence against Israel), columnist Evelyn Gordon of the Jerusalem Post (April 16, 2002) wrote: ?Thus, if the statements by Arab MKs indeed reflect the opinions of their voters [the Arab parties have 10 seats in the current Knesset], the inescapable conclusion is that the overwhelming majority of Israeli Arabs actively or tacitly support violence against Israeli Jews.? The question arises: What should be done in view of this conclusion and what it portends for Israel's future?
Here is my answer.
Let us state at the outset that no government of Israel is going to expel the country?s one million Arabs who reject Israel?s existence as a Jewish state. Even if the government were so inclined ? which can hardly be contemplated ? no Arab state will accept these Arabs (this also applies to the Arabs in Judea, Samaria, and Gaza). So, what should be done to save the Jewish state from a burgeoning and hostile Arab population? So far as I know, no party other than Yamin Israel has formulated a humane, logical, and realistic solution to this problem.
The only way to solve Israel?s ?Arab problem? is to make the State of Israel increasingly Jewish and proud on the one hand, and authentically democratic on the other. This will result in a steady emigration of Arabs and, at the same time, erode the nationalist ambitions of their party leaders. The question is: How can this be accomplished? Most commentators will say, ?Increase the Jewish content of public education.? Of course, but no less important, indeed, utterly essential, is the radical reform of Israel?s political and judicial institutions.
First, democratize Israel?s parliamentary electoral system so as to increase the impact of Jewish convictions on those who make the laws and policies of the State. The only way to do this is to make legislators individually accountable to the voters in multi-district elections ? the practice of 74 democracies. Understand this well: The current system makes the entire country a single electoral district in which parties compete on the basis of proportional representation. This makes every vote count in apportioning Knesset seats. As a consequence, virtually every Jewish party seeks the support of Arab voters, which can only be purchased by compromising Jewish national interests (passage of the Oslo accords is the result of the Labor Party?s dependence on the Arab vote).
Second, replace multi-party cabinet government with a presidential system.
Third, democratize the method of appointing the Supreme Court, which has become a self-perpetuating oligarchy whose decisions diminish the Jewish character of the state. Yamin Israel proposes presidential nomination of judges with confirmation by the legislature.
Fourth, enforce the Foundations of Law Act of 1980, which was intended to make Jewish civil and criminal law ?first among equals? vis-?-vis the foreign systems of jurisprudence used by the Supreme Court.
Fifth, enforce the Basic Law: The Knesset, which prohibits any party that negates the Jewish character of the State (overbearing Arabs would be humbled, while unassertive Jews would be heartened, if Arab parties were expelled for violating this law). Also, enforce the 1952 Citizenship Law, which empowers the Minister of Interior to nullify the citizenship of any Israel national that commits ?an act of disloyalty to the State.? Yamin Israel would also amend this law by clarifying the term ?act? in such a way as to protect freedom of speech and press.
Sixth, rescind large-family allowances, with the understanding that the Jewish Agency will assume the function of providing such allowances to Jewish families, while Arab philanthropic agencies may do the same for Arab families.
Seventh, rescind the ?grandfather clause? of the Law of Return, which has enabled hundreds of thousands of gentiles to enter Israel and claim instant citizenship.
Eighth, enfranchise Israelis living abroad (Yamin Israel has designed a parliamentary electoral system that will facilitate this measure).
Ninth, expose, in national and international forums, any Arab state or entity that publishes anti-Jewish propaganda. Similarly, castigate CNN and BBC, whose ?moral equivalence? in reporting the Israel-Arab conflict is but a fa?ade for Jew-hatred. This will not only uphold Jewish national honor, but elevate the sinking moral standards of contemporary democracy.
Tenth, phase out US military assistance to Israel (now less than 2% of the country?s GDP), as well as American participation in Israel-Arab affairs. Both undermine Israel?s material interests, as well as Jewish national pride.
Add to the foregoing Knesset member Michael Kleiner?s proposal that Arabic cease to be an official language of the State. This will counter the anti-Zionist idea that Israel is a bi-national state or that it should be a ?state of its citizens.?
The above solution to the ?Arab problem,? which I have abbreviated, avoids two simplistic and unrealistic alternatives. As already indicated, the expulsion of Israel?s Arab population is politically impossible. On the other hand, no sensible policy can be based on the remote possibility that Arabs will soon forsake their 1,300-year autocratic tradition and become liberal democrats. The problem is not to change the Arabs, but to change Israel, whose laws and institutions should be made more democratic, more Jewish, hence more conducive to Jewish national pride. This, in short, is the Yamin Israel solution to the ?Arab problem.?
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Professor Eidelberg is the President of the Yamin Israel movement.
Here is my answer.
Let us state at the outset that no government of Israel is going to expel the country?s one million Arabs who reject Israel?s existence as a Jewish state. Even if the government were so inclined ? which can hardly be contemplated ? no Arab state will accept these Arabs (this also applies to the Arabs in Judea, Samaria, and Gaza). So, what should be done to save the Jewish state from a burgeoning and hostile Arab population? So far as I know, no party other than Yamin Israel has formulated a humane, logical, and realistic solution to this problem.
The only way to solve Israel?s ?Arab problem? is to make the State of Israel increasingly Jewish and proud on the one hand, and authentically democratic on the other. This will result in a steady emigration of Arabs and, at the same time, erode the nationalist ambitions of their party leaders. The question is: How can this be accomplished? Most commentators will say, ?Increase the Jewish content of public education.? Of course, but no less important, indeed, utterly essential, is the radical reform of Israel?s political and judicial institutions.
First, democratize Israel?s parliamentary electoral system so as to increase the impact of Jewish convictions on those who make the laws and policies of the State. The only way to do this is to make legislators individually accountable to the voters in multi-district elections ? the practice of 74 democracies. Understand this well: The current system makes the entire country a single electoral district in which parties compete on the basis of proportional representation. This makes every vote count in apportioning Knesset seats. As a consequence, virtually every Jewish party seeks the support of Arab voters, which can only be purchased by compromising Jewish national interests (passage of the Oslo accords is the result of the Labor Party?s dependence on the Arab vote).
Second, replace multi-party cabinet government with a presidential system.
Third, democratize the method of appointing the Supreme Court, which has become a self-perpetuating oligarchy whose decisions diminish the Jewish character of the state. Yamin Israel proposes presidential nomination of judges with confirmation by the legislature.
Fourth, enforce the Foundations of Law Act of 1980, which was intended to make Jewish civil and criminal law ?first among equals? vis-?-vis the foreign systems of jurisprudence used by the Supreme Court.
Fifth, enforce the Basic Law: The Knesset, which prohibits any party that negates the Jewish character of the State (overbearing Arabs would be humbled, while unassertive Jews would be heartened, if Arab parties were expelled for violating this law). Also, enforce the 1952 Citizenship Law, which empowers the Minister of Interior to nullify the citizenship of any Israel national that commits ?an act of disloyalty to the State.? Yamin Israel would also amend this law by clarifying the term ?act? in such a way as to protect freedom of speech and press.
Sixth, rescind large-family allowances, with the understanding that the Jewish Agency will assume the function of providing such allowances to Jewish families, while Arab philanthropic agencies may do the same for Arab families.
Seventh, rescind the ?grandfather clause? of the Law of Return, which has enabled hundreds of thousands of gentiles to enter Israel and claim instant citizenship.
Eighth, enfranchise Israelis living abroad (Yamin Israel has designed a parliamentary electoral system that will facilitate this measure).
Ninth, expose, in national and international forums, any Arab state or entity that publishes anti-Jewish propaganda. Similarly, castigate CNN and BBC, whose ?moral equivalence? in reporting the Israel-Arab conflict is but a fa?ade for Jew-hatred. This will not only uphold Jewish national honor, but elevate the sinking moral standards of contemporary democracy.
Tenth, phase out US military assistance to Israel (now less than 2% of the country?s GDP), as well as American participation in Israel-Arab affairs. Both undermine Israel?s material interests, as well as Jewish national pride.
Add to the foregoing Knesset member Michael Kleiner?s proposal that Arabic cease to be an official language of the State. This will counter the anti-Zionist idea that Israel is a bi-national state or that it should be a ?state of its citizens.?
The above solution to the ?Arab problem,? which I have abbreviated, avoids two simplistic and unrealistic alternatives. As already indicated, the expulsion of Israel?s Arab population is politically impossible. On the other hand, no sensible policy can be based on the remote possibility that Arabs will soon forsake their 1,300-year autocratic tradition and become liberal democrats. The problem is not to change the Arabs, but to change Israel, whose laws and institutions should be made more democratic, more Jewish, hence more conducive to Jewish national pride. This, in short, is the Yamin Israel solution to the ?Arab problem.?
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Professor Eidelberg is the President of the Yamin Israel movement.