Azmi Bishara, an Arab Member of Knesset from the pan-Arab Balad party, explained to readers of the Arab press last week that there is no true Israeli Left. A true Israeli Left, apparently, according to Bishara, would support both Yasser Arafat and the killing of Israeli soldiers.
"The 'Zionist Left' has demonstrated against the killing of soldiers amidst criminal operations perpetrated against the Palestinians," MK Bishara wrote in his column for the London-based Saudi-backed Al-Hayat newspaper. Calling attention to another inconsistency on the Israeli Left, Bishara continued: "Leftist Israelis are calling upon the Palestinians to get rid of Yasser Arafat; these same forces used to defend him as the Oslo partner. Yet, everything can be justified in what is termed pragmatism and moderateness, while in fact it is stupidity."
"The 'Israeli Left', which is metaphorically called 'Left', is the Left that built the settlements of Gaza," the Arab MK reminded Al-Hayat readers, "and is the force that conducted demolition as a military theory." The Zionist Left "did not take to the streets in order to oppose the demolition of homes which was endorsed by the Israeli Supreme Court, the fortress of Israeli liberalism," Bishara explained. "They do not demonstrate in order to present themselves as a political alternative to Sharon and to oppose the crimes perpetrated in Gaza," he wrote with a measure of disappointment, "which perhaps they do not consider to be crimes."
"In the Gaza issue," according to the Arab MK's analysis, "the Zionist Left has turned itself to Sharon's assistant and perhaps it would become his right hand in the same government."
"The 'Zionist Left' has demonstrated against the killing of soldiers amidst criminal operations perpetrated against the Palestinians," MK Bishara wrote in his column for the London-based Saudi-backed Al-Hayat newspaper. Calling attention to another inconsistency on the Israeli Left, Bishara continued: "Leftist Israelis are calling upon the Palestinians to get rid of Yasser Arafat; these same forces used to defend him as the Oslo partner. Yet, everything can be justified in what is termed pragmatism and moderateness, while in fact it is stupidity."
"The 'Israeli Left', which is metaphorically called 'Left', is the Left that built the settlements of Gaza," the Arab MK reminded Al-Hayat readers, "and is the force that conducted demolition as a military theory." The Zionist Left "did not take to the streets in order to oppose the demolition of homes which was endorsed by the Israeli Supreme Court, the fortress of Israeli liberalism," Bishara explained. "They do not demonstrate in order to present themselves as a political alternative to Sharon and to oppose the crimes perpetrated in Gaza," he wrote with a measure of disappointment, "which perhaps they do not consider to be crimes."
"In the Gaza issue," according to the Arab MK's analysis, "the Zionist Left has turned itself to Sharon's assistant and perhaps it would become his right hand in the same government."