A Weblog of Centrist Voices in American Politics
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A Weblog of Centrist Voices in American Politics | |
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December 29, 2003Middle East PeaceUPDATE: Calling Israel a "theocracy" was a vast overstatement. It is no such thing, as rickheller correctly pointed out. Judaism is more like a Church of England kind of thing than like Islam in Talibani Afghanistan. Sorry, y'all! What I really wanted to say was a much more limited criticism; specifically, that the Israeli identity is framed sufficiently tightly with Jewry that Israeli Arabs and Muslims are often seen as a reason for worry rather than members of the family.
That, however, is not theocracy. So why did I use the word? I was
looking for something that would embody the the special relationship
of Judaism with Israel, and was intellectually lazy. ..
Just saw several "Peace" and "Peace in the Middle East" signs written in Christmas lights (there's a street here in Austin that makes a particular point of lighting itself up bigtime. That's inspired me to write Jon's Middle East Peace Prescription - how Middle East peace could be achieved if I were Prime Minister of Israel (thank God I'm not and nobody's listening to me!). There is some similarity here to the plan announced by the out-of-power, but I think that doesn't go far enough in the matter of Arab treatment in Israel. My start would be to lay the groundwork for Israel to think of itself as a different kind of state. Instead of striving for democratic theocracy, I would try to change the country's entire mission to spreading liberal democracy throughout the Middle East. At the same time, I would:
I would let the people tear down the stupid Wall. I would crack down on Army discipline (it's ironic how much General Sharon has hurt the IDF by giving it an impossible mission and overlooking discipline). Simultaneously with pushing these reforms, I would try to construct an anti-terrorist moderate and liberal coalition among Israeli Arabs. After letting people get used to the end of Israel as a theocracy and seeing what they can do for a liberal democracy with unlinked state and church, I would start trying to open immigration doors. This would probably be really hard. Once I have real Israeli Arab support (after 2-3 years?), I would put Arafat behind bars, and call elections in Palestine that I would provide security for. I would tell everybody that the Oslo accords have failed, that this new way of including everybody is the future. I expect Hamas would be starved for recruits after a few years of this. I have just been reading Solzhenitsyn's 1914. He notes that terrorism was severely reduced in Czarist Russia after the Czar allowed a reprentative assembly and appointed a Prime Minister who actually cared about and worked to improve the lives of the Russian people; said Prime Minister was wiped out by a lone terrorist with no organization behind himself. Solzhenitsyn clearly implies that the Russian Revolution wouldn't have happened if that guy had lived. Well, I think that if Israeli and Palestinians could have any sort of hope of their lives improving, the terrorists would be out of work. I know that most of the world thinks that the separate states are enough, but I can't agree. "Separate but equal" didn't work here, and tears and blood will be needed to find out that it's like that in the Middle East, too. So far, Israeli politicians have disappointed me in not advocating the turn from theocratic to liberal democracy. At least the ideas of equal treatment for Arabs and Muslims, and of ending the settlements, are out there, if not in the major parties. It is a hard issue in Israel, because the notion of Israel as a particular Jewish state is so cemented in the very self-identity of Israelis. There are many similarities between this and the former self-identities of Southern states as white states, dominated by and for whites. This self-identity was created for benevolent reasons, but, possibly because it was created at a time when Westerners saw Arabs as inferior, left out many from the outset. It's caused alot of trouble, including ethnic cleansing from the outset and evil and self-destructive terrorism. This situation cannot be wished away; it can only be worked with in the most constructive way possible.
The issue of democratic theocracy vs. conventional liberal democracy s
a big one in Israel, although posed more around Zionism. A large and
increasing number of Israelis on the ground are coming to support the
very thing I have suggested. This is not an abstraction-from-afar,
although it is an oversimplification - many other views exist on how
far Israel should go in moving from Zionism, all the way out to
questions of whether Israel should exist. I believe that it's there
as much as any Arab nation, and can do vast good if it can change its
mission.
Posted by Jon Kay at December 29, 2003 12:24 PM
Comments
1. Israel is not a theocracy. Israel is a Jewish state much as Germany is a German state, not as Germany is a Christian state. Laws in Israel are adopted through electoral means, and religious authorities have no law-making ability. There are religiously-based parties in Israel, as in Germany, Italy, and India, and they do win some legislative battles. The confusion is because Jews are an ethnic group that has a unique religion. But in fact, the founders of Israel was non-religious people of Jewish ethnicity. I favor legislation that would enhance secularism and separate "church and state" in Israel, but it should be recognized that the strict separation which occurs in the United States is unusual even in democracies. 2. There should be greater efforts to eliminate discrimination against Israel's Arab citizens, with the exception of their participation in Israel's defense forces, which is simple not consistent with Israel's survival as long as other Arabs are making war against Israel. Israel should eliminate veterans preferences, which inherently discriminate against Arabs, in areas not related to national security. 3. In 1948, Arabs states tried to "ethnically cleanse" Palestine by "driving Jews into the sea" They did kill or expel all Jews from those areas of Palestine where they gained control. While there were some attacks by Jews on Arab civilians, I don't see evidence that most Palestinians were actively pushed out, so much as they fled in fear that Jews would do to them what they would do to Jews were they to gain supremacy. In fact, those Arabs who remained in Israel have prospered, and while arguably second class citizens, live freer than most first class citizens in Arab countries. Thus, I don't believe a blanket apology is in order, though Israel should be more openly confront the historical records where cases of attacks on civilians occurred, and be willing to pay compensation. 4. I agree that the settlements which are outside Israel's current or prospective future borders should be abandoned or bulldozed. 5. I am strongly in favor of a Wall, though I favor its relocation in certain areas where it has dipped deeply into Palestinian territory. Jews and Palestinians simply need to lead separate lives for one or even two generations. The scars are so deep that I do not believe they can ever be healed among people now in adulthood. I do not think there can be "true peace" at any time in the near future; at best there can be sullen non-aggression between people who rarely interact, as is the case currently with Israel and Egypt. That would be good enough. Posted by: rickheller at December 29, 2003 01:28 PM |
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