Israel Matzav

Yisrael Beiteinu joins the dhimmis in the Knesset

Back in the early 1980's, the Israeli Knesset passed a law that banned all political parties that did not support Israel being a "Jewish democratic state." The only person and party against whom that law was ever used was Rabbi Meir Kahane HY"D, whose Kach party was thrown out of the 1988 election using that law. Kahane consistently believed that Israel could be Jewish or democratic, but not both. Rumor had it at the time that Kahane was poised to win as much as 10% of the Knesset.

Today, the Knesset House Committee was prepared to consider a bill to ban a party that believes that Israel should be neither Jewish nor democratic. That party is Sheikh Raed Sallah's Islamic movement northern front, which has been behind both the riots over the digging at the Mughrabi gate in the Old City of Jerusalem, and the case that has been pending for more than a year in the High Court of Justice to prevent the Simon Wiesenthal Center from building the Museum of Tolerance.

The bill was introduced by Likud MK Yisrael Katz, and had been promised support by Likud, National Union - National Religious Party, Shas, the United Torah Judaism party and Yisrael Beiteinu. But it couldn't get through the Knesset House Committee today, because nine members constitutes a quorum in the House Committee - which places bills on the Knesset's agenda - and only seven were present at the meeting. Yisrael Beiteinu - under threat from coalition chief Avigdor Yitzchaki - walked out with the coalition. This forced committee chairwoman Ruchama Avraham (Kadima Achora) to cancel the vote:

Katz had been promised a majority for the bill among panel members from the Likud, NU-NRP, UTJ, Shas, and Israel Beiteinu parties.

If the committee had chosen to speed up the legislation, it would have gone to a plenum vote later this week.

Yitzhaki, however, told Israel Beiteinu MKs that if they supported the bill, he would punish them by delaying the appointment of MK Stas Meseznikov (Israel Beiteinu) to the Finance Committee, a move promised the party as part of the latest cabinet reshuffle.

"This bill is unconstitutional, extremist and racist, and no member of the coalition should support it," Yitzhaki said.

Katz was furious:

"Avigdor [Yitzhaki] has thrown himself in with the likes of [UAL-Ta'al MK Ahmed] Tibi just to show that he doesn't like my bill," Katz said. "This behavior shows disrespect to myself and to the committee."

Katz's bill would designate the Islamic Movement an "illegal corporation," outlaw fund-raising for the organization and make it impossible for them to run in national or local elections.

The Islamic Movement "incited anti-Israeli and anti-Jewish" sentiment, he said.

Katz said he had been prompted to draft the bill by the arrest of the northern branch's leader, Raad Salah, for attacking policemen at the Temple Mount.

"Just like Nasrallah became a hero after the Lebanon war, Salah became a hero in the eyes of Islamic extremists after his recent remarks and behavior," said Katz. "If we do not remove Salah from our midst, we will be building an Israeli Nasrallah with our own hands."

But for Avigdor Lieberman and Yisrael Beiteinu, it was okay to behave like a dhimmi, so long as they get the coveted chairmanship of the Knesset Finance Committee. The House Committee did its part next, voting 13-12 to remove current chairman Yaakov Litzman of United Torah Judaism. Now the vote on the Finance Committee - which Litzman has chaired since 1999 - goes to the full Knesset.

And you wonder what's wrong with this country?

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 12:21 AM