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Israel's Supreme Court Reverses Ban on Arab Political Parties
I, along with many others, reported on the Israeli ban on Arab political parties for the 2009 elections. This ban was almost universally criticized, including by myself.
What has not gotten any attention is the fact that the Israeli Supreme Court reversed this ban quite rapidly. This is an example both of how a government with proper checks and balances works, and an example of how everyone who loves to criticize Israel ignores it when Israel does something right. I saw lots of diaries on Daily Kos criticizing the ban but none that I came across reporting on the reversal.
From Ynet news:
The High Court of Justice overturned Wednesday the Central Elections Committee's decision to disqualify the Arab parties, Balad and United Arab List-Ta'al from taking part in the next Knesset race.
The Central Elections Committee explained its decision by saying that since neither party recognized Israel as the Jewish homeland, they were not eligible to bid in the nearing general elections...
Attorney General Menachem Mazuz, who was asked to prepare a brief on the matter for the court, said Monday that he saw no grounds to prevent the Arab parties from taking part in the elections.
Mazuz' further noted that the decision to disqualify the Arab parties was based on "flimsy evidence."
Their Justice Department
seems to be working better than ours has for the last eight years (though it appears that Holder will finally be confirmed today).
I have as many problems with American acquaintances sending me outraged e-mails every time someone even breathes a hint of criticism of Israel as I do with blinkered vituperation from the left on DailyKos (I don't read either). I have enough intelligent and thoughtful Israeli friends to know that neither caricature reflects reality.
I hope that the new administration will be able to pursue a more balanced and nuanced I/P policy, and withstand the inevitable s&^%storm that will descend no matter what direction they move in. The situation as it stands in reality is bad enough without willfully ill-informed Americans on both sides shrieking.