The fear society
 | By Joe Millis
July 13, 2011 | Share |
The zealots and the Jewish Brotherhood, who are fast creating a situation where Israel will implode, should read Natan Sharansky's The Case for Democracy.
As it is pointed out here:
In Natan Sharansky's book, The Case for Democracy, he offers the test of the Public Square. Can a person enter the public square, and express an opinion without fear of arrest? Israel's Knesset has just ruled that one might not necessarily fear arrest, but one should brace oneself for a pricey law suit and a fine.
If any Israeli calls for the boycott of any person or any group for the reason that they live in Israel - or in the West Bank/Judea and Samaria - they are liable to be taken to court.
According to the Public Square Test, Israel could now be seen to be edging away from being a free society, teetering on the brink of what Sharansky might call a "fear society". At the same time, this ellision between Judea and Samaria/West Bank and the rest of Israel would seem to place Israel's most contentious and complex conflicts into the hands of one of the State's bluntest tools: Legislation.
Let us remind ourselves - and those wannabe settlers - that the Jewish Agency-funded Makom was among the organisers of the We Believe in Israel conference.
Boycott the settlements.
COMMENTS
13 July, 2011 - 15:45 Rate this: 0 points | Even after the law a person may enter the public square, and express an opinion without fear of arrest. However if he is funded by the State or is entitled to tax breaks he could lose his funding/tax break or be sued if besides expressing an opinion he attempts to stifle debate by calling for economic damage to be done to the State and anyone living in the State if they do not toe his line. Rotten try in attempting to twist Sharansky's words to your way of thinking. I see you have bottled out of coming to Israel and calling for a boycott - spineless is the word that readily comes to mind. |
13 July, 2011 - 15:48 Rate this: 0 points | Just go to any of the Israeli news websites and see how debate has been stifled by this law - not a jot. How long has this law been on the statute book ? Is it yet on the statute book ? |
13 July, 2011 - 15:56 Rate this: 0 points | The law doesn't actually come on to the statute books, WI and RR Zionist. As I am due in Israel in December, and I will take great pleasure going around supermarkets pointing out to people settlement produce not to buy. If they want, they can sue me. I'd love to be a cause célèbre. |
13 July, 2011 - 16:03 Rate this: 0 points | Let's see anti-Israel NGOs in Israel get funded by foreign governments to attack Israel and also get tax breaks paid for by the Israeli taxpayer for doing so. They then feel hard done by when the Israeli Government with the support of a sizeable majority of the Israeli electorate passes legislation which would threaten that funding if they stifle debate by blackmailing Israel with economic boycotts if it does not toe their line and in so doing lose Israelis, whose tax shekels pay for those NGOs to operate, their jobs. So who is being undemocratic? |
13 July, 2011 - 16:11 Rate this: 0 points | Joe don't worry I will be waiting for you - perhaps you can let us have your flight number so that we can arrange a welcoming committee. It is however sad that a pathetic attempt at economic blackmail is all you can suggest to advance your argument. |
13 July, 2011 - 16:22 Rate this: 0 points | I do hope that this welcoming committee won't be holding up banners saying Welcome to Palestine? |
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Advis3r
13 July, 2011 - 15:35
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How many posts is it today Millis - how many nappies have you wet thru?