Having an election once in a while does not a Western Liberal Democracy make.
The most obsessively compulsive blogger on here recently told us that " democracy is the tyranny of the
majority"
NO !!
That may be what Israeli democracy is but it is precisely what western liberal democracy is NOT. The setting up of a committee to investigate and harass legal organisations whose view of what Israel should be is different to that of a majority of the knesset is behaviour completely antithetical to the principles of liberal democracy. That many Israels , or even a majority of Israelis, approve of the move is completely irrelevant.
In a real democracy the rights of minorities whether these be racial, religious or political minorities are protected by a written constitution,and /or custom and practice and a judicial system that everyone,including the executive and most importanly, the military,is expected to be' and ultimately compelled to be,subject to.
No western army would get away for example, with ignoring a supreme court ruling that the relevant section of the fence at Bil'in has nothing to do with security but rather a blatant land grab, and a directive to re route it. In this respect the IDF is responsible for all deaths and injuries at Bil'in since this directive was issued and ignored.
Minority rights include the freedom of expression, assembly and organisation within the law. The funding of NGO's is none of the states business except if they are funded by illegal activity such as drug dealing etc. I am free to campaign for the abolition of the monarchy, the dissolution of the state, the absorbtion of the state into North Korea , pretty well any damn thing I want, without direct harassment,or indirect harassment by the setting up of a threatening,sinister macarthy like committee to investigate my funding.
In the west we have the right to any opinions we may arrive at and to organise to facilitate their expression short of expressions of religious, racial hatred etc. In setting up this committee Israel shows it's true colours.
