Trouble always looked inevitable when courts gave the go-ahead to Jewish right-wingers to parade with flags through the Arab town of Umm al-Fahm in northern Israel.
As the dramatic video captured by Reuters journalists in the town shows below, the doomsayers were not disappointed.
The parade came at a sensitive time for Israel’s million or so Arab citizens, who identify themselves as Palestinians living inside the borders created in the war of 1948. After last month’s Israeli election, Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu looks set to give a senior cabinet role to Avigdor Lieberman, a right-winger who has suggested redrawing those borders to put Umm al-Fahm and other Arab towns outside Israel and inside a Palestinian state. Lieberman also wants a loyalty test for citizenship. Local residents in Umm al-Fahm turned out in force to oppose the march in their town, with somewhat predictable results in terms of violent confronation. This American blogger was outspoken in his criticism of the marchers and Israel.
For the Israeli authorities, however, this was a case of ensuring basic political freedoms - for the marchers to fly their flags and demonstrate where they chose. It brought to mind arguments that used to trouble Northern Ireland, where the parading of flags by members of one warring community through streets populated by the other was long a bitter bone of contention. In the face of arguments about civil liberties and free access, repeated violence between Protestant Orangemen, particularly fond of flag-waving parades, and Catholics eventually led to the establishment of full-blown special public body, the Parades Commission, in 1998. Its supporters credit it with contributing to the easing of sectarian tensions in the province.
Israelis and Palestinians seem a long way from the sort of progress that has calmed Northern Ireland over the past decade, as Mideast peace mediator Tony Blair, the British prime minister who oversaw the establishment of the Parades Commission, has found. But some might argue it is time to take another look at how flag-waving marches are approved. What do you think?
(PICTURES: Jewish ultranationalists wave Israel’s national flag as they march in the northern town of Umm el-Fahm March 24, 2009. REUTERS/Darren Whiteside; An unidentified member of the Protestant Orange Order marches in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland July 12, 2007. REUTERS/Andrew Paton)
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12 comments so far
the Izraeli government said ok to the ultra nationalist, extremist taliban like zionist to wave flags and chant slogans as they walked thru arab neighborhoods. yet, they sent in the police to stop “illegal” arab culture event that was taking the same day. its funny how the “beacon of democracy” in the middle east which has no constitution is more similiar to the taliban that controls parts of afghanistan and pakistan. considering the recent reports that have come out about israeli government and military from within israel, there is nothing surprising or shocking any more about israel’s actions. I would not even be surprised if they nuke a country and kill a million people anymore, its what they are.
- Posted by HassanOne of the main organisers of the march was Itamar Ben-Gvir, a settler leader from occupied Hebron. Olmert once described their attacks on Palestinians in the city as ‘a pogram’. Ben Gvir simply wanted to export his neo-nazi ideology to one of Israel’s largest Arab cities.
Calling them ‘right wingers’, ‘ultranationalists’, or ‘far righists’ is no subsitute for what they really are - Terrorists. I think many Israelis would agree they’re just a boil on the ass of Israeli democracy. And a boil Netanyahu and Lieberman are keenly attracted to.
This demonstration had nothing to do with expressing loyalty to the state. The organisers simply wanted to whip up anti-Arab hysteria in Israel. Genuine peace between Israelis and Palestinians rests on expellng these deranged individuals from the West Bank. Those settlers who express loyality to Palestine are more than welcome to remain.
** Tony Bliar a ‘peace mediator’? What has this narcissist mediated? He should do all of us a favor and spend the rest of his days in a confession booth.
- Posted by Nu'man El-Bakri” … this was a case of ensuring basic political freedoms - for the marchers to fly their flags …”
Its not “their” flag, its the Israeli flag!
To some people everybody is a neo-nazi except the Hamas. Its also great to spill non-sense such as the bizarre previous post about these people, walking the streets of an Israeli city, as being terrorist. I know that when you support Hamas, that murders with no impunity men/women/children (Israeli and Palestinian), you would like to have “terrorist” on the other side to justify your brutality. But saying it doesn’t make it so. Israel had some organizations, true, but Israeli security forces quickly nipped them in the bud. Marching with flags doesn’t make you a terrorist, it makes you an activist. You may not like the ideology that says that the land of Israel is from the sea to the Jordan river, but its an idea not a gun. When more Palestinians start fighting with ideas and not Qussams (targeting CIVILIANS for almost ten years!), there will be no need for the IDF to get out the big guns and protect southern Israel from daily missiles, and there may be a chance for peace. Until then its a game of attrition, with Hamas and other factions that “rule” Gaza believing they can destroy Israel in little pieces. Don’t take my word for it, read their various charters.
- Posted by Sar ChasmCorrection:
“Hamas murders with impunity” of course.
- Posted by Sar Chasmyea these “activists” are the same ones who walk around with guns and weapons in palestinain territories, terrorizing the population, vandelizing homes and mosques, and threatning businesses and causing trouble.israel was founded with guns and and bombs, and it is an idealogy of a zionists movment that has more in commom with the taliban who are causing mayhem in pakistan. much like how the taliban walk around with guns terrorizing the population, these zionists are doing the exact same thing in israel. just like how the taliban exploit islam, the zionists are exploiting judaism. there is no differces between the two.
- Posted by sidneyDear Sidney,
Great to see you care so much about Judaism. Unfortunately you make claims that are not supported by facts. Extreme ideology exists everywhere, but you seem to know that.
Proud Zionist
Sar
PS. Care to point to a country that was not founded with armed conflict? Especially one that all of its neighbors declared they will eliminate in a week when it declared its independence? But its great you single out Israel, shows you really care. You know what, I have a suggestion: why don’t you take care of your part of the world, and stop the propaganda.
- Posted by Sar ChasmDear Sar,
“Care to point to a country that was not founded with armed conflict?”
I’ll have a go. It’s called ‘West Bank Bantustans A,B, and C’. Israeli ultra fascists refer to them as ‘non-sterile areas’ in Judea and Samaria. The activists you admire should be able to clarify that for you.
This might help you understand why Hamas doesn’t recognize Israel. They know what Israel means by ‘Palestine’. The massive concrete wall, er, fence, is designed to seal Israel’s conquest of the West Bank once and for all. Netanyahu and Lieberman have been given a mandate to withstand international pressure and finish the remaining 40% . After that, your activists will have a field day making the lives of Palestinians there even more unbearable.
While in Gaza Prison, IDF soldiers can go through a rite of passage by executing women and children at their leisure. Oh, and reducing 1.5 million people to digging tunnels in order to feed themselves.
- Posted by Nu'man El-BakriIts funny to see the hypocrisy of those who defend these types of actions. you defend the the actions of these “activists” as their rights and declaring their independence. you justify the crimes of your governments and the actions of your extremist groups by saying its some sort of “self defense”. yet you have the palestinains who are doing exactly the same. so be it. you just legitimized every action hammas ever takes, because they too are fighting for independence. you claim to speak of “facts” however its easy to see right thru the distorted information and excuses that are given. and now you see from within israel itself, voices of reason and morality are speaking out against actions that you try to cover up and hide and make excuses for. not to mention those voices are those from within the IDF. regardless of what you say or your pathetic reasons for saying it, the truth is coming out.
- Posted by sidney“I’ll have a go. It’s called ‘West Bank Bantustans A,B, and C’. ”
Look, if you bunch nonsense together it still doesn’t make sense. I fail to see the comparison between walking with a flag and using suicide bombers, or your ridiculous claim about the west-bank. But to you its all the same, all is OK with your vile hate. This discussion is useless. Go get Amnesty to issue more claims of “Israeli human rights abuse” on your behalf, you’ll get some publicity until the veracity of their deception is out. All this while Arab and Muslim countries have such miserable human-rights record. I know, its the “Sharia” way. Found any adulterers to stone lately?
“now you see from within israel [sic] itself, voices of reason and morality”. We have these voices for a long time, where is the morality of the other side? Where is yours? How do you justify deliberately targeting civilians? Who has pathetic arguments, those that support the right of a sovereign nation to defend itself against daily barrage of rockets or those that make excuses for terrorists? Your “truth” has already came out, as it did in the Jenine “massacre”. There too, the likes of you, but more importantly supposedly human-rights organization, came out with ridiculous propaganda on hundreds of civilian deaths. The FACTS actually showed less than 60 dead with the overwhelming majority of them armed terrorists.
Hamas: lobbing bombs with one hand while using the other to wipe away artificial tears for people they care nothing about.
- Posted by Sar ChasmSince Israeli Arabs are permitted to march in their demonstrations (including in downtown Tel Aviv)under Palestinian flags, I find it hypocritical in the extreme to criticize Israeli right-wingers for marching in an Israeli village with Israeli flags. Freedom of expression is not limited to those you deem politically correct.
- Posted by PatIsrael has to come to reallity the big brother the USA is not going to sacrified her children fighting for them.
Israel is playing tough and they believe they can bomb Iran and Iran is a big headache they now how to fight and the United States is not going to fight for Israel that is occupaying Palestinians Land.
With Mr. Obama there is a new game, he won the election by a big mayority and he does not owed anything to the Jews. ( Most of Jews voted for Mc Cain because he said bomb, bomg Iran) and its does not played well with the American public.
Ideassoul
- Posted by FelixDear Sar.
Rant away. Day by day more and more of us are realizing that Israel is not a democracy, but a racist state, whose existence would evaporate if the US did not pump billions of dollars of taxpayers money into Israel’s economy, which is sued to build more illegal settlements, build barrier walls, and buy guns to kill Palestinians.
I struggle now with trying not to hate Israel. You embody the irrational myopia that Israel offers to world as justification for stealing the property belonging to others, and murdering them when they protest.
- Posted by mary