Cracks in the Leftist Ivory Hegemony over Where Protest & Free Speech End and Incitement & Treason Begin
Even leftist Stern from IDI thinks the signers are traitors. Calls petition to IDF pilots led by Chaim Gans (Tel Aviv University - Dept of Law) and others an "act of betrayal"
The online petition, effectively a call to mutiny, was organized by several academics, led by Tel Aviv University law professors Menachem Mautner, former head of the Law Department, and Chaim Gans. The letter says that an attack on Iran would be a "mistaken gamble," and that Israel would pay a heavy price for an attack that would at best delay Iran's nuclear program.
The petition says that while those signing could be jeopardizing their military service and even civilian careers, they would be "rendering an important and vital service to the State of Israel and all who live here" by showing Israelis that they do not have to "blindly obey" the government's apparent intention to embark on a highly questionable mission. It does not raise the issue of a democratically elected government's right to make decisions that law-abiding citizens obey and the lawful methods to fight decisions with which a citizen disagrees
For more details and to see the full original article, go here
IDI Watch - IDI grants award to a leader in Israel's Stalinist Communist Party MAKI
MK Dr. Dov Khenin (Hadash) won the Israeli Democracy Institute’s (IDI) Parliamentary Award. On Saturday, Khenin was declared exceptional MK. Khenin will receive their awards at an IDI ceremony February 2
NGO researched all 120 MKs’ parliamentary activity, and rated quality activity, specifically in supervising the government, as opposed to passing private legislation, which is less likely to become law than government bills. The IDI also rated MKs’ connections with voters and budgetary responsibility, as well as speeches and parliamentary questions.
For more details and to see the full original article, go here
Ben Gurion University - Dahlia Scheindlin (“Conflict Resolution” lecturer) just Wants To Flotilla Along with the Jihadis
A lot of Israel’s academic-fifth-column has its origins in the left-wing Marxist ideology that has taken over humanities disciplines in American universities… A living breathing example of the product of this situation is Tel Aviv University doctoral candidate Dahlia Scheindlin... She is a “researcher” (meaning political advocate) with the leftwing Israel Democracy Institute and lectures at Ben Gurion… “Peace and Conflict Studies”, Ms. Scheindlin’s pseudo-field of research, is an American university touchy-feely invention that originally emerged out of marriage counseling. Its underlying fundamental idea is that in any conflict both sides have to be accepted as having some valid arguments and they need only to listen compassionately to one another to settle their differences.
So when Arab hordes scream, “Itboch al Yahud!” (Massacre the Jews!), they are simply letting off steam and hoping for productive dialogue and feeling the pain of the Other. Peace is achieved by always recognizing the legitimacy of at least some of the grievances of the other side unless the other side is Israel, which has no legitimate demands, even the right to exist as a Jewish state.
... A case in point is Scheindlin’s writing in the leftwing Huffington Post in an article titled, “Dismantling Israel’s Myths.” There she defends the pro-Hamas Gaza flotillas and their bands of violent terrorist passengers, the “human shields for Hamas” who help keep the conflict roiling forever... This is a woman who makes her living “researching” conflict resolution? The fact that Ben Gurion University would have her lecture students is another example of the absence of serious academic standards at that school.
For more details and to see the full original article, go here
המכון הישראלי לדמוקרטיה - מרדכי קרמניצר (האוניברסיטה העברית - החוג למשפטים) מתעקש להתעלם מהגייס החמישי הדורש להטיל חרם על ישראל
שלשום עברה בוועדת חוקה, לקראת קריאה שנייה ושלישית, "הצעת החוק למניעת פגיעה במדינת בישראל באמצעות חרם".
... ההצעה מטילה סנקציות על מי שיקרא להימנע מלרכוש מוצרים מהתנחלויות או להימנע מלהגיע להצגות שם. היא פוגעת קשות בחופש הביטוי הפוליטי בישראל. בימים אלה, שבהם נאבקת ישראל על הלגיטימציה שלה בעולם, ההצעה תחבל במאמצי ההסברה הישראלים.
... זאת, ללא שיקול דעת של הפרקליטות האם להעמיד לדין; ללא צורך להביא ראיות מעבר לספק סביר; ללא צורך במסננת של בית משפט שיכול לצמצם את תחולת החוק; וכן ללא מסננת של גזר דין של בית משפט שיכול לפסוק גם קנס סמלי כמחאה.
... גרוע מכך, הצעת חוק זו לא כוללת תקרה לפגיעה בתקציב של אותו גוף "מעוול" - ניתן לשלול את כל התמיכה או ההטבות לפי החוק במלואן - ובכך לשתק את הגוף לחלוטין. אין מנגנון פיקוח על הפעלת הסמכות.
לפרטים נוספים ולמאמר המקורי עקוב אחר הלינק כאן
IDI Watch / Tel Aviv University - Yehouda Shenhav (Dept of Sociology) invents an Ashkenazi Conspiracy
Prof. Yehuda Shenhav of the Van Leer Institute says the past five years have seen a revival of the Ashkenaz culture, and more people are searching for their Ashkenaz roots.
Shenhav says the revival is also expressed in the establishment of a new Ashkenaz movement in Israel.
For more details and to see the full original article, go here
The IDI's Academic Swat Team - Carmon, Kremnitzer (Hebrew University) & Stern (Bar-Ilan University) - Stoops to McCarthyism in its Assault against the Freedom of Speech of Non-Leftists
This decision joins a
series of proposed bills designed to inflame the volatile
relationship between Jewish and Arab citizens. Similarly provocative
bills include the so-called "loyalty oath," the "nakba" bill and the
initiative to allow small communities to reject candidates for
residency based on "incompatibility" with the community's social
fabric. Although clearly targeted against one particular group, such
bills inevitably create an opening for discrimination against
others.
...
This talk of "loyalty" and "treason" invites violence. It is
difficult not to recall the days prior to the assassination of
Yitzhak Rabin. The populist exploitation of fear, suspicion and
animosity toward Arab Israelis, asylum-seekers and others, all under
the banner of patriotism, is eroding support for the principle of
equality – a basic tenet of the Declaration of Independence.
For more details and to see the full original article, go here
האוניברסיטה העברית - מרדכי קרמניצר (החוג למשפטים) מתלונן על הצהרת האמונים למדינת ישראל; על פיו הנאמנות נוגדת את "חופש המצפון והדעה"
להבדיל ממדינות אחרות, בזהותה של ישראל קיים יסוד פרטיקולרי ואידיאולוגי, נוסף על היסוד הקונטינגנטי של רוב יהודי. זאת ועוד, טיבה של ישראל כמדינה יהודית ודמוקרטית עדיין לא התקבע, והוא נתון במחלוקת קשה בציבור הישראלי. אחדים מהמפרשים יוצקים לביטוי משמעות דתית או לאומנית ואופי דמוקרטי דל ביותר. בשל יסוד זה, ההצעה יוצרת בעיה חמורה מבחינת חופש המצפון והדעה.
לפרטים נוספים ולמאמר המקורי עקוב אחר הלינק כאן
Hebrew University & IDI Watch - Anti-Israel Prof. Yaron Ezrachi (Dept of Political Science) denounces Israel as a country "going fascist"
"Israel is deteriorating from the vision of a democratic state to a fascist state. Our children will either leave this terrible place, be put in jail or fight in the streets like in Iran," Professor Yaron Ezrachi told the rally, which was held outside the Eretz Israel Museum
For more details and to see the full original article, go here
האוניברסיטה העברית & מעקב IDI – הפרופסור האנטי-ישראלי ירון אזרחי (החוג למדעי המדינה) מגנה את המדינה כ"פשיסטית " ולא דמוקרטית
פרופ' ירון אזרחי אמר בעצרת: "ישראל מידרדרת מחזון של מדינה דמוקרטית למדינה פשיסטית. או שילדינו יעזבו את המקום הנורא הזה, או שיהיו בבתי סוהר או שיילחמו ברחובות כמו באיראן".
לפרטים נוספים ולמאמר המקורי עקוב אחר הלינק כאן
IDI Honchos come out against a Pledge of Loyalty in Israel
According to Hebrew University professor and Israel Democracy Institute deputy president Mordechai Kremnitzer, most laws are meant to solve problems.
"This law is unique in the sense that it creates problems," he said.
He started out with the premise that the bill would not affect Palestinians seeking to marry Israelis and move to Israel, because family reunification was already blocked by another law.
As for other foreigners, he continued, "There is no phenomenon of a new Israeli who proved disloyal to the state after becoming a citizen. Therefore, there is no problem that needs solving."
The bill's real target is the Israeli Arabs, Kremnitzer charged. He quoted a statement made earlier Thursday by Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, whose party sponsored a far more sweeping bill.
Lieberman, said Kremnitzer, did not refer to new citizens in the context of the proposed new pledge but to Israeli Arab MK Haneen Zoabi (Balad).
"The idea is tell us all, 'Look, these citizens are not really loyal to Israel, because if they were forced to make a pledge, they would refuse.' The bill is meant to cast a shadow on the loyalty of the Israeli Arabs."
Bar-Ilan University professor and Israel Democracy Institute deputy president Yedidya Stern said he had no problem with the pledge of allegiance proposed by the government, but added that it was not necessary and was being introduced for the wrong reasons.
"The pledge raises no legal problems," he said. "In other words, a state may decide that whoever wants to become a citizen should be able to make a statement of loyalty. Moreover, the state can define itself according to the constitution...
"We should be proud that this is the definition we chose for ourselves. We have placed it in the top hierarchy of Israeli legislation. We shouldn't attack it. It is not against anybody."
Nonetheless, he continued, precisely because of its importance, it should not be exploited for political purposes.
"I think it's too serious for that," he continued. "It's too important to let people like Lieberman use it. It belongs to us. It's everyone's."
Stern warned that overusing the concept might harm Israel.
"We have to show ourselves and the world our self-confidence by not pushing it," he said. "[The fact that Israel is a Jewish and democratic state] is known. We don't hide it and we have nothing to hide."
For more details and to see the full original article, go here
Review of the
2010 Israel Democracy Institute Conference on the Demise of The
Jewish State of Israel
University of
Haifa – Sami Smooha (Department of Sociology) claims the Jewish
State of Israel cannot be “both democratic and Jewish”
Sami Smooha, who is professor of sociology at the University of Haifa, said that Israel is neither a liberal nor a constitutional democracy, but something special. In the past he has termed Israel an “ethnic democracy,” but he now declined to use any term containing the word “democracy” to describe Israel. He emphasizes that he is a sociologist, not a political philosopher, and as such he maintains that Israel cannot be both democratic and Jewish. ... As an antidote to Israel’s specialness Smooha recommends a special kind of anti-Semitism. Smooha argues that Israel’s Jews don’t want a Jewish and democratic state but rather a Zionist and democratic state, which is somehow worse. A “Zionist” state maintains that it is connected to all the world’s Jews and engages in Zionist “projects,” such as settling Jews in Israel, trying to create an amalgamated Jewish identity out of new immigrants, and consolidating Jewish dominance through law and politics. ... Smooha’s call for an “end to the millet system” is code for repealing legislation that takes into account the Jewish identity of Israeli citizens. ...Smooha’s vision is an Israel without a national or ethnic identity, albeit a state with a lot of Jews—much like Florida. There would be this significant difference: Unlike Florida, in this state a particular ethnic minority does get to be recognized as an official “national minority,” with cultural autonomy and other semi-national rights.
... He wants the Palestinians to be Palestinians and the Jews to be democratic, and essentially he calls on Israel’s Jews to discriminate against themselves. His justification is that the Jews are colonial settlers and therefore don’t really have rights. He did say that he thinks Israel’s Jews have the right to self-determination though not sovereignty. But it is hard to see how Jewish self-determination could find expression if his laundry list of policy recommendations were adopted.
For more details and to see the full original article, go here
IDI Watch - IDI and researcher Anat Roth can’t let go of the Gaza disengagement; claims reporting on the disengagement belongs to IDI
The Israel Democracy Institute and one of its researchers, Anat Roth, are suing attorney Michael Sfard and Col (res.) Shaul Arieli, two well-known left-wing activists, for copyright violation. … This material included "substantial sections" of Roth's 2005 study of settler campaigns against the fence and the disengagement from the Gaza Strip, including "exclusive, unique interviews" that she conducted with settler leaders over many months.
For more details and to see the full original article, go here
מעקב אחר המכון הישראלי לדמוקרטיה – מירב ארלוזורוב תוהה למה הממשלה השקיעה את זמנה בכנס מטעם המכון במקום בהעברת התקציב המדינה
מעניין מדוע הסכימו כל קובעי המדיניות הכלכלית בישראל - מראש הממשלה ומטה - להתאים את לוח הזמנים שלהם לזה שנוח למכון הישראלי לדמוקרטיה, ולא להפך. מעניין מדוע הם סברו כי חשוב יותר לבלות יומיים באילת, בדיוני הכנס, מאשר להשקיע שעות נוספות בניסיון לשכנע חברי כנסת לתמוך בסעיפים שונים בתקציב. ומעניין איזה כוח מאגי יש למכון הישראלי לדמוקרטיה על הדמוקרטיה הישראלית, עד שהיא רוקדת כולה לפי הצלילים שהוא קבע.
לפרטים נוספים ולמאמר המקורי עקוב אחר הלינק כאן
IDI Watch – Yedidia Stern (Bar Ilan University) takes a pot shot at the anti-Nakba laws; dismisses Arab loyalty concerns
Nevertheless, a murky wave of nationalistic fervor against Arab citizens is gaining steam. The voices hoping to use the Knesset's powers to legislate bizarre, racist laws - laws aimed at extinguishing a threat that does not exist - are gaining strength. If these bills are passed, they will harm the State of Israel's moral and international legitimacy.
For more details and to see the full original article, go here
The Israeli Left just awarded to itself the Israel Prize once again
A panel of people appointed by Labor Party Minister of Education Yuli Tamir, all of whom had personal ties to the Israel Democracy Institute and had received money from it, decided to award this year's Israel Prize to - (drumroll) - the Israel Democracy Institute (IDI). The IDI is a leftist political SWAT team, promoting the Left's agenda.
For more details and to see the full original article, go here