Far-right politics in Israel

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Flag of Kach, a former ultranationalist political party in Israel

Far-right politics in Israel encompasses ideologies such as ultranationalism, Jewish supremacy, Jewish fascism, and Anti-Arabism.[1] The term "far-right" is mainly used to describe advocates of policies such as the expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, opposition to Palestinian statehood, and imposition of Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Kahanism is an example of a far-right ideology active in Israeli politics.

History

In 1967

In the aftermath of the 1967 Six-Day War, Israel captured the Golan Heights, the West Bank, the Sinai Peninsula, and the Egyptian-occupied Gaza Strip.[2] This victory resulted in the revival of "territorial maximalism," with aspirations to annex and settle these new territories.[3] The new borders included large portions of additional land, with some Israeli political leaders redefining the borders in accordance with the vision of Greater Israel.[4] The Movement for Greater Israel, which emerged about a month after the Six-Day War ended, advocated for the control over all of the territories captured during the war, including the Sinai Peninsula, West Bank, and Golan Heights. The members of the movement demanded immediate imposition of Israeli sovereignty over the territories. The supporters of the movement were united by a territorial maximalist ideology.[4] During the summer of 1967, far-right nationalists began to establish settlements in the occupied West Bank to establish a Jewish presence on the land.[5] Menachem Begin's agreement to return the Sinai Peninsula to Egypt, as well as his initiation of the Autonomy Plan, caused parts of the political right to radicalise and adopt far-right political ideologies.[6]

Kach party (1971–1994)

Main article: Kach (political party)

The Kach party, founded by Meir Kahane in 1971, was a far-right Orthodox Jewish, Religious Zionist political party in Israel. The party's ideology, known as Kahanism, advocated the transfer of the Arab population from Israel and the imposition of Israeli sovereignty over all of Palestine, including the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.[7] Kach earned a single seat in the Knesset in the 1984 Israeli legislative election.[8] Shortly after Meir Kahane was sworn in Knesset, he made his first media-oriented provocation by announcing his plan to open an emigration office in the large Arab village of Umm al-Fahm. He stated that his plan was to offer residents of the village financial incentives to leave their homes and the country.[9] Some of his legislative initiatives were mostly related to the “Arab problem” in Israel, intending to separate Jews and Arabs in public swimming pools, banning romantic relations between Jews and Arabs, and seizing the citizenship of Arabs in Israel.[10] In his book, "They Must Go", Kahane wrote: "There is only one path for us to take: the immediate transfer of Arabs from Eretz Yisrael. For Arabs and Jews in Eretz Yisrael there is only one answer: separation, Jews in their land, Arabs in theirs. Separation. Only separation."[11]

One bill which he proposed required the imposition of a mandatory death penalty on any non-Jew who either harmed or attempted to harm a Jew, as well as the automatic deportation of the perpetrator's family and the perpetrator's neighbors from Israel and the West Bank.[12] Following Baruch Goldstein's massacre of 29 Palestinians at the Cave of the Patriarchs, Israel designated Kach, which Goldstein supported, as a terror organization in 1994.[13] In the 2009 Israeli legislative election, Michael Ben-Ari, previously a member of the banned Kach party, entered the Knesset as part of the National Union faction.[14] In the 2021 Israeli legislative election, Itamar Ben-Gvir, a follower of Kach, was elected as a representative of the Otzma Yehudit party.[15]

Oslo Accords

Rabin delivering his speech at the 4 November 1995 rally, shortly before his assassination

The far-right in Israel opposed the Oslo Accords, with Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin being assassinated in 1995 by a right-wing Israeli extremist for signing them.[16] Yigal Amir, Rabin's assassin, had opposed Rabin's peace process, particularly the signing of the Oslo Accords, because he felt that an Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank would deny Jews their "biblical heritage which they had reclaimed by establishing settlements".[5] Rabin was also criticized by right-wing conservatives and Likud leaders who perceived the peace process as an attempt to forfeit the occupied territories and a surrender to Israel's enemies.[17][18] After the murder, it was revealed that Avishai Raviv, a well-known right-wing extremist at the time, was a Shin Bet agent-informer. Prior to Rabin's murder, Raviv was filmed with a poster of Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Rabin in an SS uniform.[19] His mission was to monitor the activities of right-wing extremists, and he allegedly knew of Yigal Amir's plans to assassinate Rabin.

Israeli disengagement from Gaza

Protest against the evacuation of the Israeli settlement Kfar Darom

The Israeli disengagement from Gaza, headed by Ariel Sharon, included the removal of all Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip as well as several West Bank settlements, and resulted in protests and riots from Jewish settlers.[20][21] Posters covering the streets stated that "Ariel Sharon had no right to give up parts of the Land of Israel". The settlers managed to secure the support of Ovadia Yosef, the leader of Shas party, who convinced his followers to vote against the disengagement.[22] Three settlers burned themselves alive in protest of the disengagement.[23][24][25] By September 12, 2005, the eviction of all settlers from the Gaza Strip and demolition of their houses was completed.[26]

Current cabinet of Israel

The 37th Cabinet of Israel, formed on December 29, 2022, following the Knesset election on November 1, 2022, has been described as the most right-wing government in Israeli history,[27][28][29][30] as well as Israel's most religious government.[31][32] The coalition government consists of seven parties — Likud, United Torah Judaism, Shas, Religious Zionist Party, Otzma Yehudit, Noam, and National Unity — and is led by Benjamin Netanyahu.[33]

Judicial reforms

In 2023, as part of a campaign for judicial reform, a bill known as the "reasonableness" bill was passed in Israel. This controversial law limited the power of the Supreme Court to declare government decisions unreasonable.[34] In one instance, more than 80,000 Israeli protesters rallied in Tel Aviv against the far-right government's plans to overhaul the judicial system.[35] In early 2024, the Supreme Court of Israel struck down the reform[36] under the grounds that it would deal a "severe and unprecedented blow to the core characteristics of the State of Israel as a democratic state".[37]

Israel–Hamas war

Israel's far-right ministers have made controversial comments during the 2023 Israel–Hamas war. Agriculture Minister Avi Dichter told Israeli Channel 12 that the war would be "Gaza's Nakba," using the Arabic word for "catastrophe" that many use to describe the 1948 displacement of roughly 700,000 Palestinians.[38][39] Israel's Heritage Minister Amihai Eliyahu said in an interview that dropping a nuclear bomb on the Gaza Strip was "one of the possibilities".[40][41] Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said Palestinians should be excluded from "security zones" in the occupied West Bank even to "harvest olives". He has also called for the creation of "sterile security zones" around settlements in the West Bank to "prevent Arabs from entering".[42][43] Israel's Minister for Advancement of Women May Golan said "I am personally proud of the ruins of Gaza, and that every baby, even 80 years from now, will tell their grandchildren what the Jews did."[44]

Courses of action

The far-right in Israel have used a variety of ways over the years to achieve their political goals. These include far-right parties such as Kach, Otzma Yehudit, and Eretz Yisrael Shelanu being represented in the Knesset, Israel's parliament.[45] Establishment of unauthorized Israeli outposts in the West Bank is also common among far-right extremist groups, such as the Hilltop Youth.[46][47][48][49] Jewish extremist terrorism was carried out by extremists within Judaism, including the assassination of Palestinian mayors by the Jewish Underground group, the Cave of the Patriarchs massacre, the murder of the boy Mohammed Abu Khdeir, and the Duma arson attack.[50][51] Further, "price tag attacks" have been committed in the occupied West Bank by extremist Israeli settler youths against Palestinian Arabs, and to a lesser extent against left-wing Israelis, Israeli Arabs, Christians, and Israeli security forces.[52][53] Finally, political violence committed by far-right extremists, such as the murder of Emil Grunzweig, the attempted assassination of Zeev Sternhell, and the Assassination of Yitzhak Rabin.[54][55]

Criticism

Several journalists and human rights groups such as B'Tselem, Amnesty International, and Human Rights Watch claim that the ideology advocated by the Israeli far-right are fascist and racist towards Palestinians, Arab citizens of Israel and immigrants. They see it as a danger to democracy, and claim that it uses violence and encourages violation of human rights.[56][57][58][59] President of the United States Joe Biden said Benjamin Netanyahu's government contained "some of the most extreme" members he had ever seen.[60]

See also

References

  1. ^ Sprinzak, Ehud (1993). The Israeli Radical Right: History, Culture, and Politics (1st ed.). Routledge. pp. 2, 22–23. ISBN 9780429034404.
  2. ^ "Milestones: 1961–1968". Office of the Historian. Archived from the original on October 23, 2018. Retrieved November 30, 2018. Between June 5 and June 10, Israel defeated Egypt, Jordan, and Syria and occupied the Sinai Peninsula, the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Golan Heights
  3. ^ Sprinzak, Ehud (1991). The Ascendance of Israel's Radical Right. Oxford University Press. p. 35. ISBN 978-0-19-505086-8.
  4. ^ a b Pedahzur, Ami (2012). The Triumph of Israel's Radical Right. Oxford University Press. p. 36. ISBN 978-0-19-974470-1.
  5. ^ a b Smith, Charles D. Palestine and the Arab-Israeli Conflict A History with Documents, ISBN 0-312-43736-6, pp. 458
  6. ^ Sprinzak, Ehud (1989). "The Emergence of the Israeli Radical Right". Comparative Politics. 21 (2): 171–192. doi:10.2307/422043. ISSN 0010-4159. JSTOR 422043.
  7. ^ "Kach, Kahane Chai (Israel, extremists)". Council on Foreign Relations. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  8. ^ "Parliamentary Groups in the Knesset". August 15, 2014. Archived from the original on August 15, 2014. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  9. ^ Burack, Emily. "Rabbi Meir Kahane and Israel's far right, explained". The Times of Israel.
  10. ^ Cohen-Almagor, Raphael (1994). The Boundaries of Liberty and Tolerance: The Struggle Against Kahanism in Israel. University Press of Florida. ISBN 978-0-8130-1258-2.
  11. ^ Kahane, Meir (1981). They Must Go. Grosset & Dunlap. ISBN 978-0-448-12026-3.
  12. ^ Pedahzur, Ami (2002). The Israeli response to Jewish extremism and violence. Manchester University Press. JSTOR j.ctt155j609.
  13. ^ Lewis, Neil (October 18, 2006). "Appeals Court Upholds Terrorist Label for a Jewish Group". The New York Times.
  14. ^ Schechter, Asher (January 11, 2013). "Michael Ben Ari, bugbear of the left". Haaretz. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  15. ^ "Itamar Ben-Gvir: Israeli far-right leader set to join new coalition". BBC. November 25, 2022. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  16. ^ "What were the Oslo Accords between Israel and the Palestinians?". Al Jazeera English. Archived from the original on October 19, 2023. Retrieved October 18, 2023.
  17. ^ Newton, Michael (2014). "Rabin, Yitzhak". Famous Assassinations in World History: An Encyclopedia, Volume 2. Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO. p. 450. ISBN 978-1-61-069285-4.
  18. ^ Tucker, Ernest (2016). The Middle East in Modern World History. Routledge. pp. 331–32. ISBN 978-1-31-550823-8.
  19. ^ Ex-Undercover Agent Charged as a Link in Rabin Killing, The New York Times, April 26, 1999
  20. ^ "Thousands protest Israel's Gaza withdrawal". NBC News. June 27, 2005. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
  21. ^ Lis, Jonathan (January 25, 2010). "Israel to expunge criminal records of 400 Gaza pullout opponents". Haaretz. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
  22. ^ Reichner, Elyashiv (2010). Katom ha-maʼavaḳ: Gush Ḳaṭif be-maʻarakhah. Tel-Aviv: Yediʻot aḥaronot : Sifre ḥemed. p. 64. ISBN 978-965-545-165-8. OCLC 651600751.
  23. ^ "מת גבר ששרף עצמו בגלל הפינוי" [Man who set himself on fire in protest of the disengagement - pronounced dead]. www.makorrishon.co.il. Retrieved April 13, 2024.
  24. ^ Hasson, Nir (August 18, 2005). "מפגינת ימין הציתה עצמה; מצבה קשה". הארץ (in Hebrew). Retrieved April 13, 2024.
  25. ^ וייס, אפרת (September 6, 2005). "מת מפצעיו הצעיר שהצית עצמו בגלל ההתנתקות". Ynet (in Hebrew). Retrieved February 16, 2024.
  26. ^ "Demolition of Gaza Homes Completed". Ynetnews.com. September 1, 2005. Retrieved May 5, 2007.
  27. ^ * Kershner, Isabel; Kingsley, Patrick (November 1, 2022). "Israel Election: Exit Polls Show Netanyahu With Edge in Israel's Election". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on November 11, 2022. Retrieved November 6, 2022.
  28. ^ * "Israel Swears in New Parliament, Most Right-Wing in History". U.S. News & World Report. Associated Press (AP). 2022. Archived from the original on March 11, 2023. Retrieved March 11, 2023. Israel has sworn in its most religious and right-wing parliament
  29. ^ Carrie Keller-Lynn (December 21, 2022). ""I've done it": Netanyahu announces his 6th government, Israel's most hardline ever". The Times of Israel. Archived from the original on January 14, 2023. Retrieved December 21, 2022.
  30. ^ Tal, Rob Picheta,Hadas Gold,Amir (December 29, 2022). "Benjamin Netanyahu sworn in as leader of Israel's likely most right-wing government ever". CNN. Archived from the original on February 28, 2023. Retrieved December 29, 2022.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  31. ^ * Maltz, Judy (November 3, 2022). "Will Israel Become a Theocracy? Religious Parties Are Election's Biggest Winners". Haaretz. Archived from the original on November 7, 2022. Retrieved November 6, 2022.
  32. ^ Gross, Judah Ari (November 4, 2022). "Israel poised to have its most religious government; experts say no theocracy yet". The Times of Israel. Archived from the original on November 6, 2022. Retrieved November 6, 2022.
  33. ^ "Elections and Parties". en.idi.org.il. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  34. ^ Gold, Hadas; Greene, Richard Allen; Tal, Amir (July 24, 2023). "Israel passed a bill to limit the Supreme Court's power. Here's what comes next". CNN. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  35. ^ McGarvey, Emily (January 14, 2023). "Over 80,000 Israelis protest against Supreme Court reform". BBC. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  36. ^ Beauchamp, Zack (January 3, 2024). "Israel's Supreme Court just overturned Netanyahu's pre-war power grab". Vox. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  37. ^ Edwards, Christian (January 2, 2024). "What we know about Israel's Supreme Court ruling on Netanyahu's judicial overhaul". CNN. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  38. ^ Tov, Michael Hauser (November 12, 2023). "'We're rolling out Nakba 2023,' Israeli minister says on northern Gaza Strip evacuation". Haaretz. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  39. ^ Da Silva, Chantal (November 14, 2023). "Israel right-wing ministers' comments add fuel to Palestinian fears". NBC News. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  40. ^ Lederer, Edith M. (November 14, 2023). "China, Iran, Arab nations condemn Israeli minister's statement about dropping a nuclear bomb on Gaza". AP News. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  41. ^ Reporter, Staff. "Extremist Israeli minister renews call to hit Gaza with 'nuclear bomb'". Extremist Israeli minister renews call to hit Gaza with 'nuclear bomb'. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  42. ^ "Far-right minister Smotrich calls for 'sterile zones' free of Palestinians near settlements". Middle East Eye. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  43. ^ Burke, Jason; Taha, Sufian (November 30, 2023). "'No work and no olives': harvest rots as West Bank farmers cut off from trees". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  44. ^ Bhat, Sadiq. "'Proud of ruins of Gaza': Israeli minister rejoices at Palestine's distress". 'Proud of ruins of Gaza': Israeli minister rejoices at Palestine's distress. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  45. ^ Weinblum, Sharon (January 30, 2015). Security and Defensive Democracy in Israel: A Critical Approach to Political Discourse. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-317-58450-6.
  46. ^ Pietromarchi, Virginia; Haddad, Mohammed. "How Israeli settlers are expanding illegal outposts amid Gaza war". Al Jazeera. Retrieved March 22, 2024.
  47. ^ "Israeli settlers establish new outpost in West Bank". www.aa.com.tr. Retrieved March 22, 2024.
  48. ^ Magid, Jacob (July 23, 2017). "Work starts on new outpost outside Halamish after deadly terror attack". The Times of Israel. Archived from the original on July 23, 2017. Retrieved July 23, 2017.
  49. ^ "Hilltop Youth push to settle West Bank". August 18, 2009. Retrieved March 31, 2024.
  50. ^ Pedahzur, Ami (2009). Jewish terrorism in Israel. Internet Archive. New York : Columbia University Press. ISBN 978-0-231-15446-8.
  51. ^ Burgess, Mark (May 20, 2004). "Explaining Religious Terrorism Part 1". studies.agentura.ru. Retrieved March 22, 2024.
  52. ^ Gavlak, Dale (May 13, 2014). "'Price Tag' Israeli Extremists Target Christians". Christianity Today. Retrieved March 15, 2019.
  53. ^ Yifa Yaakov, 'Arab Israeli complains of Galilee price tag attack,' The Times of Israel 21 April 2014,
  54. ^ Hasson, Nir (February 10, 2013). "Daughter of slain peace activist Grunzweig: Israel imposes terror on its citizens". Haaretz. Retrieved March 22, 2024.
  55. ^ Rabin, Lea (1997). Rabin : our life, his legacy. Internet Archive. New York : G.P. Putnam's Sons. ISBN 978-0-399-14217-8.
  56. ^ Guyer, Jonathan (January 20, 2023). "Israel's new right-wing government is even more extreme than protests would have you think". Vox. Retrieved March 22, 2024.
  57. ^ Shakir, Omar (April 27, 2021). "A Threshold Crossed". Human Rights Watch.
  58. ^ "Who is Israel's far-right, pro-settler Security Minister Ben-Gvir?". Al Jazeera. Retrieved March 22, 2024.
  59. ^ Nechin, Etan (January 9, 2024). "The far right infiltration of Israel's media is blinding the public to the truth about Gaza". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved March 22, 2024.
  60. ^ Gritten, David (July 10, 2023). "Biden criticises 'most extreme' ministers in Israeli government". BBC. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
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