Q&A: Demonstrations and Jews
Demonstrations and Jews
Question
Have a good week!
We’re now seeing that the Eritreans’ demonstration got out of control; they created a pogrom and caused damage to shops and to uninvolved people. Likewise, I’m reminded of the demonstrations not long ago in France, where they beat police officers and destroyed shops, etc., and also of the demonstrations two years ago in the U.S.
By contrast, when you look at demonstrations in Israel, they have never behaved like that.
Doesn’t this indicate the special character of Jews (not necessarily in some metaphysical sense, even culturally)?
Answer
Absolutely not. 1. The Eritreans are here in a very different situation from ordinary citizens. So the comparison is not between Jews and Eritreans, but between citizens and immigrants/refugees. 2. There are other countries and groups too whose demonstrations do not turn into riots. 3. In the past there were also riots by Jews.
Discussion on Answer
Indeed, an entirely marginal impact, certainly compared to the government’s impact. And unrelatedly, the Eritrean problem isn’t being solved because of the government, which for years has failed to do what international law requires: determine who is a refugee and who is an infiltrator. And as always, it finds it convenient to dump everything on the High Court.
https://news.walla.co.il/item/3606100
The article you linked to is a wonderful example of media bias (not to say deception). A dramatic headline that presents Likud members as hypocrites, when the body of the article is really about ideological opposition to an agreement that would have granted legal status to 16,000 infiltrators—a number equal to those who were supposed to leave under it. (Of course, in the headline they mention only the number leaving, with no reference at all to the other side of the deal—the ones remaining.) It’s also interesting that they bring all the reactions of the Likud MKs under that headline, when we all know which way that will steer readers’ biases. In short, by bringing that link you meant to curse and ended up blessing.
As for your previous answer, I’d be glad if you could elaborate on the refugee/infiltrator issue: how, in your view, can the state determine that regarding each of those people, and what do you think the implications of that would be?
Deceptive or not, there was a step there that brought this problem upon us. By the way, in the agreement with the UN they were talking about 40,000, as far as I remember. But that doesn’t matter. The fact is that they could have removed half the infiltrators and didn’t do it. A mistaken decision, and their own fault. The perfect is the enemy of the good. So I came to curse and turned out to be cursing after all.
International law requires conducting an examination, and I assume there would also be rules for cases of doubt. But the government has evaded its duty to this day, offering false and absurd pseudo-solutions, and blaming everyone except itself.
Just from the recent riots, you can see that it’s possible to determine who belongs to the regime’s supporters and understand that he is not a refugee.
In short, this is lying propaganda, in the usual style of Bibi and his gang.
The Ethiopian protests and the Mizrahi protests in the past were no less violent. There was also a left-wing demonstration that ended in murder.
The previous comment under the name “A” is not mine.
In what you’re saying, you’re assuming that the coalition and the Knesset in general ought to say thank you for being allowed to legislate and make do with less. (Saying “thank you” is just rhetorical flourish, of course.) What are Knesset members supposed to do if they believe their voters want a more sweeping law and are unwilling to cement citizenship for sixteen thousand people, some of whom are border violators?
Your claim about the duty to investigate still needs investigation itself (unless you can refer me to material on the subject), and so does your claim about the 40,000, which contradicts what is stated in the article.
The last claim isn’t really clear, but it also doesn’t seem related to our topic, so with your permission I’ll treat it as some sort of decorative flourish at the end of your response.
They should do what the law allows them to do. And if they made mistaken decisions that could not be implemented, the responsibility is theirs. That’s all. I’ve completely exhausted this.
And what about the impact of the High Court of Justice on citizens’ lives? In the past you downplayed its significance. As is well known, the High Court struck down all the laws intended to prevent them from settling here.