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Exclusion of Arab Knesset members from coalition-building is reminiscent of Mississippi in ’64

The ADL seems to think it will be a Livni government:

The national elections in Israel demonstrate that, at a time of war and stress, the vibrant democracy of the State of Israel has prevailed.

We congratulate Tzipi Livni and the Kadima Party on their victory. We wish Ms. Livni well as she works to form a unity government that is reflective of Israel 's diverse society, committed to ensure its democratic system and can heal fissures within Israeli society, just as it will responsibly confront Israel 's numerous domestic and international challenges.

This is pure propaganda. Livni's coalition, if that's what emerges, won't reflect diversity. It will reflect lack of diversity. One shock for me of visiting Israel was seeing how separated Arabs and Jews are; and this separation has only continued with the rise of Avigdor Lieberman. Though everyone brags about Israeli Arabs having the right to vote, note that the Arab Knesset members will not be included in the coalition talks–as they were not included in earlier governments, crucially Ehud Barak's in 1999. This is one of the most important posts I've ever done on this site. If Arabs were truly included in Israeli democracy, then they would change Israeli governance. They're not. They might have played a part in Camp David if they were part of Barak's coalition. And of course the governing coalitions go further and further right. Reminds me a little of the Atlantic City Democratic convention in 1964, where they refused to sit the Mississippi Freedom delegates. Blacks then couldn't vote in Mississippi.
(Phil Weiss)

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