A smart friend writes:
Ethan Bronner of the Times writes a front-page piece on Avigdor Lieberman ("A Hard-Liner Gains Ground in Israel") without mentioning racism or
discrimination. No mention of the Haaretz report that he was a member
of outlawed, terrorist Kach party. No quotes from Arabs. Bronner even prints one Israeli's risible claim that Lieberman's loyalty oath is no different from the American pledge of allegiance.
together, Mr. Lieberman's proposals aim toward an ethnically purer
Jewish state, in many ways a classically conservative goal. "
Classic? Compare Bronner to TNR's alarum (Lieberman is an "extremist" who "has focused much of his campaign inciting public anger against Israel's Arab minority), or the LATimes frank report on a "far-right" politician:
"This
is a person who brings out the darkest urges of part of the Israeli
public," said Shelly Yacimovich, a lawmaker from the left-leaning Labor Party. "His slogan endangers democracy. He is the moral red line we must not cross."…
According to the newspaper Haaretz, the new immigrant also took a membership card from the far-right Kach party, which had been outlawed for its racist platform…
"No
one can demand that I join the army and fight against my Palestinian
brothers," said Abbas Zakour, an Arab lawmaker. "No one can dictate to
nearly a million and a half Arabs to sing the anthem. Certainly no one
who came from Russia 20 years ago can tell me what to do in my ancestors' land."
Ahmed Tibi, another Arab in parliament, has called on the international community to boycott Israel if Lieberman rises to power, as it did Austria when far-right leader Jorg Haider joined that country's government….
Tzipi Livni [has lamented] "the trend for a party whose entire slate is based on hate…"
Clearly Bronner needs to explain classical conservatism to Livni.
