At the time of the founding of the state of Israeli, David Ben Gurion said it was not enough for the Jewish state to be simply Jewish – it had to be fully democratic, offering full citizenship to all its peoples.
It was a remarkable statement made at the very moment when Israel faced the first of the wars of survival which have periodically threatened its very existence. Remarkable because, as the history of many nations, including our own, shows, the real test of a nation’s commitment to democracy is not whether that commitment is made during times of peace and tranquillity, but whether it can be sustained during times of war and difficulty.
Israel’s steadfast adherence to liberal democratic principles, even at the hardest of times, is one that should be admired and supported by democrats everywhere. This is especially so because – despite welcome developments in the Middle East over recent weeks – Israel remains the only democracy in a region where monarchical autocracies, zealous theocracies and military authoritarianism are the most prevalent form of government.
But while democrats of all political persuasions should give their support to Israel, those of us on the left should do so particularly. Israel is, after all, a country founded on social democratic principles and the Israeli Labor party, which, alongside our own Labour party, is a member of the socialist international, was the country’s dominant political force for decades.
Indeed, it is because of those social democratic principles that Israel’s attributes are undeniably progressive: a free and vibrant media; a robust and independent judiciary; strong trade unions; a generous welfare state; and a commitment to free, world-class education that enables Israel to have one of the highest-skilled workforces on earth. Contrast, too, the equal rights which women, gays and lesbians, and other minorities enjoy in Israel with the second-class citizenship and persecution meted out to such groups in most, if not all, of Israel’s neighbours.
Sadly, of course, this view of Israel is not shared by everyone on the British left. A small, but vocal and vociferous, fringe seeks to demonise Israel and its people. Too often, alongside some on the right who have long harboured a dislike of Israel’s progressivism, they appear able to use their power and influence in the media to distort debate not only about the Middle East peace process, but also about Britain’s own foreign policy.
This is why, alongside Labour Friends of Israel, Progress believes the debate we are jointly hosting next week on making the progressive case for Israel is so important. We believe that it is essential that we not only demonstrate the support for Israel that exists within the Labour party, but, more importantly, challenge those who seek to deny Israel’s right to exist and show why that point of view simply has no place at all in the Labour party. Equally, we believe it is important to assert Israel’s right to defend itself, and to have its rightful security concerns, and its efforts to promote peace, appreciated, not ignored.
The calls for boycotts and attempts to exploit our courts to exclude Israeli voices from public debate in this country are, of course, simply the most obvious manifestation of this anti-Israeli fringe. The boycott movement, particularly among some British trade unions, is also the most self-indulgent, for it would achieve nothing beyond harming the very people on whose behalf it is apparently being mounted. Indeed, its most practical effect would be to stifle the growing cooperation, endorsed and supported by the International Trade Union Confederation, between Israeli and Palestinian trade unions, cooperation which provides the building blocks for trust and cooperation upon which a long-term peace settlement can be built.
But while it is self-indulgent, the boycott movement is also pernicious. The impact of the attempts to isolate and demonise Israel and its people are being felt week in, week out by Jewish people here in Britain in the form of rising antisemitism. This is something the left should unreservedly condemn, not attempt to excuse.
I would, of course, like to see Israelis elect a more progressive government than they currently have – something I would also like to see the British people do, too. But, in the spirit of its internationalist tradition, the real challenge for Labour is to support shared values where we see them and thus to work with progressive Israelis and Palestinians to promote a two-state solution. That means supporting both those Palestinians who want a state committed to freedom and democracy, not Hamas’ violent, dictatorial brand of Islamism, and those Israelis who are already attempting to reach out to them.
Making the Progressive Case for Israel, organised by Progress and Labour Friends of Israel, takes place on Tuesday 15 March at 18:00 in the Grand Committee Room of the House of Commons. Please register here
I for one believe that the state of Israel is an apartheid state which was founded on the dispossession of the Palestinian people. It is essentially a jewish state defended to the hilt at the expense of the Palestinian people, who are second class citizens in their own country. I totally deplore your comment that my view have no place in the Labour Party. That is a deeply divisive and offensive comment which is disgusting coming from a so called progressive blog. Of course I respect your right to put your point of view to defend Israel, but to deny other people the right to argue for the Palestinians is unacceptable. Israel has refused to end the settlement building, refused to negotiate land for peace and is constantly attacking the Palestinian people. To attempt to exclude that point of view is not social democratic at all but its very antithesis.
I wonder how the people of Gaza are enjoying Israel’s ‘steadfast adherence to liberal democratic principles,’ or the families of Rachel Corrie, Tom Hurndall, the children killed during Israel’s operation cast lead or those murdered by the IDF as they attempted to bring aid to Gaza on the Turkish Mavi Marmara last year. Israel is an apartheid state which routinely breaches international law. It is not remotely progressive to support it when it behaves so appallingly to the people of Palestine.
its ideological though isn’t it between Israel and the Arabs and they both have a symbolic attachment to Jerusalem,the Christians too have a symbo- claim. Perhaps they could create a citadel like Vatican City that the Catholics have,it would have to be administered by peacenicks though like Switzerland.It’s a shame they can’t redraw the southern boundary from Yotvata up to Gaza and exchange that for the West Bank,Gaza would then border Jordan,of course the Israelis would not give up Elat and access to the red Sea but they have most of the Med.coast.Yeah,stupid idea because its all desert in the south and the West bank is fertile as the Jordan of course runs there ,or does it run down to the Red Sea ? None of my business I know (except in that it threatens world peace?) If you look at Elat and Gaza for example what do they imagine this God they believe in might think when he compares the two? Yes yes of course the Israelis will say they earned it they paid for it and they deserve it because of WW2, nevertheless,SOMETHING has to be done now.
(and Israeli Oil comes from Caspian via Novorossiysk on the Black Sea to Haifa which is on the Med. presumably they have a treaty with Turkey then? who controls the Bosphorous straights? So if Elat on the Red Sea is just for holidays …..) Mind you I think what the Israeli’s say is that there is no “Palestinian people” ,whoever they are can be absorbed by other Arab nations ? They say the land was left uncultivated pre 1947 which the Palestinians dispute , but perhaps if they had been helped to develop the country they too could have prospered as the Israelis have done,maybe not, but look at how most Arab nations have made the ‘ desert bloom ‘ with oil wealth.)