Democracy

Shlomi Daskal
The People's Voice, Realistic Religious Zionism Portrait »
Interview Highlights »

“ [Leaving the settlements is] a beginning, the first step. That’s what brought me to the People’s Voice. We came to Israel to establish a democratic Jewish homeland. If we continue to occupy the Territories we will either cease to be a democracy or cease to be a Jewish homeland. We will have to relinquish one of the two and I’m not prepared to do that. I think that for us to realize the dream of a democratic Jewish homeland we must exit the Territories, for example. Religious society is led by the extreme factions, which do not acknowledge this idea. That’s why we are saying, “no, there’s a different option.“ The biggest problem with religious society is that it’s founded on the notion of community -- it could be a synagogue, friends or neighbors. People don’t feel comfortable speaking out against their community. What we’re saying is that we represent a legitimate part of religious society. We want to legitimize that notion.” [Source in Complete Interview]

Dr. Khuloud Dajani
People's Campaign for Peace and Democracy Portrait »
Interview Highlights »

“ I am sure that a large percentage of the people who know the word “Oslo” know it just by name. They are not aware of what exactly Oslo was, even the people who signed Oslo. I am serious. I wish that people would carefully study the papers they sign, and be able to discuss and explain them to the people. There are many missing, unclear issues. Secondly, the different treaties--take for instance Camp David-- there was a chance, but the Palestinian resistance movement was not mature at that time. We are always backwards and we never carefully study our opportunities. We constantly refuse some opportunities illogically. We do not deal with opportunities in a tactical way. […] we are not mature enough in politics, negotiations, and in different roles. Centrality exists here.” [Source in Complete Interview]

Shlomo Zagman
Realistic Religious Zionism, Mosaica Portrait »
Interview Highlights »

“ Take the period prior to the disengagement from Gaza and the Right's struggle against it. They [the Israeli Right] said, 'What about human rights? Expelling people and demolishing their homes is a human rights violation.' In other words, "consider" the residents of Gush Katif's human rights; all of a sudden they were talking about democracy, about human rights, civil rights, equality and such terms, but only when it applied to them. When Arab-Israeli citizens are treated like second class citizens and lack equal civil rights, they [the Right] don't listen to these terms; they aren't interested. But they do acknowledge these terms when they need to, then they know all about the Basic Laws [filling the function of a constitution] in a democratic state.” [Source in Complete Interview]

Wafa Srour
The School for Peace Portrait »
Interview Highlights »

“ I do not think that democracy is something that can be taught. Democracy is not a set of rules to be discussed; it is a way of behaving and treating one another. The Ministry of Education cannot confine me and use undemocratic methods for deciding what to teach me, and at the same time claim to teach democracy. This is a contradiction. Democracy is not taught, it is realized in action. If you treat a child democratically, then the child will become democratic. If you oppress him and repress him, however, he will turn out differently. You can teach about democracy for six hundred years, but it will not do any good. Democracy must be a way of life.” [Source in Complete Interview]

Walid Salem
Panorama Portrait »
Interview Highlights »

“ The challenges facing me in Palestinian society are the un-democratic political elites. The people are democratic, but the leadership isn't. My problem regarding democratic society isn't with the people, but with the leaders-- not only the PA, but all the leaders. One of the challenges for a national democracy in Palestinian society is democratization of the leading political powers in terms of their work and decision-making. If they are democratized, they will encourage social involvement and not presume that they should work instead of the people. If they are democratized they will start working in popular ways that are mainly non-violent. The challenges and problems facing democracy and popular involvement strategies are the political elites that are not used to sharing control and think that they should determine the agenda and make decisions for the people, not with the people.” [Source in Complete Interview]

Meir Margalit
Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions Portrait »
Interview Highlights »

“ I want a democratic state, first and foremost. If we don't become a democracy then the Jewish part of it will fall apart and we'll become an Ayatollah version, like in Iran. That's not the Judaism I believe in; I believe in Buber's Judaism, that of the prophets, of "Love thy neighbor as thyself." I'm in favor of moral Judaism and not the settlers' version. If we continue this way it is very clear that we won't be a democracy, but we won't be a Jewish state either. In order to save something of Judaism and be a Jewish state that we can be proud to live in, first of all we need to return to democracy, otherwise it will all fall apart.” [Source in Complete Interview]

Nader Khatib
Water and Environmental Development Organization, Friends of the Earth Middle East Portrait »
Interview Highlights »

“ The current Palestinian ministries were imposed by a certain political reality through a transparent political process; therefore I can't deny their existence, especially as a Palestinian. They are our representatives, whether we like it or not. The will of the majority of the people placed them in that position. Others may have other approaches, but in Palestine I can't deny the legitimacy of an authority I am part of.” [Source in Complete Interview]

Walid Salem
Panorama Portrait »
Interview Highlights »

“ I want there to be a democratic Palestinian state. I want there to be elections in Palestine, but not only that. Elections are a form of democracy, but elections alone are not democracy. I want there to be no concentration of power in the hands of certain political groups. I want the provinces to have certain authorities. I want there to be an elected council and a parliament for every city or province, in addition to the general parliament of the country. This will prevent the concentration of power, and allow greater political participation by the people. Some call this decentralization of power and others call it vertical division of power. I prefer the second name. There is horizontal division of authority, which is the constitutional and legal division of power, and there is the vertical division of power, which means that the central authority gives certain power to the local authorities.” [Source in Complete Interview]

Yafit Gamila Biso
The Olive Tree Portrait »
Interview Highlights »

“ As an Israeli who paid a high price for coming to Israel, I care; I care to see the State of Israel as exactly what I envision. Obviously I don't expect a state according to my personal characteristics or desires but it is important for me that Israel come across to the world as a democracy and truly humanitarian - but not only nominally, or in quotation marks-- not a democracy of Jews over Arabs. I think that contradicts the laws of nature and humanity. I got involved with our Palestinian neighbors - I call them my brothers-- and I felt that they were being discriminated against. That's how I slowly became involved in this work.” [Source in Complete Interview]

Shlomo Zagman
Realistic Religious Zionism, Mosaica Portrait »
Interview Highlights »

“ You hear that "they [Palestinians] have it so good", but would anybody want to trade places with them? Is it that good? Really? People talk of democracy, but a true democrat wants all people to benefit from democracy and be citizens of a democratic state. Democrats can't claim to be thinking democratically if democracy is limited to them and they think it is just fine for other people to live in dictatorships, under military rule. No. That isn't democratic. You must aspire to have every person become a citizen of a democratic state.” [Source in Complete Interview]