Criticism of Israel

Criticism of Israel^[1]^[2]^[3] is a subject of journalistic and scholarly commentary and research within the scope of international relations theory, expressed in terms of political science. Israel has faced international criticism since its declaration of independence in 1948 relating to a variety of issues, many of which are centered around human rights violations in its occupation of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

Israel has been criticized for issues surrounding its establishment when most of Mandatory Palestine's Arab population fled or were expelled in 1948, the conduct of its armed forces in the Arab–Israeli conflict, establishment and expansion of illegal Israeli settlements in the Palestinian territories, its treatment of Palestinians, and the blockade of the Gaza Strip,^[4] with its impact on the economy of the Palestinian territories, the country's nuclear weapons program,^[5] and its targeted killings program.^[6]^[7] Other criticized long-standing issues include: the refusal to allow post-war Palestinian refugees to return to their homes, and the prolonged occupation of territories gained in war and the construction of settlements therein. Israel's status as a representative democracy has also been questioned because Israeli residents of the occupied territories are allowed to vote in Israel's elections while Palestinian residents are not.^[8]^[9]^[10]

Criticisms of Israeli policies come from several groups: primarily from activists, within Israel and worldwide, the United Nations and other non-governmental organizations including European churches, and mass media. Media bias is often claimed by both sides of the debate. Since 2003, the UN has issued 232 resolutions with respect to Israel, 40% of all resolutions issued by the UN over the period and more than six times that of the second placed country, Sudan.^[11]

Counter-criticisms include the assertion that some critics and their criticisms are aimed at delegitimizing Israel's right to exist,^[12]^[13]^[14] which has led some to debate over the point at which criticism of Israel crosses the line into antisemitism. The term "new antisemitism" refers to criticisms deemed to have crossed this threshold.

^ Rosenfeld, Alvin (Feb 2007). "Rhetorical Violence and the Jews". Critical Distance. Retrieved 6 Feb 2011. The ubiquitous rubric "criticism of Israel," however, has also come to designate another kind of discourse--one that has almost become a politico-rhetorical genre unto itself, with its own identifiable vocabulary, narrative conventions, and predictable outcomes
^ Wiedl, Kathrin Nina (2007). Is Criticism of Israel on Issues of Rights, Pluralism, Equality and Minorities Justified Given the Historic and Regional Context of the State?. GRIN Verlag. ISBN 9783638775489. Retrieved 6 Feb 2011. This essay analyses the criticism of Israel on issues of rights, pluralism, equality and minorities. It views issues, such as the 1948 war, the treatment of Misrachi Jews and raises the question if a Jewish state is racist and colonialistic and excludes minorities, such as Arab Israelis
^ Community Security Trust (2009). "Antisemitic Discourse Report 2009" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 August 2014. Retrieved 6 Feb 2011. The term "criticism of Israel" continued to be used as a catch-all defense against the raising of Jewish concerns about antisemitic manifestations, public speakers, groups, websites, agitprop and other phenomena
^ Watt, Nicholas; Sherwood, Harriet (27 July 2010). "David Cameron: Israeli blockade has turned Gaza Strip into a 'prison camp'". The Guardian. London.
^ "Fact Sheet: Israel's Nuclear Arsenal". Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation. 2020-03-31. Retrieved 2020-08-09.
^ Kendall, J. Nicholas (2001–2002). "Israeli Counter-Terrorism: Targeted Killings under International Law". North Carolina Law Review. 80: 1069.
^ "A look at Israel's targeted killings of militant leaders". AP News. 2019-11-12. Retrieved 2020-08-09.
^ BARAT, FRANK (April 2011). "Why Israel is Not a Democracy". Retrieved 15 September 2014. Ilan Pappé: No, Israel is definitely not a democracy. A country that occupies another people for more than 40 years and disallow them the most elementary civic and human rights cannot be a democracy. A country that pursues a discriminatory policy against a fifth of its Palestinian citizens inside the 67 borders cannot be a democracy. In fact Israel is, what we use to call in political science a Herrenvolk democracy, its democracy only for the masters. The fact that you allow people to participate in the formal side of democracy, namely to vote or to be elected, is useless and meaningless if you don't give them any share in the common good or in the common resources of the State, or if you discriminate against them despite the fact that you allow them to participate in the elections. On almost every level from official legislation through governmental practices, and social and cultural attitudes, Israel is only a democracy for one group, one ethnic group, that given the space that Israel now controls, is not even a majority group anymore, so I think that you'll find it very hard to use any known definition of democracy which will be applicable for the Israeli case.
^ Gorenberg, Gershom (2009-12-04). "Is Israel a Democracy?". The American Prospect. Retrieved 20 September 2014. Whether it ends the occupation and discrimination against Arab citizens within its borders will alter our perception of whether the nation began as an imperfect democracy or a false one. Today's political battles, strangely enough, will determine not only its future but also its past.
^ "Israeli-Occupied Territories". freedomhouse.org/. Freedom House. Retrieved 15 September 2014.
^ "UN Resolutions between 2003 and today by country". Archived from the original on 2011-07-18. Retrieved 2010-12-11.
^ "Want to Delegitimize Israel? Be Careful Who You Mess With". Archived from the original on November 24, 2010 – via Haaretz.
^ Bard, Mitchell (2008). Will Israel Survive. p. 1. Israel might be the only country in the world whose right to exist is debated and whose future is questioned. Can you imagine anyone asking whether the United States will survive or whether it should exist? Or anyone saying "no" if asked?
^ "Eroding Israel's Legitimacy in the International Arena - Reut Institute". reut-institute.org. Archived from the original on 2019-03-25. Retrieved 2021-05-18.

[1] Rosenfeld, Alvin (Feb 2007). "Rhetorical Violence and the Jews". Critical Distance. Retrieved 6 Feb 2011. The ubiquitous rubric "criticism of Israel," however, has also come to designate another kind of discourse--one that has almost become a politico-rhetorical genre unto itself, with its own identifiable vocabulary, narrative conventions, and predictable outcomes

[2] Wiedl, Kathrin Nina (2007). Is Criticism of Israel on Issues of Rights, Pluralism, Equality and Minorities Justified Given the Historic and Regional Context of the State?. GRIN Verlag. ISBN 9783638775489. Retrieved 6 Feb 2011. This essay analyses the criticism of Israel on issues of rights, pluralism, equality and minorities. It views issues, such as the 1948 war, the treatment of Misrachi Jews and raises the question if a Jewish state is racist and colonialistic and excludes minorities, such as Arab Israelis

[3] Community Security Trust (2009). "Antisemitic Discourse Report 2009" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 August 2014. Retrieved 6 Feb 2011. The term "criticism of Israel" continued to be used as a catch-all defense against the raising of Jewish concerns about antisemitic manifestations, public speakers, groups, websites, agitprop and other phenomena

[4] Watt, Nicholas; Sherwood, Harriet (27 July 2010). "David Cameron: Israeli blockade has turned Gaza Strip into a 'prison camp'". The Guardian. London.

[5] "Fact Sheet: Israel's Nuclear Arsenal". Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation. 2020-03-31. Retrieved 2020-08-09.

[6] Kendall, J. Nicholas (2001–2002). "Israeli Counter-Terrorism: Targeted Killings under International Law". North Carolina Law Review. 80: 1069.

[7] "A look at Israel's targeted killings of militant leaders". AP News. 2019-11-12. Retrieved 2020-08-09.

[Why_Israel_is_Not_a_Democracy-8] BARAT, FRANK (April 2011). "Why Israel is Not a Democracy". Retrieved 15 September 2014. Ilan Pappé: No, Israel is definitely not a democracy. A country that occupies another people for more than 40 years and disallow them the most elementary civic and human rights cannot be a democracy. A country that pursues a discriminatory policy against a fifth of its Palestinian citizens inside the 67 borders cannot be a democracy. In fact Israel is, what we use to call in political science a Herrenvolk democracy, its democracy only for the masters. The fact that you allow people to participate in the formal side of democracy, namely to vote or to be elected, is useless and meaningless if you don't give them any share in the common good or in the common resources of the State, or if you discriminate against them despite the fact that you allow them to participate in the elections. On almost every level from official legislation through governmental practices, and social and cultural attitudes, Israel is only a democracy for one group, one ethnic group, that given the space that Israel now controls, is not even a majority group anymore, so I think that you'll find it very hard to use any known definition of democracy which will be applicable for the Israeli case.

[Is_Israel_a_Democracy-9] Gorenberg, Gershom (2009-12-04). "Is Israel a Democracy?". The American Prospect. Retrieved 20 September 2014. Whether it ends the occupation and discrimination against Arab citizens within its borders will alter our perception of whether the nation began as an imperfect democracy or a false one. Today's political battles, strangely enough, will determine not only its future but also its past.

[Israeli-Occupied_Territories-10] "Israeli-Occupied Territories". freedomhouse.org/. Freedom House. Retrieved 15 September 2014.

[eyeontheunresolution-11] "UN Resolutions between 2003 and today by country". Archived from the original on 2011-07-18. Retrieved 2010-12-11.

[12] "Want to Delegitimize Israel? Be Careful Who You Mess With". Archived from the original on November 24, 2010 – via Haaretz.

[Bard-13] Bard, Mitchell (2008). Will Israel Survive. p. 1. Israel might be the only country in the world whose right to exist is debated and whose future is questioned. Can you imagine anyone asking whether the United States will survive or whether it should exist? Or anyone saying "no" if asked?

[14] "Eroding Israel's Legitimacy in the International Arena - Reut Institute". reut-institute.org. Archived from the original on 2019-03-25. Retrieved 2021-05-18.

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