First dialogue of «The Middle East at a Crossroads»: a look at the Israeli political scene confirms a society sliding further into extremism

Gaza – Thursday, August 19, 2010 — Pal-Think for Strategic Studies held yesterday, Wednesday, a dialogue session dealing with current Israeli affairs, in which the most prominent changes on the Israeli political scene and the relationship of these changes to the international and regional situation were reviewed.

The main speaker, Mr Tawfiq Abu Shomar, reviewed during the workshop most of the elements of the current Israeli political situation. Abu Shomar, a writer, thinker and expert on Israeli affairs, pointed to the phenomenon of the rise of the right in Israel, beginning his intervention by pointing to how the Israeli political reality can be understood and analysed in a more systematic manner. Abu Shomar explained the premises from which internal Israeli policy proceeds, pointing to the strong role played by the religious and ideological currents in determining the course of Israeli policy.

In the course of his review of the current Israeli government's reality, Abu Shomar reviewed the names and backgrounds of a number of the current Israeli ministers as a basis for understanding the orientation of the Israeli government and policy. For example, he mentioned the deputy prime minister and minister of internal affairs Eli Yishai, who is known for his extremist positions towards the Palestinians and his adherence to the vision of his extremist party (Shas) regarding the Judaisation of all of historic Palestine.

Abu Shomar also spoke about the current foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman and his role in enacting the new Judaisation law that examines the Jewishness of converts from years past retroactively and obliges them to prove their Jewishness before the local rabbinical authorities inside Israel.

On another level, Abu Shomar addressed some of the changes surrounding Israeli policy, pointing to the diminishing Palestinian influence given the absence of a strong Palestinian partner from the political process, and also spoke about the issue of international pressure on Israel and the extent of Israel's ability to turn changes and events to its own advantage through influencing the international arena.

The dialogue session also included opening the floor for discussion and interventions, where those present offered many interventions and questions that enriched the session. Yahya Rabah, Palestine's former ambassador to Yemen, spoke about the necessity of regarding Israel as a historical entity subject to the factors and changes to which any state and human society is subject; and Taysir Muhaisen, a social researcher, pointed to the necessity of reforming the internal Palestinian front in order to rise to the challenges and obstacles that the occupation places in the path of building the Palestinian state.

In a related context, Mkhaimar Abu Sada, lecturer at al-Azhar University in Gaza, affirmed that the Israeli political reality is heading without the slightest doubt towards more extremism and religious fundamentalism, and also pointed to the relationship of the Israeli situation with the coming American midterm elections, since these elections increase the influence of the Jewish lobby in America in a way that serves Israel's interest.

In his response to the participants' questions and interventions, Abu Shomar stressed the necessity of understanding and analysing the Israeli arena with all its elements in order to form a Palestinian awareness that counters the Israeli policies and plans that proceed through the settlement, the wars and the assaults Israel launches against the peoples of the region, foremost among them the Palestinian people.

The dialogue session, which was entitled “A look at the current political scene”, comes within the activities and events of the Edward Said intellectual salon for the blessed month of Ramadan, in which Pal-Think is devoting itself to organising a series of dialogue sessions during the holy month under the title “The Middle East at a crossroads”.