Te laat voor Israëlisch links ..?

Gideon Levy maakt zich vandaag in Ha'aretz kwaad (what's new, zou je zeggen) over het feit dat 400 strafzaken tegen mensen die zich in 2005 gewelddadig hebben verzet tegen de ontruiming van de nederzettingen in Gaza zijn geseponeerd via een stemming in de Knesset:

Looking at the way the right acts makes one go green with envy and want to learn from them. Four hundred criminal cases opened against opponents of the 2005 Gaza Strip disengagement, people who threw oil, acid, garbage and stones at soldiers and police, were closed last week and their criminal record expunged. Fifty-one MKs voted in favor of the closure, nine against. That is the true map of Israeli politics (and society). Only about seven percent of the lawmakers believed that this was a worthless and dangerous decision. All the rest agreed with it, or did not bother to vote or take an interest.

Neither did anyone think to apply a similar rule to 800 protesters against Operation Cast Lead, who were arrested and charged, perhaps because they are Arabs, nor to the dozens arrested for protesting in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah, perhaps because they are leftists. Left-wing demonstrators never acted as violently as the settlers do, but no one thinks about pardoning them. Not even a semblance of equality before the law, not even the appearance of justice for all - that is unnecessary in a place where public shame no longer exists.

This scandalous decision did not appear out of nowhere. It is the fruit of a campaign of pressure and solicitation, bullying and extortion. From now on, settlers and Israeli society will know that they can go as wild as they want: Even if someone dares charge them - another will arise who will know how to extricate them from trouble and penalty. In contrast, left-wing protesters are orphans.  (....)

We can continue to remain silent and know that silence means collaboration. But when the left wakes up it will be too late. In fact, it is already too late. Meretz is dead, Labor is dying, Kadima is nonexistent, Peace Now is still deliberating over whether to petition against the pardon, and the right is freely celebrating and going wild. Eyes right: wake up and learn from its methods and the way it fights. In Israeli society, there is apparently no other way.

Rechts wordt de hand boven het hoofd gehouden, links moet voor de rechter verschijnen en wordt opgepakt - zelfs als daar zoals bij recente demonstraties in Sheikh Jarrah in Jeruzalem ook volgens de rechter geen rechtsgrond voor is. De kop boven Levy's artikel in Ha'aretz luidde: 'Links moet wakker worden voor het te laat is'. Maar zelf voegt Levy eraan toe dat het eigenlijk al te laat IS. Is dat een te sombere conclusie?.