There is no other way to put it: the news of the cancellation of the Nakba conference, which was planned to be held in the US House of Representatives at the initiative of extremist Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, caused me an outburst of jealousy of American democracy. It turns out that even in this area, our democracy still has much to learn from its big sister overseas.
I heard about US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's firm decision to ban the event, which portrays the establishment of the Jewish state as a disaster, and I couldn't help but recall that similar events were held unhindered in the past in the Israeli Knesset. Look at what a wonder – the head of the parliament of a foreign country, and another one that sanctifies freedoms and freedom of expression, understands what some of the leaders of the Israeli parliament in years past failed to understand: the subversion of the existence of the State of Israel is illegitimate, and the basic values of democratic society allow, and even oblige, to say absolute and uncompromising NO to such striving.
So how is it absurd that anti-Israel parliamentary activity is banned in the United States and permitted in Israel? The responsibility for the distortion lies with a false conception of democracy, imposed in Israel by a vocal leftist minority that does not exist anywhere else in the world. The same minority, which for some reason appropriated democracy for itself, explained and still explains to us that this is enlightenment – if one wants to belong to the world of values of Western civilization, one must also give space, a platform and freedom of action to those who openly act against Israel and aspire to end the Jewish state.
The leftist minority has taken over the commentary position, and like a menacing Dorman, has determined what will get into the democracy club and what will not. He accompanied the violent filtering with preaching, which immediately labeled the majority who desire life and continued national existence as the enemy of democracy.
Under the guise of this kind of preaching, our country has become a kingdom of absurdity. Only here have diplomatic representatives appointed to the Foreign Service who do not accept that Israel is a Jewish state. Only here were people honored with the Israel Prize who would like Israel to be ostracized and ostracized in the world. Only here are members of parliament who take advantage of their status and the resources that the state gives them to destroy this country. Only here does the Supreme Court, contrary to the explicit provision of the Basic Law, impose the confrontation of parties that oppose the very existence of a Jewish and democratic state and identify with its cruelest enemies.
All these delusional things were done in the name of so-called democracy, and those who disagreed with them were denounced as dark. Until the Speaker of the House of Representatives of the most democratic nation of them all came and told us in simple language: Work on you. Kevin McCarthy did not hesitate or procrastinate, perhaps because he knows that the referendum does not have a monopoly on the regulation of democracy, and perhaps because he knows how to distinguish right from wrong without unnecessary quibbling.
One way or another, from which you will see and do. In the US – and especially in Israel.
Democracy does not require allowing racist views that deny the Jewish state's right to exist or define its existence as a disaster. On the contrary, it requires that these opinions – and their owners – be kept away from any legitimate platform, and certainly from the walls of parliament.
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