Occupation is Destroying Israeli Democracy by Uzi Benziman Haaretz 12:45pm 18th May, 2003   May 16, 2003 published by Haaretz (Israel)    Survey: Israel Yet to Grasp Concept of Democracy by Mazal Mualem    More than half the Jewish population of Israel - 53 percent - is opposed to full equal rights for Israeli Arabs, according to a survey conducted last month by the Israel Democracy Institute.    The general conclusion of the survey, which is dubbed the "Israeli Democracy Survey" and will be conducted every year, is that Israel is basically a democracy in form more than in substance, and that it has yet to internalize fully the concept of democracy.    In examining various indicators concerning the state of democracy in the country, the survey takes into consideration various polls and comparisons with other democracies, and also measures changes in Israeli society over time, using both existing data and research conducted for this specific purpose. The results of the survey - conducted among 1,208 adults representing all sectors of Israel's population - will be announced next Thursday at a conference at the President's Residence in Jerusalem.    The survey focused on institutions, human rights and stability, and social cohesiveness. Each of these three elements were measured according to several indicators; a total of 31 indicators relating to the state of democracy in Israel were used.    The current survey discovered the lowest support in the last 20 years for the assertion that democracy is the best form of governance: Only 77 percent of the respondents supported this premise - as compared to 90 percent in 1999. Israel is also one of the only four countries of the 32 listed in the study, in which most of the public believes that "strong leaders can do more for the country than debates or legislation."    Prof. Asher Arian and Prof. David Nachmias, who conducted the survey, say that Israeli democracy is particularly vulnerable today because of the occupation, the intifada and the war on terror. Consequently, Israel scores relatively low on human rights and freedom of the press, which they say should be a warning sign. On freedom of the press, Israel scored 70 out of 100 - the minimum requirement for the press to be considered free. One of the reasons attributed to the dip in Israel's rating in this area, from 72 points in the mid-1990s, is the attitude of the authorities toward the foreign press since the onset of the intifada. In this respect, Israel is ahead of only Romania, South Africa, Argentina, Mexico and India.    Concerning discrimination against minorities, Israel scored 3 on a scale of 0-4, and thus belongs to the bottom third of the 28 countries covered in the survey. In human rights violations, Israel (including the territories) also scores very high, leading the list together with South Africa.    The only parameter in which Israel scored highest in a positive way regards the extent that political competition is open to everyone and enables governmental change. But the flipside of this achievement is frequent changes in the government and deep social rifts, reflecting instability and lack of social cohesiveness, according to the survey. Of 26 countries, only India beat Israel in terms of social gaps. Israel and Argentina share first place in the frequency of changes in governments - five in 10 years - and thus also share first place in terms of instability.    On the institutional front, Israel scored fairly well. It ranked sixth of 36 countries in terms of representativeness and political balance, but was only 22nd in terms of voter turnout, with a 68 percent turnout in 2003 elections as compared to 77 percent in 1996, for example. Distrust between individuals also ranked high compared to other countries.    A nonprofit organization, the Israel Democracy Institute aims to promote structural, political and economic reforms, to provide information and comparative research for the Knesset and government authorities, to serve as an advisory body for decision-makers and the general public, and to encourage public discourse about issues on the national agenda.    18.5.2003    Occupation is destroying democracy    By Uzi Benziman    Over the weekend the findings of a study about the state of Israeli democracy and the public's commitment to its values were published. The study indicated, to a large extent, that democracy in Israel is merely formal, and there has been a significant decline in the public's support of the elements of democracy.    On the day the media released the study's results, they also reported the suspicions about the Islamic Movement, Minister Tzachi Hanegbi's intention to reopen the Temple Mount to Jews and evaluations of Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's scheduled meeting with Abu Mazen and President Bush. These pseudo-routine reports reflected the trends the study spoke of and marked their origin, as well.    The study (conducted by the experts of the Israel Democracy Institute) attempts to provide an index to assess the state of Israeli democracy. Published with it was a public opinion survey from last month reflecting the Israeli public's positions toward democratic activity. On the basis of a complex series of tests and a comparison to the situation in 35 other states, the study concludes that at the formal level, the state of Israeli democracy is theoretically sound (for example, in the extent of representation and in the mechanisms ensuring checks and balances between the powers), but in practice there is cause for deep concern.    This concern refers to freedom of the press and of religion, to the infringement of human rights, to the extent of equality in the distribution of income and to the existence of political, economic and social discrimination. In some of the tests, Israel scores in the lowest places.    While the method of the study, being the first of its kind, may be criticized (those who conducted it have asked readers for their comments and reservations), it would be difficult to dispute the attached public opinion poll. The poll was conducted using the accepted methods among a representative sample of 1,208 people who were interviewed in Hebrew, Arabic and Russian. The survey's findings mirror the study's conclusions. They indicate a disturbing gap between the Israeli public's declared commitment to democratic principles, and their readiness to apply them.    For example, while 81 percent of the Jews support complete equality before the law, only 47 percent support complete equality between Jews and Arabs and only 23 percent support making the Arabs partner to decisions crucial to the state. In another example, 56 percent of the Israeli population support "strong leaders" (only in India and Romania is there higher support for this) and only 84 percent believe democracy is desireable (the lowest place among all the countries polled).    The study shows a consistent decline in public support for accepted democratic norms: the freedom of expression, equal rights and minorities' freedom of political struggle.    Moreover, focused questions on the Jewish majority's attitude toward the Arab minority indicate that less than a third (31 percent) support having Arab parties in the cabinet (compared to 56 percent in 1999), and more than half the public (57 percent) thinks the government should encourage Arabs to migrate from the country (compared to a majority of public opposition in 1999). This means that the majority finds the transfer idea acceptable.    Despite objecting to giving equal rights to the Arab minority, a considerable part of the Jews deny espousing this position: Only 51 percent agree with the statement that Israel's Arabs are discriminated against.    It is not hard to trace the reasons for these dangerous positions: The Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which is perpetuated by the ongoing occupation, is destroying the foundations of Israeli democracy. The study shows a direct relation between the threat felt by the Israeli public and the extent to which it is willing to grant equal rights to the Arab minority. From here the way to the next central finding is short: The public's commitment to democratic values is unstable and conditioned on the political circumstances. Here is a crucial reason for the prime minister, if the state's future is dear to him, to reach a binding agreement with President Bush the day after tomorrow to jump-start the process which will bring, as soon as possible, an end to the occupation and to settling the conflict with the Palestinians.    © Copyright 2003 Haaretz Visit the related web page
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