Friend --
It’s no surprise that this week, Prime Minister Netanyahu welcomed the official backing of Israel’s most extreme right-wing political party and its six members of Knesset.
Netanyahu, after all, was instrumental in orchestrating their election last week. He placed one of their candidates on his list, signed an official vote-sharing agreement and reportedly promised a cabinet position to their leader, Bezalel Smotrich.
I’m Israeli, so let me speak directly: These six men are extremists. They campaigned on annexing the entire West Bank, sought the expulsion of Arab citizens from Israel and openly championed stripping rights from LGBT+ Israelis.
Many are rightly concerned about the influence these men will have if they become part of a Netanyahu-led government -- either way, I’m deeply concerned about the influence they’ve already had. On demolitions, settlement expansion and weakening Israel’s judicial checks and balances, Israel’s ‘mainstream’ conservative parties are too often in lock-step with these extremists.
Against this backdrop, our shared fight for human rights, justice and democracy is more important than ever. Will you consider chipping in to fuel our work and help close our Passover fundraising shortfall?
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As Jeremy said last week, in both Israel and the United States, we are increasingly seeing views on the extreme fringe adopted and accommodated by more mainstream political parties. “The Kahanists won before even making it into the Knesset,” wrote West Bank correspondent Amira Hass in Haaretz this week.
As a soldier who’s served in the occupied territories, I’ve seen the needless pain and misery their vision of indefinite occupation and annexation will continue to inflict on both Palestinians and Israelis. As an Israeli, I see these men and their fanaticism for Jewish supremacy, annexation, sexism, homophobia and lawlessness as direct threats to the principles of democracy and equality enshrined in Israel’s Declaration of Independence.
It’s a vision that will ultimately destroy not only the Palestinian people’s legitimate dreams of freedom and self-determination, but all hope for Israel’s future as a democratic homeland for the Jewish people. That’s the inevitable endpoint of these current trends, and it’s up to all of us to push for bold action to stop that from happening.
Nothing could be more patriotic than fighting against these extremists and the priorities they represent. Nothing could be a greater betrayal of our values than bending to their will to retain power.
At times like this, I am more grateful than ever to be part of a pro-Israel, pro-peace movement that shares a clear and unshakable vision for Israel as a just, secure and democratic homeland for the Jewish people -- and is committed to fighting for it.
If you feel able, please chip in to help support our work:
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Thank you, truly, for your support,
Nadav Tamir
Executive Director, J Street Israel
