Israel is faced with a formidable quadrature of the circle: how to remain both a Jewish and democratic state?
Demography is at the heart of all debates in Israel. The overall question is generally posed as follows: can we claim to be a democracy when there are two and even three types of citizenship in the same country?
Since its creation in 1948, Israel has experienced phenomenal population growth, from 700,000 to 10 million inhabitants.
“It is not with bombs, but with cradles that part of the destiny of Israel is played out. Because in this disputed land, demography is also a battle, “wrote a journalist who covers this country like no other on a daily basis.
If we do not take into account the illegally occupied territories since 1967 by the Israeli army, the Jews represent 73% of the population. Regularly, Israel suggests that he could annex these territories.
But why does he not take action? It is by adding the Jewish populations of Israel and the Arabs of West Bank, the Jews would become a minority. This is something that they will never accept.
Taking advantage of the Gaza War, which monopolizes the attention of the whole world, ultra-Orthodox Jews set up colonies on land they have driven out the Palestinian peasants at the forefront of the rifle or have murdered them before too happy police forces.
Meanwhile, ministers and senior leaders in the country do not make a mystery of their desire to hunt once for all the Palestinians currently hunted like rats in what remains of Gaza.
But where will they go? I am convinced that negotiations involving the United States are already underway to find a way of convincing countries in the region to welcome these refugees hungry by the Israelis. Among the states asked to welcome these two million people, we undoubtedly find Egypt, Jordan and possibly Syria.
The cost of what would be like an ethnic cleaning would be staggering: hundreds of billions of dollars.
Once this reception structure of Gazaouis refugees, Israel should also decide if it annexed the West Bank and, if this is the case, if it gives full citizenship and the right to vote to its new citizens. Without these basic rights, Israel could not claim to constitute the only democracy of the Middle East.
Israel is more and more isolated. Images of hungry and dying children have caused a movement of indignation worldwide. Canada has announced that it would recognize the Palestinian state next September. It’s little … really.
This bloodbath must be put an end … while waiting for the next one. Because these children who live day and night under the bombs do not go to school, the schools having been destroyed.
Former President Jimmy Carter had the courage to say loudly what millions of people think: the Israeli regime is clearly based on a form of apartheid.