There are a few good reasons for that.
Preliminary note : When we say « Israel », we mean « the israelian government’s laws, policies & practices ». Indeed, a large fraction of israelian citizens (Jews & non-Jews) disagree strongly with some of the israelian laws, policies & practices which we also criticize.
Therefore, why focusing on Israel when other States clearly have worse records :
BECAUSE Israel’s image is credited with high moral values in the West. The State of Israel is still considered « special » in the West, and especially in America. The resulting expectations are high. And it would be unfair to compare Israel to the worst States.
BECAUSE the israelian government is acting against the recommendations of the President of Israel Reuven Rivlin, a man of vision. During conferences in 2014 & 2015 (Herzliya, Brookings, etc), he stressed that the « four principal ‘tribes’ » of Israel (secular Jews, religious Zionist Jews, Orthodox Jews, Arabs) have all a fend-for-yourself approach and all are worried. The result being that Israel is a « sick society » and that it is a « duty to treat the illness ». The risk being, sooner or later, to have to face a collapse in terms of social cohesion within Israel.
President Rivlin said israelians must move to a new concept of partnership among all the israelian population members. He said that this requires 4 « pillars » : Security for all while maintaining one’s own identity — Shared responsibilities for all, within the society & within the State — Full Equity & Equality for all — Sticking together through a shared Israeli character. (ref. : Haaretz.com/israel-news)
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BECAUSE the israelian government policy to expand settlements exacerbates the israelian sickness mentioned by the President Reuven Rivlin.
Indeed, Langotzky and Gal, two six-days war veteran colonels say it straight in a Haaretz article :
<< Yossi Langotzky never had much patience for the religious settlers, but he wasn’t much of a peacenik either. “For 2,000 years the whole world screwed us, and the Arabs still want to destroy us,” he says, in his blunt way, “and we should do everything to stop them. But that doesn’t justify the way they [the settlers] are acting, against all the teachings of the prophets on how we should treat the non-Jews among us fairly. They don’t understand how their settlements have corrupted us from within by making us the masters. All because of their idiotic messianic belief that we are a Chosen People and God will protect us. As if you can believe in a merciful God after six million were burned to death.”>>
<< The settlers “are repeating the mistakes of the Second Temple, when religious fanatics with a direct line to God decided to rebel against the Romans and brought upon us destruction and 2,000 years of exile,” he says. “Religion may have preserved us in exile, but there wouldn’t have been Zionism if people had waited for God. I don’t believe they can destroy Israel, but they’re transforming it into a bullying state where I don’t want my children and grandchildren to live”.>>
Reuven Gal adds: << ”I’m worried about the future of Israeli society — an entire public that can’t recognize we are occupiers and the negative and immoral aspects of ruling over our neighbors for so many years. Our oppression of them has desensitized us. We see human beings as objects and are passing that onto our children.”>>
Citations of the Article “The Officers Who Began the Occupation Fear for Israel’s Future” by Haaretz correspondent Anshel Pfeffer (June 03, 2017) : http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/six-day-war-50-years/1.793085
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BECAUSE the israelian constant territorial expansionism policy is quite disturbing for a State which purports to seek peace. Also, The fact that, since 1948, Israel has not defined its State Borders reinforces & somehow justifies the concern.
The Orthodox Jews say that « Judaism rejects Zionism » (I understand that, for the Othodox Jews, the expansionism I am talking about is part of their larger zionism concept)
Following the 1967 israelian attack, the french General De Gaulle said : « Occupation is inseparable from oppression, repression, deportation, and the resistance movements will be qualified of terrorism by the occupant. » And we’re still there, aren’t we ? The resistants are there because their country is illegally occupied.
BECAUSE we are fed up with israelian scary story of Iran which is about to attack and destroy Israel.
World leaders do know that it is a non-realistic option. Israel existence is NOT at risk from the exterior anymore, despite the israelian govenment’s victimization rhétoric.
Former US President Jimmy Carter said the US should not attack Iran, even if Iran develops nuclear weapons. He added : “Israel has nuclear weapons on his own, what, 300 or more, nobody knows exactly how many” ( …) “And I know that every Iranian realizes that if they should try to use a nuclear weapon, Iran would be wiped off the face of the earth” (Ref. : israelhayom April 2014)
Colin Powell leaked emails say “Anyway, Iranians can’t use one [a nuclear weapon] if they finally make one. The boys in Tehran know Israel has 200, all targeted on Tehran, and we have thousands” (Ref. independent.co.uk sept. 2016)
Therefore, WHY demonizing Iran ? Netanyahu’s speeches are clear : the israelian government wants to eliminate the iranian ‘’policies’’, ‘’behaviour’’ and ‘’state’’ ! If this happened, and if the US stops support for the Saudi Arabia regime, then Israel would become the Middle East ‘’leading state’’…
BECAUSE the inhumane endless blockade of Gaza and the brutal colonization of West Bank perpetrated by the israelian policy towards palestinians is a threat to long term peace in the Middle East.
« Blood Borders » is the title of a 2006 US ‘Armed Forces Journal’ article. It asserts that ‘For Israel to have any hope of living in reasonable peace with its neighbors, it will have to return to its pre-1967 borders — with essential local adjustments for legitimate security concerns. »
Tony Blair (in front of American Congress, in 2003) explained that terrorism cannot be defeated without peace between Israel and Palestinians. This is the source of poison. This is the place where extremism is capable to completely disrupt the spirit of a shockingly large amount of people, enough for them to confuse the plea for a palestinian state with the destruction of Israel.
Henry Kissinger (Nobel Prize 1973) underline that Israel’s positions have a pattern which reinforces the passions which a peace process is supposed to overcome. He adds that the palestinian question is a major piece of the regional order and, ultimately, of the world order. (ref. his Book on World Order/ 2015).
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BECAUSE the powerful israelians should not take advantage of the weakness of the palestinians to impose their domination (whilst claiming to be the victim of the weak side).
The State of Israel is economically & militarily so powerful that it could easily get peace if it was their real goal. Indeed, helping the economic development of palestinians within a fair palestinian State would ‘’take the wind out of the sails’’ of people who know how to transform feelings of injustice into violence.
Here are the numbers. (I = Israelians) (P = Palestinians)
average GDP per capita = $ 19000 (I) — $ 1500 (P)
Infant mortality rate = 7/1000 (I) — 24/1000 (P)
Annual foreign aid = 5,0 billions (I) — 0,1 billion (P)
Battle Tanks = 4000 (I) — zero (P)
Combat Aircrafts = 450 (I) — zero (P)
Artillery = 1500 (I) — zero (P)
BECAUSE the State of Israel is a friend and an ally of all western Countries.
Between friends, we can speak our minds.
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BECAUSE Israel claims to belong to our « family » : the democracies.
Our family gives equal rights to all its citizens. And, in most instances, these equal rights also are guaranteed by the State Constitution.
Within the State of Israel, there are not equal rights for minorities. And the existing rights are not guaranteed, as there is no israelian Constitution. (ref. : ADALAH The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel)
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BECAUSE the image of « Israel » is worsening everywhere within western populations. This perception is a concern that can become dangerous,. The worsening of Israel’s image tend to maintain/ strengthen Antisemitism. Indeed, many people think that « Israel = Jews ». Which is not correct, as I mentioned in my introduction. But they feel that way.
BECAUSE, for many decades, the israelian governments does not comply with International Laws which, however, they claim to adhere to. Of course, the States which tabled motions against Israel often are small neighbours of Israel.
During the last 5 years, the UN General Assembly adopted 97 resolutions against Israel.
During the last decade, the UN Human Rights Council adopted 135 resolutions against Israel.
(ref. : UN annual Reports)
It is regrettable that the States with known worst records are somehow protected at the UN by the world leader States. The motions of condemnation of these worst States are rare, although we know there are many violations of International Laws. I suppose that important economical/ financial/ geopolitical interests, ties and alliances with these « worst States » explain why the world leader States turn a bling eye on the facts ( & discourage others to table motions ?).
This fact does not cancel nor minimizes the huge number of resolutions against Israel.
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BECAUSE Israel’s policy of excessive & disproportionate use of force can be perpetrated in total impunity, as it seems that « International Laws » does not apply to the State of Israel, as the international community, through the UN, treats Israel as if it was « more equal than the others ».
Indeed, the USA always vetoed any sanction against the State of Israel. And discouraged other States to table resolutions for sanctions.
The 2014 Gaza conflict is a well documented example of this problem. We all have in mind the western media spreading the israelian information of « rockets raining down on israelian schools » . The official UN numbers for this conflict are :
Israelian side : 70 israelian persons died, of which 6 civilians (of which 1 child).
Palestinian side : 2139 palestinians died, of which 490 children. 11000 palestinians wounded (of which 3000 children). 20000 homes destroyed, and up to 500000 palestinians displaced.
BECAUSE the successive israelian governments exploit a ‘’vicious circle’’ mechanism through Laws, Policies & Practices, which generate a predictable (desired?) feeling of injustice & humiliation among palestinians >> a fraction of which will be exploited by extremists (or simply some people will individually enter in resistance) >> perpetrate violent acts >> which lead to retaliation, often disproportionate >> which maintain/ strengthen the feeling of injustice & humiliation >> etc
Of course, the palestinian violences have the israelian ‘’victims’’ as counterpart. And it would be uncomfortable for the western countries not to support the victims… Indeed, we must support ALL victims.
As long as the ‘’vicious circle’’ mechanism works, the negociation process is easily delayed, which give plenty of time to extend the colonies.
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BECAUSE the successive israelian governments made excessive use of communications directed at generating empathy among foreign populations. The western general public media took these communications at face value, and spread them generously.
The systematic israelian « victimization » communication policy is promoting the idea that the israelian side always is the victim. This communication now becomes counterproductive, as more factual informations reaches the western general public, through internet. (with the collateral problem of fake news sneaking in).
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BECAUSE, for decades, Israel pretend to seek peace when it now appears that the real goal was to buy time in order to progressively impose the fait accompli of settlements, colonization & domination.
