Israel is a democracy . . . a profoundly racist democracy
JVL Introduction
Prof Yakov M. Rabkin looks at the recent humiliation of the flotilla hostages by Israeli Minister Ben-Gvir and the widespread condemnation it provoked with a jaundiced eye.
The truth is, he affirms, that cruelty and vindictiveness are winning cards in Israel. Ben-Gvir’s performance with more than half an eye on the forthcoming elections there, has lost him no votes or support where it matters.
And Western condemnation of Ben-Gvir from countries that are complicit in the genocide in Gaza?
Of course it is good that they have reacted to deplore Israel’s treatment of those it had kidnapped. But it is hypocritical and racist at the same time.
Where the comparable displays of outrage at the daily humiliations, beatings, killings and torture of Palestinians?
And where the action to end Israel’s impunity?
RK
This article was originally published by Informed Consent on Sat 23 May 2026. Read the original here.
Israel is a democracy . . . a profoundly racist democracy
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I’m sorry but the headline makes no sense:
‘Israel is a democracy . . . a profoundly racist democracy.’
In his message to the Israeli Embassy celebrations last week of Israel’s 78th birthday, Dan Jarvis, the Security Minister said:
‘Together we share a commitment to robust democratic governance, rule of law, and judicial independence… ‘
Democracy is in essence rule of the people by the people. On no measure can Israel be called democratic. Israel’s 20% Palestinian citizens are not equal to Israeli Jews, they do not have an equal share of power.
The 5 million Palestinians in the Occupied Territories have no rights whatsoever. How can Israel be democratic? A racist democracy is an oxymoron.
Any society claiming to be democratic has certain basic norms. No imprisonment without a fair trial, no torture, equal access to the law, equal civil and political rights. Which of these does Prof Rabkin think Israel has?
The final sentence is equally nonsensical.
‘Democracy has never been an obstacle to racist terror.’
Really? Was the Deep South with its all white juries and lynching democratic? Israel doesn’t have juries and it has just passed a law enabling judicial lynching on a mass scale.
The reason why this article is useless is because it affirms the idea that despite everything, genocide included, Israel is democratic.
I cannot imagine why this article was considered fit for inclusion.
Tony, you’ve missed the point of the article – Prof Rabkin shows up the pretence of Israel’s so-called democracy, in that the only people who count are the racist, genocidal Zionists. We as anti-colonialist Jews must speak with one voice rather than undermining each other’s genuine intentions to make Israel an international pariah.
I couldn’t agree more with Tony Greenstein. Racist laws and behaviour are by definition a gross violation of equal human rights. Nor is it acceptable to say you don’t have to believe that what Israel is doing is genocide. Yes, you do. We do. Genocide has a legal definition in international law. Israel has been committing genocide in Gaza without a shadow of a doubt. Their leaders should be tried in the International Criminal Court and jailed for life for their crimes. Their behaviour is shameful. The support that Trump and Starmer and others have given them is complicit and also criminal.
Jo Jo,
I agree that anti-Zionist or anti-colonialist Jews should speak with one voice about the things that matter – return of the refugees, deZionisation of Israel etc. But that doesn’t mean that we can agree on everything.
We should avoid any suggestion that Israel is a democracy. It isn’t even a democracy for its Jewish citizens see e.g.
Israel’s Education Minister: Commissioner of the Thought Police
https://archive.ph/4rfOg#selection-699.0-699.63
Obviously Jews have far greater rights than Palestinians but the anti-Zionist left and anti-war activists are also being attacked. Settler democracies as South Africa showed also turn on the settler left and opponents of colonialism.
Tony is of course right – all I can add is that only Jews have nationality in Israel, as confirmed in the recent nation-state law. It destroys the argument that Israel is a democracy, as citizenship is not the same as nationality. Essentially, only Jews have the right of self-determination in Israel.
It seems to me that there are many illiberal democracies in the world. To mention one, Hungary. Which is, also profoundly racist of course. In fact there are few democracies that tick all the boxes in Tony’s rather exacting list. Uganda for instance? As soon as one looks at other countries which hold regular elections for a parliamentary system one sees plenty of disenfranchised people. What is the furore, about ‘family voting’ in the UK if not an effort to keep certain groups out of the polling stations?