Israeli Cabinet Minister Goes For Ethnic Cleansing Of Palestinians?
 

Now excuse me if I'm wrong, but wasn't this how the holocaust started???

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Aljazeera.com
5-10-4

An Israeli cabinet minister has called for the expulsion of some 1.3 million Palestinian citizens of Israel who constitute nearly one fifth of the state?s population.

Transportation Minister Avigdor Lieberman said during an interview with the Israeli army radio (Gali Tzahal) on Sunday that the "Arabs of Israel" should be expelled in case a Palestinian state was established and Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip were dismantled.

Lieberman, a former Moldovan immigrant who arrived in Israel in 1978, suggested that the existence of a large non-Jewish minority in Israel threatened the "Jewish identity" and "ethnic purity" of Israel.

But his explicitly racist remarks raised no ire in the Israeli political establishment.

Israeli officials, from Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon downward, refused to condemn the remarks, suggesting a sympathy with Lieberman?s ideas.

'Free man'

Amira Dotan, a spokeswoman for the Israeli foreign ministry, told Aljazeera that ethnic cleansing was not "the policy of the government".

"I do not know what made him say these things. He is a free man; he has the right to express his views."

When reminded that it was not the first time Lieberman made such racist statements, Dotan said even government ministers had the right to voice nonconformist views.

Asked why such provocative statements go unchallenged in a country that claims to be the only democracy in the Middle East, Dotan evaded the subject, arguing that Sharon had promised to allocate additional funds for Israel's Arab sector.

'Fascism'

Lieberman's remarks drew angry reactions from some of the leaders of Israel's Arab community. Arab Knesset member Ahmad Tibi called Lieberman a "full fledged fascist".

"He is not the only fascist. The entire political atmosphere in Israel provides a most suitable environment for the growth and prosperity of fascism. This is why sickening statements as such go unchallenged."

Tibi blamed the international community, especially the United States and Europe, for their "obscene double-standards toward Israeli fascism".

"A few years ago, Europe moved swiftly to silence and isolate [Austrian nationalist leader Jorg] Haidar for his alleged anti-Jewish remarks.

"Here in Israel we have government ministers who routinely make brazenly racist and fascist remarks about the Palestinians ... and the EU is saying nothing and doing nothing," he said.

Growing trend

On why Israeli civil society does not condemn such anti-democratic attitudes, Tibi said that a sizeable segment of the Israeli Jewish society had already drifted to jingoistic and religious fascism.

"Many Israeli Jews are already inured to Lieberman's way of thinking. I expect that these fascist trends will continue to grow." Tibi's views are corroborated by a number of peace-oriented Israelis.

Yossi Sarid, a leader of the centre-Left Meretz Party, accused Lieberman of "emulating fascists in other lands and other times".

"His (Lieberman's) remarks are reminiscent of other people and other lands which ultimately led to the annihilation of millions of Jews," said Sarid.

"It is this fascist mentality that makes the Israeli government destroy our homes, confiscate our land and spray our fields with pesticides ? and then they unashamedly tell the world that they are the only democracy in the Middle East," said Talab al-Sanai.

He described Lieberman's remarks as "the epitome [of] the iceberg of fascism in this country".

"Lieberman came from Moldova in 1978 and he is telling the Palestinians who have been living here from antiquity that they don't have the right to be here. Can you think of a more brazen obscenity?"

Notorious

Lieberman's racism has been well known for many years. A few years ago, he called for the bombing of the Aswan Dam in Egypt, the Presidential palace in Damascus and Iran?s nuclear facilities.

He also called for executing Arab Knesset members Tibi and Muhammad Baraka by a firing squad for supporting Palestinian rights and calling for ending the Israeli occupation.

In 2002, he urged the Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to carry out "wholesale killings" of Palestinian civilians in order to force them to flee to Jordan and other neighbouring Arab countries.

"At 8:00 am, we'll bomb the commercial centers; at noon, we'll bomb their gas stations and at two o'clock we'll bomb the banks ? Then we keep the border crossing open," Lieberman was quoted as saying during a cabinet session.

Upset by his remarks, Israeli opposition leader and then Foreign Minister Shimon Peres reportedly looked at Lieberman, telling him ? "and at 6:00 pm, you'll receive an invitation to the international Tribunal in the Hague".

Lieberman now lives at the settlement of Nikodem in the northern West Bank, built on a piece of land, which he and other immigrants from the former Soviet Union had seized from Palestinian villagers.


http://www.aljazeera.com/cgi-bin/new...ervice_id=1862

I read the title of the thread and the same thought popped in to my mind:2 cents:

nothing wrong with that statement

that sounds a creepy. :helpme

haha, wow, you read and believe propaganda news from AL-JAZEERA.COM??? Jesus christ man grow a brain that news organization is no better than pre-war Iraqi State run news.... goddamn

I see plenty of quotes frin CNN.com :321GFY

i guess israeli's want some power after being fucked over for the last 2000 years...

..amen..

yeah, because they don't have enough power, besides running most of the major media companies... rrright. :Graucho

its easy to understand why they are hated, when anti-semitic attitude is so prevalent in our society (not just in middle east) .... pretty disgusting comment

i'm not "anti-semitic" and how is that a disgusting comment? it's the truth, prove me wrong.

You and Liebermann and all racist jews need to be dealt with.

racists are racists no matter if you are a Turk, a Jew, or a fucking Honkey White Boy racist from Alabama.

no sympathy when your kind (racists) dies.

I can imagine what would happen if somone in the US called for the extermination of all the Blacks in the US, or maybe all the jewish folk, hell lets get rid of all the Armenians, and all the mexicans too while youre at it..., wouldnt that piss a few of you off?

double standard, ignorant, and racist.

what a combo for disaster.

:1orglaugh

Lieberman?s Alternative Disengagement Plan
22:49 May 10, '04 / 19 Iyar 5764

(IsraelNN.com) During a face-to-face meeting with Prime Minister Ariel Sharon today, National Union head Minister Avigdor Lieberman presented his alternative ?disengagement? plan, calling for a separation between the Jewish and Islamic populations, including Israeli Arabs, in an effort to achieve peace. This is to be accomplished without the removal of Jewish communities added Lieberman.

Lieberman called upon the prime minister to refrain from creating new political realities until after the American elections in November, under the assumption that until that time, it will not be possible to enlist American support for a new political agenda in Israel.

http://www.israelnn.com/news.php3?id=62176

"separation" is the best plan!!!!

I love separatists.

some people will NEVER learn.

and he wants to hold it off so he can get American support for this?

hahahah

That Lieberman guy is under investigation for bribery.

racist jews? nah.. the mere suggestion is anti-semetic.

For those who have forgotten (or didn't know) after as Defense Minister, Arik Sharon has permitted the massacres at the Sabra and Shatilla refugee camps in Lebanon, he was forced to resign. A few months later he allied himself with a small group of ex generals whose specific agenda was to clear Arabs/Palestinians out of Greater Israel.

"Greater Israel" is the land occupied during biblical times and covers a lot more land than Israel and the occupied territories presently do. Some Zionists believe it is their duty to regain all of the land which G-d gave them. From what I remember of Lieberman, he is one such.

There is no immediate risk that Israel will pursue such a policy. What should concern Americans much more are two bills currently in passage, which would limit peoples' freedom, in some circumstances, to express anti-Israeli sentiments.

HR3077 was approved by Congress last September and is now before a Senate committee. Among other things this bill allows for a 7-man committee with the power to recommend cutting federal funding for colleges and universities which have allowed academic or public debate about the Arab-Israeli conflict. This bill is being lobbied for by the American Jewish Committee, the American Jewish Congress and the Anti-Defamation League.

Two weeks ago, the House Committee on International Relations introduced HR 4230. Also referred to as the 'Global Anti-Semitism Awareness Act of 2004', among its aims, this bill requires "the Secretary of State should establish a permanent office in the Department of State to monitor and combat anti-Semitism".

As the bill is written, the US would become the world's policeman charged with acting against anything to which Israel or Jews felt was anti-semitic or anti-zionist. Although the language of the bill does not specifically mention authority within the US, supporters of the bill want that to be included.

Jayeff, that is SCARY!

I didn't know. I do now!

so what, you are allowed to talk about whatever you want, unless it states any critic referring to israeli or jewish issues.

in other words, any form of nazi talk is still fine, slamming gays, minorities, feminists, political opponents, as long as they aren't jewish.

freedom of speech is a fine thing. :thumbsup