Analysis: Rise of nationalism in Israel is ‘a march of folly’, says Shimon Peres

Israelis have had reason to take pride in their country’s vigorous democracy, despite the occupation and its accompanying abuses in the West Bank.

But today there is justified fear that under the leadership of prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his ultra-nationalist allies, Israel is becoming less democratic.

Since the Knesset opened its winter session in late October, there has been an unprecedented explosion of proposals and legislation aimed at undermining the Arab minority and the Jewish left. With no constitution to guarantee civil liberties and the supreme court – which in the past filled that role – targeted, the danger of a tyranny of the majority seems very real.

With Mr Netanyahu rarely intervening and sometimes overtly backing them, legislators in his Likud party, the far-right Yisrael Beiteinu and even the centrist Kadima party compete over who can be the most nationalistic, which often means anti-Arab. In the latest proposal, Anastassia Michaeli, a Russian immigrant from Yisrael Beiteinu, suggests banning mosques from using loudspeakers for calling the Muslim faithful to prayer.

Among other proposals are ones trying to vitiate human rights organisations operating in the West Bank by limiting their foreign funding; tip the supreme court with right-wing justices opposed to overturning Knesset and government policies, and silence media criticism through draconian libel laws and pressure on independent journalists.

Likud legislators on a Knesset committee recently rebuffed a request by Israel’s Channel Ten, the most independent-minded TV station, to reschedule its debt, something many believe will force the station’s closure.

Among the reasons for the right’s popularity in Israel is the influence of the one million immigrants from the former Soviet Union, many of whom do not share democratic values and favour hawkish, chauvinistic approaches towards Arabs.

Moldovan immigrant Avigdor Lieberman, now foreign minister, turned Yisrael Beitenu into the Knesset’s third largest party three years ago based on a campaign that stoked anti-Arab sentiment. Mr Netanyahu’s choice of him as coalition partner effectively mainstreamed the idea that Arab citizens are fifth columnists.

Yesterday, in an extremely rare intervention, president Shimon Peres said he was he was “ashamed” at the tide of nationalistic legislation.

“This is simply a march of folly,” said Mr Peres, a former prime minister, who won the Nobel Peace Prize for his role in achieving an 1993 interim accord with Palestinians.

“I am personally ashamed there are attempts being made to pass such laws,” he said.