Israeli intellectuals protest probe into human rights groups

Sun, 09 Jan 2011

Jerusalem - Israeli intellectuals have sent a protest letter to lawmakers about the establishment of a parliamentary committee to probe non-governmental organizations that question the conduct of the Israeli army vis-a-vis Palestinians, local media reported Sunday.

The committee is the initiative of lawmakers from the ultra- nationalist Israel Beiteinu party, the largest coalition partner of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's ruling Likud party.

Some 47 legislators last week voted in favor of forming the committee, while 16 opposed the measure.

The committee's initiators charge that some non-governmental organizations, including B'Tselem and others that have published reports about human rights violations in the occupied territories, are aiding Israel's enemies.

They have said they want to investigate who is funding such organizations and if they are supported by extremist Muslim or Palestinian groups.

But critics have called the establishment of the inquiry panel "fascist" and reminiscent of "dark", undemocratic regimes.

Some 31 Israeli intellectuals signed the letter sent to all members of the 120-seat parliament, arguing that the committee "must be stopped," according to Israeli newspaper reports.

Those who voted for the bill " will be remembered as the people who tried to crush the vestiges of Israeli democracy," the letter said, while those who "failed to take the time" to vote against bear "personal responsibility for the disaster."

It also called for all anti-democratic legislation pushed through the Knesset by ultra-right parties to be suspended.

"We the undersigned stipulate that if the (witch) hunt commission against the human rights organizations is formed, the regime in Israel will lose its last vestiges of legitimacy," it said.

The signatories include professors, playwright and theater director Yehoshua Sobol, and Yoram Kaniuk, the author of the 1968 novel Adam Resurrected.

They said other intellectuals are expected to sign the letter too.

Last week's debate on the committee featured catcalls and heckling, and saw a Likud minister demand that Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon, who spoke in favor of the motion, vacate the podium since he did not represent the government's position.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/361388,probe-human-rights-groups.html.