Rightist who called Bassi 'Judenrat' stands trial [Free Speech in Israel Only For Arabs & Left]

YNet ^ | June 14, 2006 | Efrat Weiss

[Honestfreedom]

I cannot honestly see a parallel between Ann Coulter and Caroline Glick. Caroline is clear in her views but does not engage in the harsh language, personal vindictive and shock value that Coulter does. Don't get me wrong I enjoy Ann Coulter but Caroline Glick is much more measured and cerebral in her analysis.

[Alouette]

Maybe there is more of a parallel between Ann Coulter and Debbie Schlussel but Debbie is not Israeli.

[justiceseeker93]

Does Israel have a written constitution in which free speech is protected? If so, how can (orally) insulting a public official be a criminal offense?

[Honestfreedom]

Yes Debbie is much more outspoken and built more for the media blitz type world. Debbie is an orthodox Jew as far as I know and very impressive in her accomplishments (I guess Coulter is also in that she went to Yale) as a lawyer and top athlete.

[Alouette]

I guess that you could call Debbie the Jewish Ann Coulter, except that Debbie is very petite, much shorter than tall Ann.

[Honestfreedom]

not as foul mouthed either.

[monkeyshine]

Why can't you insult a public servant? Shouldn't this fall under Israel's basic law, a right to free speech.

Don't Knesset members call each other worse names?

[monkeyshine]

I'm wondering when the residents of Sderot might start launching home-made rockets of their own into Gaza.

FWIW, we'll see about this disengagement. Every day that passes I am less and less sure it's a good idea. Could be Olmert is making a lot of noise to test European sentiment and rile the Palestinians. If the Europeans "go for it" then the Palestinians & Arabs may poop a brick, calling the whole thing into question by their reaction.

But Olmert probably isn't that sly.

[goldstategop]

The Women in Green are a women's conservative group. They were founded in reaction to the Left's Women In Black. Nadia Matar called Yonathan Bassi a Jundenrat. The point is in post-survivalist Israel, free speech is only for the Arabs and the Left. Pro-Israel speech is automatically singled out for suppression. You may not agree with Matar's views but in a free society, she shouldn't be on trial for expressing an unpopular opinion. Besides, if the civil servant in question was defamed, there are libel and slander laws to address that issue. The state shouldn't be doing his dirty work for him in court. Free Nadia Matar!

(Denny Crane: "Every one should carry a gun strapped to their waist. We need more - not less guns.")

[goldstategop]

And lost in the persecution of Matar is her larger point: the Jews who collaborated with the Germans had a gun pointed to their heads. What's Bassi's excuse for expelling Jews from their homes and rendering the Land Of Israel Judenrein? Back then it could be said Jews who aided the Nazi enemy had no choice. No such dilemma confronts Jews in Israel who are bent on appeasing Israel's enemies with the lives and existence of their own nation.

(Denny Crane: "Every one should carry a gun strapped to their waist. We need more - not less guns.")

[goldstategop]

Olmert wants to hand over much of Judea and Samaria to Gaza to Hamas. That is madness. Yes, let's admit Israel cannot win the war that Israel has to be frightened of even defending her 4,000 year old claim to the Land Of Israel. If Jews do not stand up for their own rights, they should not expect the world to come to their rescue in their hour of need.

(Denny Crane: "Every one should carry a gun strapped to their waist. We need more - not less guns.")

[goldstategop]

Israel has built a constitution in stages. But the laws do not protect political rights to the same extent as in America and the Israeli Left, which dominates the judiciary, has used its monopoly of control over the courts and the media to squash any non-Leftist alternatives to Israel's future. Here in America the Left lost its monopoly; in Israel that monopoly remains as complete as ever.

(Denny Crane: "Every one should carry a gun strapped to their waist. We need more - not less guns.")

[Grzegorz 246]

When was that ?

[Old Professer]

Jurassic Park is melting in the dark...