Israel stops Palestinians voting in Jerusalem

[lefty_mcduff]

Israel was accused yesterday of undermining the election of a Palestinian Authority president by allowing only a few thousand Palestinians to vote in East Jerusalem. More than 100,000 will have to leave the city if they want to vote.

The government has told the Palestinian Election Commission that it will not allow privacy screens in the voting booths in East Jerusalem post offices, nor will election officials be allowed to mark voters with indelible ink to prevent fraud.

The prime minister, Ariel Sharon, has admitted that the arrangements are designed to show that Israel has sole sovereignty in East Jerusalem.

Palestinians say it could make the election meaningless and reduce the credibility of the winner. Amar Dweib, the chief electoral officer, said that the commission had been told that 5,367 people could vote at five post offices in East Jerusalem.

More

http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/Story/0,2763,1380831,00.html

[madrchsod]

1. we think ohio is bad?

i read somewhere that israel was the only true democracy in the middle east and our only friend...

[lefty_mcduff]

2. Another article here...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/Story/0,2763,1380177,00.html

Palestinian election workers say they are being obstructed and harassed in east Jerusalem by the Israeli security forces.

<snip>

Nasser Dajani, the director of Ad Image, an advertising firm which was putting up bill boards for the candidacy of Mustafa Barghouti, was told to remove them and summoned for questioning by the Shin Bet. "I was told I would be held responsible for any posters that were put up. After one hour they let me go," he said.

<snip>

"This election is a challenge to Israeli authority and they will fight it in every way they can. The reality on the ground is very different from the statements they are making to the media.

"They tell the world they will make it easy for the Palestinians to have elections but in reality they are making it difficult."

[ooglymoogly]

3. its the new religiouspeak

popular in israel and the u.s.

[ooglymoogly]

4. hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

don't believe anything you read anymore.

[King Mongo]

14. What is a true democracy?

Honorable Mardchsod

A true democracy means that people are treated equally regardless of race, culture or religion. This is not the case with Israel, so Israel is not a true democracy.

Even without the "true" mistake, Israel is not the only democracy. Is Yemen more of a "true" democracy than Israel is?

Your humble servant
King Mongo

[Walt Starr]

5. Sharon learned from his American buddies

Steal elections.

Damn Israel.

[Igel]

6. Nobody expected this?

You think Israel is going to claim Jerusalem as sovereign Israeli territory *and* grant residents the right to vote for Palestinian offices?

This struck me as either schizophrenic ramblings from the media and Israeli politicians or pure public-relations BS from the beginning. Never could take it seriously.

Voting implies citizenship, at least of a sort. If you were born and raised in Jerusalem, and Jerusalem is Israeli, that makes you an Israeli; but for a Jerusalemite to be Palestinian citizen implies Jerusalem isn't Israeli.

[Jack Rabbit]

7. That seems to be the heart of the matter

At least Sharon isn't suggesting that Israeli settlers should be able to vote in Palestinian elections.

[The Magistrate]

8. What An Impish Suggestion, My Friend!

It would be very interesting to see which candidate the settlers prefered....

[Jack Rabbit]

9. On the other hand . . .

If we carry Mr. Igil's argument to it's conclusion, we would have to challenge the right of Israeli settlers to vote in Israeli elections.

I guess that's another impish suggestion.

[The Magistrate]

10. Indeed, Sir

"The road goes ever on and on...."

[Igel]

11. Sigh ...

There are, of course, two ways to interpret the right of Israeli settlers (i.e., those outside the Green Line) to vote in Israeli, but not Palestinian, elections. If you take my argument to its logical conclusion.

That they should vote in Palestinian elections since they're on Palestinian territory. (Ok, stop laughing.)

Or that since they vote in Israeli elections, that the ground on which they live is ... Israeli. (Please, no rotten tomatoes.)

But it's possible that the logic doesn't have as strong a hold over reality as one would expect, or at least sometimes desire.

(snuffle)

[Jack Rabbit]

12. And then . . .

. . . one could argue (as many do here) that Israeli settlers have the right to vote in Israeli elections because they are Israeli citizens, even if living outside Israel.

That being the case, even if one recognizes Israel's annexation of East Jerusalem, why should not a Palestinian living in East Jerusalem not have the right to vote in a Palestinian election?

[The Magistrate]

13. No Reason Whatever, My Friend

Mexican citizens resident in Texas vote in Mexico's elections without anyone suggesting this demonstrates that place to be Mexican territory, devoutly though some of us might wish that were in fact the case....

"If I owned Hell and Texas, I'd rent out Texas and live in Hell."

[King Mongo]

15. The slow recognization of the indigenous folks

Honorable Magistrate

It took America a few years to give the indigenous population citizenship. Australia also needed some time to do such. Israel is slowly taking it one step at a time, slowly giving the indigenous population more rights. Eventually the indigenous population of Israel will be treated equally as the immigrants. Citizenship is a must because racial cleansing or apartheid is unacceptable.

Your humble servant
King Mongo

[eyl]

16. OTOH

there isn't a dispute in Texas, so the situation is less sensetive, allowing more leeway