Ze'evi must go

By James Zogby *

The Moledet (Homeland) Party is not just another far-right Zionist grouping. Its founding principle, as stated in its charter, is the call to transfer Arabs out of "Eretz Israel": "The sure cure for the demographic ailment is the transfer of the Arabs to Arab countries as an aim of any negotiations and a way to solve the Israeli-Arab conflict over the land of Israel." By "Arabs", the Modelet Party means not only the Palestinians of the West Bank and Gaza: its members also seek to "cleanse" Israel of its Palestinian Arab citizens. And by "demographic ailment", the Modelet means not only the presence of Arabs in Israel's midst, but also the "troubling high birth rate" of the Arab population.

While such racism puts the Modelet Party in the same camp as the Le Pen movement in France, or the David Duke movement in the United States, even those bigots do not call for the forced expulsion of the communities they see as polluting their respective societies.

Israelis of the Peace Now movement demonstrate in front of Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's residence, holding placard showing Netanyahu strangeling a dove which symbolizes the peace process. One hundred demonstrators tryed to pressure Netanyahu into making progress during his talks with US special envoy Denis Ross on Saturday in Jerusalem.

The Moledet Party differs only slightly from the racist effort founded by the late Meir Kahane. In fact, the Moledet Party's leader, Rehavam Ze'evi (who will now sit in Netanyahu's cabinet) has been described by the Israeli commentator Nahum Barnea as "Kahane in a general's uniform" -- referring to his days in the 1970s as the brutal military commander of the West Bank.

Ze'evi has a controversial past. Allegations of his connection with organised crime resulted in his being denied the post of police commissioner in the Shamir-led government in 1989. He is also widely remembered for having caused a diplomatic flap in 1991 when, as Likud minister without portfolio he called then US President George Bush "an anti-Semite and a liar".

When Shamir agreed to go to the Madrid peace talks, the Moledet and an allied party, Tehiya, bolted the government and brought about its collapse.

More recently, Ze'evi has continued his inflammatory rhetoric. He has called Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat a "war criminal" and Egypt's President Mubarak a "liar". He led violent protests against Netanyahu's decision to sign the Hebron agreement and has repeatedly pledged his commitment to annulling the Oslo Accords.

Given this background, one might well ask why Netanyahu has brought Ze'evi and his party into the government and why there has been no reaction to this disturbing move. Ze'vi's only pledge to Netanyahu, apparently, is that he will not support a no-confidence motion. But he has reaffirmed his strong opposition to Oslo and to surrendering any more land to the Palestinians. He has also refused to alter his party's position on "transfer".

One might argue that many of Ze'evi's positions are held by others in the Knesset, even in the Netanyahu government. Ariel Sharon, for example, has also referred to Arafat as a "war criminal". Rafael Eitan, the former general who called Palestinians "drugged cockroaches", called in the 1980s for the forced transfer of one million Palestinians from the West Bank. And the majority of the current Likud coalition continues to support the claim to all of "Eretz Israel" -- while hypocritically insisting that the Palestinians change their national charter.

Has Netanyahu merely added a vote to protect his coalition government, as some analysts speculate? Or has he added an ideological partner to his government to strengthen its resolve? Is it not appropriate to ask the Netanyahu government for an explanation of this most troubling addition at this most sensitive moment? It would be inconceivable for a centre-right coalition in France to invite Le Pen to join its government, just as it would be impossible for the US Republican Party to seek the support of David Duke. Imagine the tremors that Ze'evi's appointment must be causing among Israel's Palestinian Arab citizens, and all the Palestinians who, in this year of Israel's 50th anniversary, are reliving once again the horrors of forced expulsion from their homes and villages. Surely the addition of Rehavam Ze'evi to the government should not be allowed to pass without protest.

Netanyahu's argument that he needs votes to remain in power is the basest of falsehoods. As elected prime minister, he has the option to create any coalition government he chooses to create. Should he agree to honour the Oslo Accords and make the required withdrawals from the West Bank, he may lose the support of the ultra-right. But it has already been made clear to him that he can, if he wishes, form a new government of at least 85 Knesset members if he agrees to a just peace with the Palestinians.

It appears that it is not to protect his government, but to protect his hold over Eretz Israel that has motivated the addition of Ze'evi to the cabinet. Arabs should demand his immediate ouster.

* The writer is president of the Washington-based Arab American Institute.