Editorial

How far can Israel’s democracy stretch?

“Damned if you do, damned if you don’t” sums up the challenges faced by Israeli democracy, in a country with implacable enemies wanting its demise. What happens when they are citizens of the state, whose laws provide for freedom of expression, freedom of assembly and a range of other basic rights?

No right is absolute; taken to extremes, any one infringes on others. A balance must be struck according to circumstances and values.

An extreme example of the difficulty of defining the boundaries of freedom of expression, occurred earlier this week when Tel Aviv University President Joseph Klafter, in a highly contentious decision, allowed a commemoration on its campus of Nakba Day – when Palestinians mark what they call their “catastrophe” upon Israel’s establishment.

The Nakba sentiment runs completely counter to the patriotic feelings of Israelis celebrating the “miracle” of the Jewish State’s establishment and its continued flourishing, despite attempts to destroy it.

Among most Jewish Israelis and Diaspora Jews, allowing such an “unpatriotic” event on the campus of one of the most prestigious universities, evokes a feeling of horror. It is anathema. Education Minister Gideon Sa’ar reportedly attempted to convince Klafter to “reconsider” his decision to allow it.

Klafter’s act in no way connotes agreement with the Nakba sentiment, but rather stems from the belief that Israeli democracy is mature and robust enough to allow a contentious view like this to be voiced in such a place.

Michael Freund, in his column on page 7, finds the university to be in total error, even advocating the cutting off of funding to it. Many people will instinctively and passionately agree – the university must not be allowed this act of “betrayal” of the Jewish State without consequences.

It is easy for people living in the safety of Diaspora countries to indulge in moral grandstanding about what Israel should or should not do. But both Freund and Klafter are at the very coalface of the quandary.

Interestingly, two of Israel’s major, long-established newspapers - the Jerusalem Post, regarded as moderately right-wing and Ha’aretz, regarded as left-wing - both said Klafter’s decision to allow the event was correct, although explaining it differently.

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