Democracy in action.....or is it?

So the Palestinians have exercised their right to elect their leaders, and must now live with that choice. But, as democracy is still more of an ideology than an applicable mode of government, it would behoove the Palestinians to try and understand the true nature of democracy. I thought I might help them out with that.

Last summer, a very smart Israeli analyst, Yisrael Ne'eman, said something about democracy that has stuck with me and that I agree with whole-heartedly. A true democracy can only be judged by how the leaders leave their post, not how they were elected. For examples let us look at a couple of other Middle East countries, namely, Iraq under Hussein and Egypt under Mubarak. While both claimed to function as democracies (Saddam claimed to have won 100% of the votes, Mubarak closer to 95%) given the mode of electing its leaders, neither can be true democracies as those "elected" to power could not lose their power or position. If we look at Israel's democracy in contrast, leaders are elected in a similar fashion to Iraq and Egypt (ballots, not bullets), but the elected leaders, knowing their time on the top of the political ladder is short, will work towards re-election by passing laws and starting new initiatives to build the country and unify her people. Then, once the ruling party's turn is done, we start the cycle over again. That, my friends, is democracy. So I would hope that the Palestinians hold their government responsible for representing their values and wishes. It is my belief that the Palestinian people yearn for their own state. A state with a responsible government that will improve the daily lives of her citizens. Arafat's Fatah failed time and again in that endeavour, which has led to gross dissatisfaction among the masses and to Hamas' stunning and shocking victory.

My next point was alluded to in yesterday's entry. Voting is just the beginning of a long and winding road towards democracy, liberty and freedom. In order to truly make this democracy successful, the Palestinian people need to understand that they are partners with Hamas in government, not their drones. They must work together in order to achieve those goals they pursue, otherwise, they will be no better off with Hamas than they were with Fatah. It is this partnership between citizens and state that defines one's success. This is a truly an opportunity, an historic opportunity, to leave the despair and hate behind and make the concerted effort to build a nation. The beauty is that the world would totally support it. Unfortunately, as long as Hamas calls for Israel's destruction, the building of Palestine will not commence. Building versus destroying.....that's the real question here. And it's the Palestinians choice to make and theirs to answer to. Israel will continue to seek peace and reconciliation, that constant will not change. In order to truly change the landscape of the Arab-Israeli conflict, the Palestinians must choose themselves for once. And that would be a choice worth fighting for.

Have a good and safe shabbos.