Women and Israeli deMOCKracy

מושצ"ק פר' וישלח תשע"ד

Life In Israel: Proposed Law: Women must be included in lists of political parties
November 14, 2013

A little while back a lawsuit was filed with the Supreme Court to disallow funding of political parties that do not include women in the party list.

I do not know what happened with that suit - I have not yet heard that it has been discussed or decided upon, so I assume it is still an open case.

Some lawmakers have decided not to wait for the Supreme Court decision, and are taking the same idea via a different route - legislation in the Knesset.

According to Ladaat, MK Yifat Kariv (Yesh Atid) proposed a law, that passed yesterday in its initial reading in the Knesset, that would deduct funding by 15% from any party that does not include women, one woman out of every three candidates, on its list. MK Hanin Zoabi (Balad) also proposed a similar law, deducting 30%.

MK Kariv explained that women are 51% of the population, but do not reach those proportions of representation in the elected bodies in local leadership. (cont.)

Esser Agaroth (2¢):
So is democracy truly a place in which people have freedom of choice? Or freedom of choice only within the limits of whoever is truly in control.

The K'nesseth
(The Israeli Parliament)

I am not saying whether women should serve in the K'nesseth or not. I am simply saying that in a true democracy, aren't the people supposed to be in charge? Then why not let the people decide whether this policy should be implemented, without wasting a lot of time and money, both now and in future court cases.

If the people decide not to vote for parties which choose not to include women on their lists of candidates, then these parties will eventually die out.

On the other hand, if these parties do stay viable, and even increase their numbers over time, like United Torah Judaism has, then maybe, just maybe, these parties have a constituency which supports their policies, and even their way of life. Not maybe,...definitely.

Remember when the U. S. and the West insisted on democratic elections with in the Palestinian Authority? When Hamas was victorious, the U. S. felt that its plan had backfired. But, in actuality, its plan was successful. In democratic terms, the Pseudostinians got just what they voted for, Hamas. And the U. S. is still scratching its proverbial head over that one.

Does MK Yifat Kariv and countless other assimilated MK's, with or with out a head covering, really want democracy? It appears to me that what they really want Western, progressive values and sensibilities imposed on a society, because they "know better." Even though that society is not in full agreement with them.

That's not democracy. That's deMOCKracy.