Author Criticizes Israeli 'Democrats' Party for Its Founding Principles

A prominent Israeli political commentator has sharply criticized the "Democrats" party, arguing that its foundational documents reveal a platform that is fundamentally at odds with progressive values, particularly concerning the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The author points to the party's "Founding Charter," signed in 1968 and still in effect, which was adopted by the predecessors of the modern Labor Party. This charter, according to the article, promotes the settlement and development of "unsettled territories" within "the Land" and emphasizes "the principle of the nation's ownership of the state's land." The author contends that these phrases, chosen in 1968 when Israel occupied the West Bank, Gaza, Sinai, and the Golan Heights, were politically motivated to legitimize annexation and erase the presence of the Palestinian people.

The article further highlights that the charter refers to Arab citizens as "minority citizens" while omitting any mention of Palestinian national identity or the right to self-determination, and notably, the word "occupation" is absent. The author draws a direct line from these founding principles to the establishment of the first settlements in the occupied territories by Labor-led governments. Despite the party's name and the presence of individuals the author respects, the core ideology, as expressed in the 1968 charter, is deemed colonialist and exclusionary.

This critique comes in the wake of the Central Elections Committee's decision to disqualify Sami Abu Shehadeh from running in the elections, a move supported by the Democrats' representatives. The author argues that this vote, alongside parties like Likud and Otzma Yehudit, demonstrates the Democrats' alignment with a right-wing agenda, particularly in their opposition to an Arab political leader. The article concludes by urging left-wing voters not to support the Democrats, stating that a party calling itself "Democrats" should not endorse such exclusionary policies and that the party has failed to address fundamental questions about Palestinian rights and Israeli sovereignty.

The author, Avrum Burg, a former Knesset Speaker and head of the Jewish Agency, expresses personal respect for some candidates within the Democrats but states his own vote will not go to them. He argues that the party's continued adherence to the 1968 charter, which he describes as "toxic," and its recent voting record, reveal a deep-seated issue with its commitment to genuine equality and democratic principles for all.