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MK Azmi Bishara once again finds himself at the center of a storm (Balad.org)
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| By Reuven Koret June 11, 2001 |
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MK Dr. Azmi Bishara yesterday called on fellow Arabs to resist Israeli aggression, sparking fierce criticism from many of his Jewish Knesset colleagues. Speaking in the Syrian hometown of former President Hafez Assad on the anniversary of his death, Bishara urged a unified stance of Arab forces against the Israeli government led by Ariel Sharon.
Bishara, leader of the Nazareth-based Balad opposition faction, attacked the Sharon government for trying to bring the Mideast to a crisis where there are only two choices: "either Israel's program is accepted, or the whole region goes to the brink of war."
Appearing on the podium beside Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah,
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"In any normal country, they'd put him before a firing squad."
- MK Michael Kleiner
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head of the Lebanese Hezbollah group, and leaders of Hamas and other Syria-based militant Palestinian groups, Bishara called for "expanding the sphere of resistance" against "Israel's dictates" so that "people can carry on with the struggle."
Bishara claimed that because the Sharon government did not have a "political-diplomatic program containing any hope for dialogue," there was a need for pan-Arab unity against the Israeli government. Praising Hezbollah's continuing military activities against Israel in southern Lebanon, Bishara celebrated "the heroism of the Islamic struggle."
Appearance provokes outrage among Jewish officials
Although Israeli Arab Knesset members have frequently appeared at Syrian events, and with Syrian, Lebanese and Palestinian extremist organizations beyond Israel's borders, Israeli officials from across the political spectrum reacted furiously to Bishara's latest performance.
MK Michael Kleiner (Herut) declared yesterday that "in any normal country, they'd put him before a firing squad. It's inconceivable that an Israeli Knesset member would encourage Arab states to launch a full-scale war against [Israel]."
Chairman of the left-center One Israel faction MK Effi Oshaya suggested that Bishara ask Syrian President Bashar Assad to subsidize the Arab Knesset Member's salary. "Bishara is an Israeli citizen and an elected MK, and yet he's promoting Syria's purposes," he declared. Bishara's comments, Oshaya said, undermined the Arab sector that he was supposed to be serving and might make it appear that Israeli Arabs supported collaboration with the enemy.
"Bishara's appearance with Nasrallah at the memorial for Assad shames the State of Israel and deepens the divide between Jews and Arabs in Israel," Oshaya said. "Bishara is spitting in the face of the families of the Israelis who have been kidnapped with Syrian support."
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