Uri Avnery: Weimar Revisited

"You and your Weimar!" a friend of mine once exclaimed in exasperation, "just because you experienced the collapse of the Weimar Republic as a child, you see Weimar behind every corner." The accusation was not unjustified. In 1960, during the Eichmann trial, I wrote a book about the fall of the German Republic. Its last chapter was called: "It can happen here". Since then I have come back to this warning time and again. But now I am not alone anymore. During the last few weeks, the word "Weimar" has popped up in the articles of many commentators. It should be sprayed in huge letters on the walls. Israeli "democracy" is under siege. No one can ignore this any more. It is the main topic in the Knesset, which is leading the attack, and the media, who are among the victims. This does not happen in the occupied territories. There, democracy never existed. Occupation is the very opposite of democracy, a denial of all human rights, the right to life, liberty, movement, fair trial and free expression, not to mention national rights. No, I mean Israel proper, the Israel inside the Green Line, the only "Democracy" in the Middle East. The attackers are members of Binyamin Netanyahu's government coalition, which includes semi-fascists and openly fascist elements. Netanyahu himself tries to remain discreetly in the background, but there can be no doubt that every single detail has been orchestrated by him.