Israel Democracy and Human rights

Israel has a free press that can criticize the government without fear of government authorities.
Israel has an independent legal system that has already rejected Parliament's laws because of human rights violations.

Israel has pluralism that expresses itself in an extensive multi-party system representing different world views of many sectors of the population.

The people of Israel can replace its government in free elections.

Since its establishment there have been no executions in Israel except for the Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann who was executed in 1961.


The Arab minority has representation in the Israeli parliament - The Knesset : 11 members of parliament and 3 parties, including parties that deny the existence of Israel as a Jewish state. Arabic is an official language in Israel. The Israeli academy is full of Arab students and lecturers.

Israel has absolute religious freedom . Sometimes in times of tension, age limits are put on Muslim worshipers for praying on the Temple Mount for fear of riots that may pose a danger to Jewish worshipers at the Western Wall.

In Israel women reach the most senior positions: past Prime Minister - Golda Meir, the current opposition leader Tzipi Livni, the chairman of Parliament and in the past Vice President of Israel - Dalia Itzik and President of the Supreme court - Dorit Beinish. Over 20% of the members of the parliament are women. In recent years the army also opened its ranks to women in the combat area.
Although an optimal state of equality has not yet been achieved there is great progress and Israel is certainly moving in the right direction.

Homosexuality is legal in Israel and the status of the same sex is improving gradually with the support of the Supreme Court for full equality. gay parades are held annually in big cities and the army recruits gays into its ranks. The Separation fence was built between Israel and the West Bank to protect human life and prevent suicide bombers from entering Israel. The decision was made after the harsh suicide attacks that were carried out in the nineties which killed and injured hundreds of Israeli civilians. Every sane country must protect the lives of its citizens - the right to life and security.

Israeli democracy is far from perfect and it has many problems, but still is the most enlightened liberal democratic country in the Middle East.
Considering the state of constant threat that Israel has been in since its establishment as a small country surrounded by a hostile Muslim Arab world, even compared to Western democracies, we have nothing to be ashamed of.