MIDDLE EAST: Ahead of the general election Israelis and Palestinians call for 'real democracy' on Facebook

Record ID: 187223

  • Title: MIDDLE EAST: Ahead of the general election Israelis and Palestinians call for 'real democracy' on Facebook
  • Date: 20th January 2013
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) OMAR ABU RAYAN, PALESTINIAN ACTIVIST FROM HEBRON, SAYING: "In my opinion this group will not make a real change on the ground, there will be no real change on the Israeli government but this step stays as a symbolic step to tell that the Israeli policies are not democratic." MORE OF OMAR AT CAFE WORKING ON LAPTOP
  • Embargoed: 4th February 2013 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Gaza, Israel, West bank
  • City:
  • Country: Palestinian Territories
  • Topics: Communications,International Relations,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA519327ZQC4VL8V739WQCECQSY
  • Story Text: As Israel prepares for national elections to be held on Tuesday (January 20), several citizens started a Facebook campaign donating their right to vote to their Palestinian neighbours.
    One of the Initiators of the campaign, Tel Aviv resident Shimri Zameret, said it was launched by activists to protest "the lack of democracy" in Israel.
    "This is a project of Israelis and Palestinians who protest the lack of real democracy in Israel and in the U.N. system. The idea is that Israelis give their votes to Palestinians, essentially letting the Palestinian decide what they do on election day to protest the lack of democracy," Zameret said.
    "The idea is that in a globalised world, both in Israel and the U.K., decisions that we make affect people outside our borders and what we need is sort of a global democracy, to cope with a globalized world, with a world of globalization," he added.
    Zameret's colleague, Shahaf, said she felt that giving her vote to Palestinians is an act of solidarity.
    "I feel really good about it, I feel that it's important for us Israelis to some times give up our privileges in order to act for justice and what's right. And I feel that giving my vote is a strong symbol of solidarity and a strong message of equality, peace and actual democracy."
    The Facebook campaign, which has gained over 1,700 supporters, 'matches' Israelis that are willing to give up their votes with Palestinians who are symbolically willing to use those votes and are not Israeli citizens.
    An Israeli can post to the page, offering to give up his or her vote. A Palestinian can then "take" that vote by contacting them and explaining how they would like the vote to be used on elections day.
    A Palestinian activist from Hamas-ruled Gaza, Aya basheer, further explained the concept as she was looking at the group's Facebook page.
    "The main goal of the campaign of Real Democracy where Israeli and Palestinian activists match together is to delegitimize the Zionist occupation and expose the Israeli undemocratic polices which say it is the democratic country in the Middle East or even the only democratic country in the Middle East," she said.
    "Although the Israeli voter likes more the right (parties) but as I said we have seen in the last period that the Facebook followers are increasing and are using it as well so I can say that it has been used as a political tool to try to influence the lawmakers," she added.
    An activist from Hebron, Omar Abu Ryan, said the campaign was mainly symbolic and probably won't bring about any real change.
    "In my opinion this group will not make a real change on the ground, there will be no real change on the Israeli government but this step stays as a symbolic step to tell that the Israeli policies are not democratic," he said.
    Israel votes in a parliamentary election on Tuesday (January 22). Final opinion polls published on Friday (January 18) showed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was set to win the ballot but that his support had slipped to its lowest point in the campaign so far.
    Palestinian presidential and legislative elections were last held in 2005 and 2006, when Hamas won power in an upset result. A unity government was short-lived and Hamas fighters in 2007 drove Fatah forces out of Gaza, seizing control of the enclave.
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