Arab Head Of Israeli Election Committee Unaware Israel Apartheid State

“It’s as if he can’t see the most obvious flaws in his world view.”

Jerusalem, March 15 – Salim Joubran, a celebrated member of Israel’s judiciary who happens to be of Arab descent, remains completely unaware that Israel practices Apartheid against Arabs, excluding them from government positions and denying them democratic rights, human rights groups lamented today.

Joubran, 67, has served on the nation’s highest court since 2003, becoming a permanent member of the body the following year – apparently completely in the dark that Arabs are de facto excluded from all positions of influence in Israeli society, given Israel’s racist, undemocratic character.

Currently Joubran serves as the chairman of the Elections Committee, which regulates and governs the activities surrounding parliamentary elections, scheduled for this Tuesday. In that capacity, he presides over decisions such as what campaign ads are acceptable and which ones violate election rules, as well as which candidates and parties are eligible for office, taking into consideration the democratic process, freedom of expression, and existing regulations and statutes. Despite ample time and exposure to all the evidence, Joubran has apparently not noticed that Israel excludes Arabs from the democratic process.

In 2011 Joubran voted with the majority in upholding the conviction and imprisonment of former President Moshe Katsav for rape and sexual harassment, an occasion on which an Arab judge voted to convict and incarcerate a Jewish leader of the country, and suffered no adverse effects as a result. The event, says Human Right Watch Executive Director Ken Roth, may have blinded him to the reality that all the millions of Arab citizens with full political rights are actually just as oppressed as the blacks of South Africa before 1994.

“Mr. Joubran’s extensive experience with the Israeli judicial system, coupled with his role in oversight of governmental processes and expertise in criminal law, have likely obscured to him the glaring fact that Arabs are not allowed to participate in Israeli government,” explained Roth.

“Other Arabs in Israel have no such illusions,” he continued. “That can be seen in the courageous statements and actions of Arab members of the Israeli parliament, who disregard their parliamentary immunity and charge that Israel is a deeply oppressive, undemocratic society that does not allow Arab citizens to have citizenship, hold elected office, or speak their minds.”

“I find it astounding that Mr. Joubran doesn’t see the naked structural racism all around him that keeps Arabs excluded from, for example, the High Court bench,” said Nobel Peace Laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu. “It’s as if he can’t see the most obvious flaws in his world view.”