Amjad Iraqi: The Myth of Israeli Democracy

Israel is often called "the only Democracy in the Middle East,” with activists, politicians, and even journalists pointing to Israel's Supreme Court as a prime example. But Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wants to weaken the Israeli judiciary, sending Israeli Jews into the streets en masse to protest. For months, Israelis have been engaged in marches, strikes, and even boycotts to stop what many are calling a judicial coup.  But for millions of Palestinians who live under Israeli rule, the  Supreme Court is just another instrument of their subjugation. To better understand this conflict – who’s on what side and who’s being left out of the conversation – we invited  +972 Magazine Senior Editor Amjad Iraqi back to Unsettled. 

In this episode, Amjad mentions  the Israeli nation state law and the 2021 violence in between Palestinians and Jews in Israel’s so called “mixed cities.”  You can hear more from Amjad on those topics in our 2021 episode, 'Palestinians Rising,' and our  2018 episode, 'The Nation-State Law.' This episode also discusses Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and his right-wing agenda. Ben Gvir  openly identifies as a follower of Kahane, who you can learn about in our 2021 episode, 'Shaul Magid: The Life and Afterlife of Meir Kahane.'