The Foundation for Constitutional Democracy

It seems that many benighted Jews in Israel believe that their system of government descended from Mount Sinai. Their educators have yet to tell them their first and greatest prime minister, David Ben-Gurion, deplored Israel’s governmental system. He deemed it divisive and discordant as well as unprincipled and undemocratic.

He saw that by making the country a single electoral district, political parties would have to compete for Knesset seats on the basis of Proportional Representation (PR), and that given a low electoral threshold, an absurd profusion of parties would emerge (more…)

Various passages of Alexis de Tocqueville’s unfinished work The European Revolution, where he discusses France under Napoleon and Rome under Augustus Caesar, indicate that Israel, especially under the reign of Ariel Sharon, approximates a democratic despotism—and still does!

1. “Public opinion, favorably inclined, let Bonaparte dare anything. People are tired of confusion whose end is not in sight. For the sake of rest and order the nation throws itself into the arms of a man who is believed sufficiently strong to [end the violence and render them safe and secure].”

2. (Re Chief Justice Aharon Barak) “Whenever a despot rises, one may be sure that soon legalists will appear ready to prove that violence is lawful and that the defeated have been guilty.” (more…)

by Dr. Steve Carol ©

The Golan Heights is a semi-mountainous escarpment of some 451 square miles, ranging in height from 400 to 3,000 feet. It rises steeply from the eastern and northern shores of the Sea of Galilee, runs the length of the Huleh Valley, and overlooks the coastal plains of the Galilee and northern Israel. There is a Jewish connection to the Golan as it is dotted with ancient Jewish villages and synagogues.

In 1948, Syria joined with other Arab states in an aggressive attack against the newly re-established State of Israel. (more…)

THE HIDDEN CAUSES OF THE LEBANESE WAR, THE GOVERNMENT’S INEPTITUDE, AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT

A. The Basic and Hidden Cause of the War

Introduction: Former Chief of General Staff Lt.-Gen. Moshe Ya’alon has stated the obvious: Israel’s retreat from Gaza in the south incited Hezbollah to attack Israel in the north and therefore triggered the Lebanese War. This touches only the surface of things. We must ask: “What led to Israel’s retreat?

1. First item: recall that Labor’s policy of “unilateral disengagement” from Gaza was the paramount issue of the January 2003 election. The parties that opposed this policy won 84 seats—70% of the Knesset’s 120-membership! The Likud alone won 38 seats, while Labor won only 19—the lowest ever for that party. Clearly, a vast majority of the public rejected Labor’s policy. (more…)

Introducing Tom Carew

Dear Friends:

The Foundation for Constitutional Democracy is proud to announce that Tom Carew of Dublin, Ireland has joined the Foundation’s Board of Directors.

Tom and I were in almost daily e-mail correspondence during the war in Lebanon, and I learned much from his incisive comments.

As a Philosophy and Classics graduate of the National University of Ireland, Tom not only has a keen interest in Ethics, but he is also a profound student of Irish, European, Israeli and especially Military History.

He is a member of the Ireland-Israel Friendship League as well of Friends of the IDF. Also noteworthy is his experience campaigning against the terror activities of the Provisional IRA. (more…)

An Open Letter to Former Chief of General Staff Lt.-Gen. Moshe Ya’alon

“The Failure of the Right”

For more than three decades, Europe has been dominated by the Left, by its post-Christian politicians, professors, and journalists. Today Europe is dying—Arabized. But as Oriana Fallaci has boldly pointed out, the Right is no less to blame for Europe’s cultural demise.

By the “Right” she means “nationalists” who, whether in France or in Holland, could have galvanized the people of their respective countries against the Left’s multiculturalism and permissive Arab immigration laws which have stripped each nation of its cultural heritage. (more…)