I hate to shatter your illusions, but Israel is not a democracy, it is more of a theocratic regime propped up by US taxpayers. Do you believe that apartheid era South Africa was a true democracy? Like the blacks in South Africa, 3 million people within Israel's effective borders have no civil rights. Also Israel specifically favors one religion over others unlike constitutionally secular democracies such as those of Europe, Australia and the US. Lebanon, Jordon and Egypt are closer to the ideals of democracy than Israel.
Snooker says: The Israelis (Jews) constitute 80% of the population of Israel, the other 20% are Israeli Arabs who have FULL voting rights and representation in the Knesset (parliament) and are entitled to FULL and ALL government welfare, medical educational pensions etc.
Unless I am mistaken, South Africa was arse about, i.e the whites were 10-20% of the population, maybe even less, and the majorit,y blacks, could not vote, couldn't travel on the same buses etc etc. No parliamentary representation either.
It's obvious that you have never been to Israel, but I have, many times, and have travelled with Israeli Arabs on the same buses and in fact during the waves of Arab homicide bombings, Israeli Arabs also were blown up, as they were on the same buses.
So, how does that relate to South Africa?
Next, the Palestinian Arabs were given under Oslo, the right of self government. Not statehood, but self government. They were allowed to establish their own police force, would you believe 40,000 of them (Australia had 19 million people v the Palis 3 million.How many police officers do we have?)
The weapons required by this overblown police force was supplied by Israel. They were supposed to police their autnomous areas which they did not. These police forces became private militia. They have no ned for an army or an airforce. (They have no external enemies, yet.)
Again, where is the comparison to South Africa? Did the whites arm the blacks to look after their own?
Israel moved out and the experiment began. The Palestinian police force and the leadership were and are corrupt which is evidenced by the huge some of monies that are unaccounted for and never will be.
Israel gave the taxes it collects on behalf of the Palis to the PA although this has been suspended and one doen't have to be an Einstein to work out why.
Yes, you are right, 3 million of them are living in terrible conditions. Why you may ask? After all the Intifada began 2 years ago, Oslo was in 1993, what happened during those 7 years that they were in self control?
Answer. Those in control did very little for the growth and infrastructure that was required, money was blown on weapons and palaces and overseas Swiss accounts and the general population was fed the lines that it's Israels fault. They swallowed all that propoganda and look where it got them. That is beyond dispute. Their leadership is and was corrupt.
Re your points about Jordan and Egypt being democracies, it would be pointless for me to go on with it. That comment has shown just how little you know about either country.
A democracy in a large way can be judged by it's press. Let the Egyptian or the Jordanian press take their governments on headlong like the Israeli press has, I may consider your point.
Read the Arabic Middle East press where they fawn those in power. Read the Israeli press rangimg from the exreme right to the extreme left and you might get an idea. If a vibrant press as in Israel existed in either of Arabic countries those countries (or any other Arabic country) the whole scene would be different.
Right now, any hard crticism and the paper is either closed down or an editor is arrested or worse still disappears, does not go to haeven as does not get 72 virgins. They disappear into some living black hole within their own countries, that is if they are lucky.
So please don't make any comparisons either to South Africa or the other countries you mentioned, certainly not selective comparisons.
