JERUSALEM – October 29, 2008 – The Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) welcomes today’s Supreme Court decision to allow a group of right-wing Jewish activists to demonstrate in Umm Al-Fahm, an Israeli city populated almost entirely by Arab citizens.
The Court decision comes amid criticism by Umm Al-Fahm’s mayor as well as by other Jewish and Arab public figures in Israel; they claimed the demonstration would be tantamount to racial incitement.
Freedom of expression is a cornerstone of democracy, and its most genuine test is in the facilitation of its most outrageous, extreme, and controversial forms. It is unacceptable to prohibit a demonstration because of fear of a violent reaction by those who oppose the demonstration; taking such a step would have dangerous implications.
There’s no doubt that a march by extremists promoting racist messages against Israel’s Arab citizens including calling for their expulsion in the heart of Umm al-Fahm poses a dilemma. We fear that such a demonstration would only deepen the humiliation and alienation felt by local residents, members of the State’s Arab minority, who are already subject to systematic discrimination by the State. However, without any clear indication that demonstrators would incite to racism or commit acts of violence, the demonstration must be allowed to take place and both demonstrators and the residents of Umm al-Fahm should be appropriately protected.
