As someone who has been at least mildy supportive of Israel's military actions against Hamas, I want to unequivocally condemn a recent action by Israel's Central Election Committee. This Committee has banned the participation of Arab parties from the upcoming elections. This action dangerously undermines Israeli democracy.

From Salon.com:

Israel on Monday banned Arab political parties from running in next month's parliamentary elections, drawing accusations of racism by an Arab lawmaker who said he would challenge the decision in the country's Supreme Court...

Parliament spokesman Giora Pordes said the election committee voted overwhelmingly in favor of the motion, accusing the country's Arab parties of incitement, supporting terrorist groups and refusing to recognize Israel's right to exist. Arab lawmakers have traveled to some of Israel's staunchest enemies, including Lebanon and Syria...

The decision does not affect Arab lawmakers in predominantly Jewish parties or the country's communist party, which has a mixed list of Arab and Jewish candidates. Roughly one-fifth of Israel's 7 million citizens are Arabs. Israeli Arabs enjoy full citizenship rights, but have suffered from discrimination and poverty for decades.

This action, in essence, is a massive mistake and, as far as I can tell, in no way benefits Israel. It strikes me as little more than a sop to ultranationalist parties. Which is interesting, since the last political party to be banned from Israel WAS an ultranationalist party. From the same article:

Pordes, the parliament spokesman, said the last party to be banned was the late Rabbi Meir Kahane's Kach Party, a list from the 1980s that advocated the expulsion of Arabs from Israel.

Again, given the history of Hamas' attacks since Israel withdrew from Gaza, and given Hamas' insistence on calling for not just the destruction of Israel, but attacks on Jews worldwide, I am reluctantly supportive of Israel's military response. But I feel that at the same time genuine outreach to the Muslims within Israel and in the West Bank are also necessary. Dismantling settlements in the West Bank would be a clear sign that Israel's Gaza response is genuinely a response to violence from Hamas and that Israel is genuine about seeking peace overall. Instead, Israel bans Arab parties in Israel. Wrong action taken at the wrong time. The best thing that could happen is for an Israeli court to rapidly reverse this decision.