ten minutes with... FOCUS Yossi Beilin Democracy lobby under siege Western NGOs feel the pressure as autocrats quake, says Nicolas Bouchet It’s time to admit the peace process is dead, says the architect of Oslo

Yossi Beilin, who served as Israeli Justice chance of have a single state for Jews and After the end of the Cold War that worries democracy organizations. to the authorities’ support for the Minister and Deputy Foreign Minister, Arabs or a bi-national state. Israel will international non-governmental It goes beyond the usual obstructions transition to democracy. The matter conducted the secret peace negotiations that never be a part of a bi-national state. organisations, mostly funded by Western and pursues expulsions and criminal could have ended there, but Egypt has led to the 1993 Oslo Accords between Israel countries, fanned out across the globe prosecutions. Locals and foreigners since put the NGO staff on trial, asked and the Palestine Liberation Organization. So what is going to happen? to teach the ways of liberal democracy. alike have been targeted. And, while Interpol to issue arrest warrants for Even if, God forbid, more settlements are Not surprisingly, this prompted a such clashes have usually involved the departed Americans and refused built in the West Bank, at a certain adversaries, this one involves two allies. You have called on the Palestinian images hendler/getty brian reaction by authoritarian regimes, which registration to other US-based groups. Authority, which was supposed to be moment Israel may withdraw, even has now turned into a global backlash. ‘That this comes from a government Egypt’s example appears to be the Palestinian state in embryo, to unilaterally, and no one can prevent that. The uncertain response from America in the midst of an attempted transition encouraging similar acts of nose- dissolve itself. Why now? If it is a government of the Right, the and Europe to growing restrictions on to democracy and that enjoys a close thumbing at the West. Bahrain has The Oslo Peace Process called for an withdrawal would be to a line near the democracy NGOs is encouraging relationship with the United States and increased visa restrictions for human interim agreement that would last five Yossi Beilin: status quo is too convenient separation barrier. Israel will say, you do governments to push even harder against other Western governments is especially rights groups. The United Arab years and end with a permanent what you want. You want to have a state, what they see as a direct threat. surprising and dispiriting’, said Emirates has expelled NDI and the settlement. It has dragged on for almost should examine the practicalities of be our guest; you don’t want to have a Today the spotlight is on Cairo, where Carothers. polling organization Gallup, and 20 years. What was supposed to be a dissolution. state, be our guest. There would be no 43 Egyptian and foreign NGO staff are After Hosni Mubarak fell, Washington ordered Germany’s Konrad Adenauer corridor leading to a final settlement has solution to the refugee problem or to on trial for operating unlicensed and with fast-tracked $65 million for democracy Foundation to shut its office. Foreign become a living room – a very You mean Hamas taking over the Jerusalem, and Israel would annexe 8 per illegal foreign funding. If their trial, due programmes in Egypt, where international NDI employees were briefly detained convenient one – for people like Prime West Bank? cent of the West Bank. There would be to resume in June, leads to convictions NGOs had previously gained little access. and threatened with criminal charges. Minister Netanyahu and for the No, not at all. The realities on the ground. no agreement on passages, security, or and prison terms, the backlash will reach The surge in activities by foreign groups In Russia Vladimir Putin has accused opposition in Palestine. They want Say 180,000 people work for the the electromagnetic spectrum, or water. a high-water mark. antagonized Egypt’s generals who America of fomenting protests and to keep the status quo. Palestinian Authority, with about one ‘Never before has a government accused them of political meddling. financing the opposition during million benefiting from their salaries. When might that be? attacked democracy programmes in The NGOs targeted include Freedom December’s parliamentary elections. You could have admitted defeat These people, doctors, teachers and I believe that in a matter of three or four such a pointed, harsh way,’ said Thomas House, the National Democratic Moscow is considering a new law that a decade ago nurses, will not be fired the moment years the world will see there is a majority Carothers, an expert at the Carnegie Institute (NDI) and the International would further restrict foreign financing Since 2001, when Ariel Sharon was Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian of Palestinians between the Jordan River Endowment for International Peace. Republican Institute, high-profile of NGOs and has denounced an elected as Prime Minister, dissolving the president, gives Netanyahu the keys to and the Mediterranean. At the moment In April, Navi Pillay, the UN High organizations closely linked to America’s American plan for a $50 million Palestinian Authority could have been the West Bank. Somebody will have to there are 5.6 million Palestinians and Commissioner for Human Rights, political elite. By sending security forces fund to support Russian civil society. the right idea. But it had become too run daily life. It will not be Israelis, about 6.4 million Jews. The 6.4 million raised the alarm about efforts to cut off to raid their offices last November and ‘There are very real concerns with convenient for everybody. The though the Israelis will be the officers, includes non-Jews, such as the 300,000 international support for civil society. persisting with the prosecutions despite regards to the restricting of political Palestinians established their own and they will have to be recruited again. Christians who came to Israel with their She highlighted Egypt, but listed American pressure, the generals, no space for civil society,’ noted Pär institutions, their own ministries, and The Palestinian leadership will just families from Russia. So we are talking of developments in countries from doubt smarting from Barack Obama’s Engström, a human-rights expert at they could offer people jobs. Nobody can become part of the PLO, as they are something like 5.6 million Palestinians Belarus and Cambodia to Venezuela abandonment of Mubarak, have dared University College, London. ‘But at the blame them. And for the world, after so already, and the PLO will become and about 6 million Jews. Natural growth and Zimbabwe. Washington to choose between its same time, we should be aware of efforts many years, there was finally an address stronger in the West Bank. So it is not will change this balance very soon. I don’t The backlash against democracy democracy rhetoric and its strategic by powerful states, and particularly for the Palestinians. For the opponents it such a big revolution for the Palestinians, think the world — the Americans — will assistance predates the Arab Spring. interests in the region. The generals have the United States, to channel their was wonderful because nothing but it will be very significant burden for accept it. Many Israelis will not accept it. The effectiveness of internationally not suffered any consequences. preferences through non-state actors.’ happened. And for the peace camp, it was Israel. The existing security If the Prime Minister of Israel is not backed civil society was highlighted Foreign NGO employees were allowed Openings for international not so bad, as it kept a glimmer of hope. arrangements with Israel will not be ready to go for a comprehensive solution by Slobodan Milosevic’s fall in Serbia to leave Egypt in March after collectively democracy NGOs are narrowing in In reality, it created a fig leaf for a process available. The budget will not come from such as outlined in the Geneva Initiative in 2000. Rulers unsure of their popular posting bail of $5 million. Soon after, many countries. They need to adapt that was non-existent, except for a very foreign donors. This might trigger (2003), he will do what Sharon did – support took note, and, to judge by the the Obama administration waived a to an increasingly chilly climate. short time in 2008. American involvement, or an Israeli withdraw behind the separation barrier. similarity of the laws they passed to legislative condition tying this year’s A central part of this must be more understanding that the status quo is restrict foreign NGOs, swapped $1.3 billion in military assistance to Egypt open discussion of how their actions Surely the Palestinian leaders will intolerable. Who is going to accept such a notes aswell. are undeniably political, however much never dissolve their administration? solution? Russia, notably, has tightened they strive for non-partisanship, and They have a deep feeling of frustration. More and more people are saying that There is a border and it was built by a restrictions on foreign organizations ‘Never before have how their links to Western governments They know the Palestinian Authority is the window of opportunity for the Likud leader named Sharon. In Israel, to preclude a ‘colour revolution’ such democracy NGOs are perceived. l not a real authority. They know that even two-state solution is closed there is some legitimacy to withdrawing as Georgia’s and Ukraine’s, which the in Area A, under full Palestinian control, This is nonsense. I don’t believe there is to the border, if push comes to shove. l Kremlin saw as the result of Western been attacked in Nicolas Bouchet is co-editor of US the Israeli army comes at night to arrest any prospect of Israel having a non- plotting. Presidents and Democracy Promotion people as if it was part of Israel. We Zionist prime minister. So there is no Interview by Alan Philps Egypt combines elements in a way such a pointed way’ (Routledge, forthcoming 2012)

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