Guest Column CAIR from page 35 Indeed, CAIR incites, funds and does much more vis-a-vis terrorism. Federal prosecutors in 2007 named CAIR (along with two other Islamic organizations) as "unin- dicted co-conspirators and/or joint venturers" in a criminal conspiracy to support Hamas finan- cially. In 2008, the FBI ended contacts with CAIR because of concern with its continuing terrorist ties. hum . On learning of the UAE listing, CAIR called it "shocking and bizarre," then got to work to have the U.S. Department of State protest and undo the ruling. Department spokesperson Jeff Rathke noted that the U.S. government, which "does not consider these organizations to be terrorist orga- nizations:' has asked for more information about the UAE decision. The UAE minister of state for foreign affairs replied that if organizations can show that their "approach has changed:' they are eligible to appeal "to have their names eliminated from the list!' Pressure from the Obama administration might reverse the UAE listing. Even so, this will not undo its lasting damage. For the first time, an Islamist government has exposed the malign, terroristic quality of CAIR — a stigma CAIR can never escape. ❑ Daniel Pipes (DanielPipes.org ) is president of the Philadelphia-based Middle East Forum. Dry Bones rvoR mimes WE HAVE LIT OUR LIT-11.E LIGHTS OF FREEDOM , AND FoR Ce4WRIES WE PLACED THOSE LIGHTS INTO OUR FRonrr WINDOWS... ..0R IN duR BACK ' KITCHENS 0000660 r %PENDING ON , HOW FRIeNDLy -Re - TIMES ARE To 1-14E JEWISH 1:76 OPL6.,. 36 December 18 • 2014 Di Ocraol O Needs ron+ar-Lef+ I aarlarc n Dec. 2, the Israeli gov- ety has failed. ernment collapsed, as Netanyahu's leadership has Prime Minister Benjamin threatened Israel's security and Netanyahu dismissed Justice democracy, and significantly Minister Tzipi Livni and damaged its reputation Finance Minister Yair abroad – as illustrated Lapid from his cabi- by the present state net. Tensions within of U.S.-Israeli rela- a the coalition had sim- tions, which grow more mered for months, fraught by the passing with centrists Livni day. The country needs and Lapid criticizing a viable alternative to many of the govern- Netanyahu; to achieve ment's right-wing poli- this, it is imperative cies, most notably the that Israel's fractious "Jewish State" bill – a center-left unite. Noah Arbit proposed constitution- If led by a center- al basic law that could left prime minister effectively deny equal rights for (the two most likely candidates Israel's non-Jewish minorities. being Labor Party and opposi- The Knesset dissolved itself tion leader Isaac Herzog and on Dec. 8, scheduling Hatnuah party chair and early elections for March former Justice Minister 17. While the results are Livni), the next govern- far from certain (Israeli ment of Israel will prove politics are notoriously infinitely more successful unpredictable), it is clear in ensuring the country's that the stakes have security, preserving its never been higher for an national character as a election, as Israeli vot- Jewish and democratic Benjami n ers will determine what state, and improving Netanya hu type of state they want its global standing by – a Jewish and demo- freezing settlement con- cratic one that fulfills struction in the West the Zionist vision or one Bank and pursuing a that embraces extrem- pragmatic peace with the ism. Palestinians and moder- Disillusioned by the ate Arab states. stalled peace process Polls suggest that in and increasing secu- the scenario of Herzog's rity threats, the Israeli Labor Party and Livni's electorate is shifting Tzipi Liv ni Hatnuah party run- undeniably to the right. ning together on a joint This trend stems from party list, their com- the widely accepted, bined center-left bloc but inaccurate, political would garner more seats paradigm that Israel's in the Knesset than right-wing safeguards Netanyahu's Likud party, security, while the left- potentially enabling one wing jeopardizes it by of them to unseat him. pursuing "two-states for Yair Lap id But a unified party list two peoples." means little absent a The actions of leaders unified vision. Following across political spectra her dismissal as justice have invalidated this minister, Livni stated, paradigm, and it is high "The elections will be time Israeli voters aban- about whether there will doned it. If the past five be a Zionist or extremist years under Netanyahu country here." Isaac He rzog have shown anything, it Herzog echoed her is that the right's "strat- statement at the Saban egy" of ignoring the Forum in Washington, Israeli-Palestinian conflict and suggesting that the mantra internal cleavages in Israeli soci- "Zionism vs. extremism" will be the dominant aphorism of their joint campaign. Obviously, Israel faces increas- ing isolation on the global stage, with the European Union – and allegedly the White House – mulling sanctions on Israel for continued settlement construc- tion, European parliaments recognizing a Palestinian state, and rampant BDS and anti-Israel rhetoric on college campuses. Unlike Netanyahu, who has done absolutely nothing to temper this hostility – and everything to inflame it – a new center-left government would curtail it to the degree that it depends on Israeli leadership. Indeed, Livni will likely con- cede leadership of the afore- mentioned joint centrist bloc to Herzog in exchange for his pledge to appoint her foreign minister, should he be able to form a government. Livni served as foreign minister from 2006- 2009 and is admired worldwide for her pragmatic leadership; and is thus perfectly equipped to improve Israel's image abroad. But it is the voters, not Livni or Herzog, who will be the arbi- ters of Israel's future. And the time has come for them to reject the fallacy that the left will sacrifice security for a hollow peace; rather, it is the right that sacrifices Israel's reputation to stymie peace. Netanyahu's failed leadership has created an era of hopeless- ness in Israel. But Livni, Herzog, Lapid and others can reintro- duce hope to Israel. For, with the existence of hope, everything becomes possible – even peace with the Palestinians. This is not some exhibition of naive idealism; the power of hope to galvanize the will of a people is potent and real – and has always been at the heart of the Jewish experience. As elec- tions draw nearer and Israel's future hangs in the balance, we must take heart in the words of "Hatikvah": "Od /o avdah, tik- vateinu" – "our hope is not yet lost." ❑ Noah Arbit of West Bloomfield is a sophomore at American University in Washington, D.C.