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Riz Khan
Which way Israel?
Riz speaks with former Knesset speaker Avraham Burg about trends in Israeli politics.
Last Modified: 05 Mar 2009 08:31 GMT

Watch part two 

The Israelis went to the polls on Tuesday and initial reports indicate that the country has shifted to the right. The vote has major implications for a future peace process.

One of the most dramatic outcomes of the elections was the rise of the far-right Yisrael Beiteinu ("Israel is our Home") party, led by populist Avigdor Lieberman. He has proposed forcing Israel's 1.45 million Arab citizens to take an "oath of loyalty" or risk losing their citizenship, among other anti-Arab proposals. He now heads the country's No. 3 party, which just increased its Knesset seats from 11 to as much as 18 (out of 120).

On Wednesday, Riz speaks about trends in Israeli politics with Avraham Burg, the former speaker of the Knesset and former head of the Jewish Agency and World Zionist Organization. Burg was a harsh critic of Israel's offensive in Gaza and has called for a quick withdrawal from the occupied Palestinian territories.

He is the author of The Holocaust is over; We must rise from its ashes, which argues that Israeli leaders use the memory of the Holocaust in ways that are warping the country's soul, creating unnecessary fear, and making it impossible to achieve peace with the Palestinians.

This episode of the Riz Khan was aired on Wednesday, February 11, 2009.

Source:
Al Jazeera
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