“Israbluff” is a combination of the words “Israel” and “bluff.” It refers to a common occurrence in politics and life, where what is presented as a solution to a problem ends up being a bluff or amounts to nothing at all.
The case of the law to ban UNRWA’s operations in east Jerusalem seems to be an example. The law passed with a large majority and was supported by an array of MKs from both the coalition and the opposition.
It simply stated that UNRWA “will not operate any representative office, provide any service, or conduct any activity, directly or indirectly, in the sovereign territory of the State of Israel.”
Enacted on January 31, the law passed after a three-month preparation period. The Jerusalem Ministry and Jerusalem Municipality announced that they had prepared a series of measures to replace UNRWA’s education, health, and sanitation services in east Jerusalem.
Enforcement attempts this week, however, showed that officials were not given the tools to implement the law. A municipal official visited a UNRWA vocational center in Kfar Aqab. She left soon afterward.
The official was accompanied by police, who waited outside. They said that stone throwers assaulted officers and that they responded using riot dispersal methods. Yisrael Hayom quoted an official from the National Security Council saying the incident was a “farce.”
At roughly the same time, three Education Ministry officials visited three UNRWA schools in east Jerusalem, citing a lack of a permit to operate the schools as the reason for the visit.
The ministry contended that the UNRWA schools required a permit to operate, but a UNRWA official said that such a permit had never been required before. “Kafkaesque” was the word used by this official to describe the scene.
There was no indication that the municipality and Education Ministry officials were aware of each other’s actions.
Israel fumbling laws that it, itself, decided to enact
Whether or not one believes that action against UNRWA is justified, Israel is fumbling with laws that even it itself decided to enact.
Its ability to enforce the law regarding East Jerusalem is unclear, and the “alternate solutions” proposed for East Jerusalem children have yet to be tested and may be ineffective.
In the meantime, east Jerusalem parents and children who hold Israeli identity cards and to whom Israel is legally required to provide the same rights it provides Jerusalemites must deal with this uncertainty – in the middle of a school year.
Legislators and policymakers would do well to think through the actions they decide to take prior to taking them to avoid another case of “Israbluff.”