Victory for Israel’s right
After intense negotiations, Netanyahu loses battle over citizen’s declaration that Israel is a ‘Jewish and democratic state’.
By Barak Ravid, Haaretz
A controversial national loyalty oath took a step closer to becoming law on Wednesday as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lost a battle to soften the wording of a new citizen’s declaration.
Ministers approved a draft of the proposed oath, which would require anyone taking Israeli citizenship to swear allegiance to Israel as a “Jewish and democratic state”.
The government now looks almost certain to pass the ammendment to Israel’s citizenship law in a vote on Sunday. The debate will then pass to the Knesset’s legislative committee and final to a full parliamentary vote.
Attempts to enforce recognition of Israel as uniquely Jewish have been deeply controversial, particularly among Israel’s Arab citizens, who make up a fifth of the country’s population.
“Netanyahu has opened the legislative season with racism which he has inspired himself,” said Mohammed Barka, an MK for the Hadash party, in response to Wednesday’s decision. “The ammendment to the citizenship law is completely racist […] Israel’s lawbooks are becoming a guide for the world’s most discriminatory and racist regimes’.”
In an effort to calm tensions, Netanyahu in July proposed an alternative, less devisive wording, which defined Israel as “the nation state of the Jewish people which grants full equality to all of its citizens”.
But the draft approved Wednesday is almost identical to the version originally put forward by hardline Justice Minister Yaakov Ne’eman and will be seen as a victory for right-wingers in Netanyahu’s coalition – not least firebrand Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, whose ultra-nationalist Yisrael Beiteinu party made ‘loyalty’ the center of its campaign.
Sources close to Netanyahu said the prime minister had decided to approve the proposed legislation in light of continuing peace talks, in which he has repeatedly pressed the Palestinians to recognize Israel as a Jewish state.
“What we demand of the Palestinians, we nust demand of our own citizens too,” a Netanyahu confidante said.
Yisrael Beiteinu praised the move.
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“The government is fulfilling an important obligation as part of its coalition agreement with Yisrael Beiteinu,” the party said in a statement. “The duty of every Israeli citizen to safeguard the State of Israel as Jewish and democratic […] is both essential and fundamental.”
Israel must be a Jewish state, specifically, because it is the only state/country in the world that can be a bona fide homeland for the people from Judea, just as France is home to the French people, and Saudi Arabia is home to the Saudis. Israel is a democratic state because it abides by democratic values, not totalitarian. Why do people have a hard time understanding this?
Perhaps America has to re-write its pledge of allegiance, so that those who do not wish to be American in America, such as Muslims who vow to make our country Islamic under Sharia law, will not be welcome.
Jewish and Democratic, means that Arabs are not citizens, or else, once they breed sufficient numbers they will democratically vote against to change the Jewish clause of the state.
Jewish and Democratic means that only Jews are citizens and that all citizens are Jews!
On the other hand democracy is overrated. Just because it is better than dictatorship people think it is great.
The real winner is MERITOCRACY.
If the Jewish state is meritocratic, it will become the best place in the world.
Israel should be a democracy for Jews only. The Arabs should be kicked out along the principles laid out by Rabbi Meir Kahane. What is this nonsense that a Jewish state should be a homeland for Arabs also? So they have the right to blow up Jews when their feelings say they should?
Taqiyya means arabs lie. so they will all take the oath, then throw rocks and fire bombs. Israel will look stipid.
Every citizen who has served in the IDF and I believe civil service has sworn an oath of fealty to the State of Israel. The ones who might have difficulty with such a law would of course be the Arabs and some ultra religious heredim.
There is a problem here and that is every PM of Israel and most of our MK are accordingly traitors both by law and by Halacha. The laws except for Kahane were never enforced. This loyalty oath once enacted won’t be enforced either except when the state wants to use it as a weapon against specific individuals and groups.
Any Jew who signs “peace treaties” with Arab terrorists, arms them with machine guns, places his country on the chopping block, and uses the police and military to brutalize good Jews is a Jewish traitor. They belong alongside the diseases of the Neturei Karta and the self-loathing leftists of “Peace Now” and “Gush Shalom”.
With leaders such as these and that includes Lieberman, what value loyalty oaths when they themselves show by their actions gross disloyalty?
5 points: 1. I can’t find the full text of this loyalty oath amendment about to be voted on. It would be helpful to this discussion if that could be posted so we know better exactly what oath is being put forward for a vote.
2. I don’t understand the need for and the thinking behind the so called loyalty oath to reference democracy. If someone knows or has a link to a report or Knesset debate in that regard, please post it.
3. From reports, it appears it is an oath of citizenship that new applicants for citizenship must take. What about existing citizens?
4. Will there be a law deeming that all existing citizens are bound by that oath or are there already laws to that effect? If so, what are they?
5. Loyalty oaths or laws that expressly or impliedly bind Israeli citizens’ allegiance to Israel, are only as good as how well, consistently and strongly the laws relating to treason and sedition are enforced when an Israeli citizen breaches that oath to Israel or acts contrary to those 1st allegiance laws.
What are the laws of treason, sedition and the like in Israel?
I found the following site regarding Israeli laws: http://www.megalaw.com/international/israel.php The English option worked in a few cases, but not all.
If anyone has access to the link to the the English translation of Israeli laws pertaining to citizenship allegience to Israel, the proposed citizenship oath amendment being put forward for a vote and the statutes dealing with treason, sedition, espionage, etc., I would appreciate your posting them.
Ted your right. I was taught that’s what it was all about and although we Americans support democracy we have to respect other forms of government as long as it is the will of the people.
Randy, I believe he is trying his best to destroy the US Constitution.
Democracy takes many forms. It used to be the will of the people or one vote person or majority rules. Now the majority is hamstrung by the minority.
I don’t see the words democracy or democratic in our declaration of independence?
On November 29, 1947, the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted a Resolution calling for the establishment of an independent Jewish State in Eretz-Israel, and called upon the inhabitants of the country to take such steps as may be necessary on their part to put the plan into effect.
This recognition by the United Nations of the right of the Jewish people to establish their independent State is irrevocable. This right is the natural right of the Jewish people to be masters of their own fate, like all other nations, in their own sovereign State.
ACCORDINGLY, WE, MEMBERS OF THE PEOPLE’S COUNCIL, REPRESENTATIVES OF THE JEWISH COMMUNITY OF ERETZ-ISRAEL AND OF THE ZIONIST MOVEMENT, ARE HERE ASSEMBLED ON THE DAY OF THE TERMINATION OF THE BRITISH MANDATE OVER ERETZ-ISRAEL AND, BY VIRTUE OF OUR NATURAL AND HISTORIC RIGHT AND ON THE STRENGTH OF THE RESOLUTION OF THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY, HEREBY DECLARE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A JEWISH STATE IN ERETZ-ISRAEL, TO BE KNOWN AS THE STATE OF ISRAEL.
WE HEREBY DECLARE that, with effect from the moment of the termination of the Mandate being tonight, the eve of Sabbath, the 6th Iyar, 5708 (15th May, 1948), and until the setting up of the duly elected bodies of the State in accordance with a Constitution, to be drawn up by the Elected Constituent Assembly not later than the first day of October, 1948, the People’s Council shall act as a Provisional Council of State, and its executive organ, the People’s Administration, shall constitute the Provisional Government of the Jewish State, to be called “Israel”.
THE STATE OF ISRAEL will be open to the immigration of Jews and for the Ingathering of the Exiles from all countries of their dispersion; will promote the development of the country for the benefit of all its inhabitants; will be based on the precepts of liberty, justice and peace as invisaged by the prophets of Israel; will uphold the full social and political equality of all its citizens, without distinction of race, creed or sex; will guarantee full freedom of conscience, worship, education and culture; will safeguard the sanctity and inviolability of the shrines and Holy Places of all religions; and will dedicate itself to the principles of the Charter of the United Nations.
THE STATE OF ISRAEL is prepared to cooperate with the agencies and representatives of the United Nations in the implementation of the Resolution of the General Assembly of November 29, 1947, and will take steps to bring about the economic union over the whole of Eretz-Israel.
WE APPEALto the United Nations to assist the Jewish people in the building-up of its State and to admit Israel into the family of nations.
WE APPEAL – in the very midst of the onslaught launched against us now for months – to the Arab inhabitants of the State if Israel to return to the ways of peace and play their part in the upbuilding of the State, on the basis of full and equal citizenship and due representation in all its bodies and institutions – provisional or permanent.
WE EXTEND our hand of peace and unity to all the neighbouring states and their peoples, and invite them to establish bonds of cooperation and mutual help with the sovereign Jewish people settled in its own land. The State of Israel is prepared to do its share in a common effort for the advancement of the entire Middle East.
WE APPEAL to the Jewish people throughout the Diaspora to rally round the Jews of Eretz-Israel in the task of immigration and development and to stand by them in the great struggle for the fulfillment of the age-old dream – the redemption of Israel.
PLACING OUR TRUST IN THE ROCK OF ISRAEL, WE AFFIX OUR SIGNATURES TO THIS PROCLAMATION AT THIS SESSION OF THE PROVISIONAL COUNCIL OF STATE, ON THE SOIL OF THE HOMELAND, IN THE CITY OF TEL-AVIV, ON THIS SABBATH EVE, THE 5TH DAY OF IYAR, 5708 (14TH MAY,1948).
I will not swear allegiance to Israel as a “democratic” state.
Are you against democracy? Oh dear!
I will not swear allegiance to Israel as a “democratic” state.
The oath is a great idea; but, at the same time, Obama took an oath to uphold and defend the US Constitution.