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| Israel-Palestine-Jordan |
| Israeli Knesset passes 'racist' anti-Arab bills |
| 2011-03-25 |
| [Arab News] Arab politicians and left-wing Israeli activists on Wednesday harshly slammed the approval of two laws targeting the Arabs inside Israel. On Tuesday night, the Israeli Knesset passed in its final readings the co-called "Nakba Bill," sponsored by Alex Miller of rightist Israel Beiteinu party. The Admissions Committee Law passed with 35 in favor and 20 opposed The Nakba Bill would forbid governmentally funded bodies or institutions to spend taxpayer money on events marking Nakba Day (Catastrophe) by supporting armed resistance or racism against Israel. The bill would also bar harming Israeli flags and other symbols of the state. The Admission Committees Law, sponsored by Israel Beiteinu's David Rotem and Kadima's Shai Hermesh and Yisrael Hasson, would formalize the establishment of admission committees to review potential residents of Negev and Galilee communities that have fewer than 400 families. The bill formalizes the compilation of such committees, and also legally empowers the committees to reject candidates if they do not meet certain criteria. Possible reasons for rejection include lack of intent to establish primary residence in the community, lack of economic means to establish a home in the community, if a professional evaluation reveals that they do not fit in with the community's way of life, or do not fit in with the community's "socio-cultural" tenor. Opponents criticized the bill, saying the initiative had racist components, and would be utilized in order to block Arabs from joining new settlements. Talab El-Sana, Arab MK of United Arab List part, said that the Arab citizens of Israel would continue to commemorate Nakba Day. He added that Arab-Israelis should not be considered guilty of a crime if they refuse to accept Israel as a Jewish, democratic state. MK Jamal Zahalka of Balad party said that the "Nakba law won't stop Arabs -- we'll just increase our protests." Zahalka warned that a "civil rebellion" of Arab citizens would break out against the two bills. "We are ready to go to jail," he said. The Israeli Abraham Fund Initiatives and the Association for Civil Rights in Israel announced that they intend to appeal the Admission Committees Law to the Supreme Court. The co-executive directors of the Abraham Fund, Amnon Be'eri-Sulitzeanu and Mohammad Darawsheh said "This law establishes a mechanism of ethnic segregation between Jewish and Arab citizens of Israel, under the auspices of the Knesset." They called that law "clearly unconstitutional." The Abraham Fund also responded to the Nakba Law, warning that "Knesset members are mistaken to think that one can force the Arab minority to celebrate Israel's Independence Day. It is important to allow Arab citizens to learn about and acknowledge their painful past. It is also important that mutual understanding of the other's historical narrative exists between the Jews and Arabs in Israel." |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #2 As with the left in the US, they confuse a cut off of government funding with censorship, and unwillingness to fund anti-patriotic causes as racism. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2011-03-25 09:45 |
| #1 Good. |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2011-03-25 04:18 |