Allegiance", right?
I Pledge allegiance to the Star of David of the Zionist State of
Israel and to the Racist ologarchy for which it stands, one Kigdom
under the ineffable Yahweh, exclusive, with criminal license and
prejudgement in favor just of Jews
I bet you all thought I was overstating the issue....think again....
here's what Aljazeera (HAR) says on this new development.
nominal9
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2010/10/2010101013028364300.html
The Israeli cabinet on Sunday approved a bill requiring new immigrants
to pledge loyalty to the "Jewish and democratic" state.
The language has triggered charges of racism from Arab politicians who
see it as undermining the rights of the country's Arab minority.
It has also raised tensions with Palestinians at a time when peace
talks are deadlocked over Israel's refusal to extend a moratorium on
new building in West Bank Jewish settlements.
The bill is backed by Yisrael Beitenu, an ultra-nationalist party
whose leader, Avigdor Lieberman, has been a vocal critic of Israel's
settlement freeze.
Sunday's vote may be a way to soften Lieberman's opposition to
extending the slowdown, though officials have denied there is any
connection.
Cabinet divided
Binyamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, expressed his support
for the proposal before the vote. "The State of Israel is the national
state of the Jewish people, and it is a democratic state for all its
citizenship," he said.
"There is no other democracy in the Middle East. There is no other
Jewish state in the world. Unfortunately, there are many today who
tried to blur not only the unique connection of the Jewish people to
its homeland, but also the connection of the Jewish people to its
state."
Although the Labour party is part of the ruling coalition in
Netanyahu's government, the Israeli left has voiced significant
opposition to the new citizenship bill.
"There is a whiff of fascism on the margins of Israeli society," Isaac
Herzog, the social affairs minister, who belongs to Labour, told army
radio on Sunday.
"There have been a tsunami of measures that limit rights ... I see it
in the halls of the Knesset [parliament], in the commissions and
departments responsible for legislation."
Dan Meridor, a Likud party member, said the law would exclude 1.5
million Palestinians who are citizens of Israel and will create a rift
between them and the state.
Palestinians critical
Ahmad Tibi, an Arab member of the Knesset, told Al Jazeera that the
bill is aimed at Palestinians - and not at Jewish newcomers to Israel
- since they already enter on Israel's Jewish Law of Return.
"Palestinians will have to say that this country is for Jews, and
Palestinians are only guests. If you are saying you are democratic,
you should treat citizens with equality," Tibi said.
He said that Israel was trying to impose this on the Palestinian
Authority as a pre-condition for peace talks.
"It is time to tell the Arab summit to ask Israel to have equal rights
for Palestinians," Tibi said.
"The addition to the citizenship law is entirely racist and
transparent," Mohammed Barak, an Arab legislator, said.
"Israel's law books have long been a guide for some of the most
discriminatory and racist regimes in the world and in history."
Talks deadlock
Direct peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, led
by Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, are currently at an
impasse due to Israel's refusal to extend the 10-month freeze.
Recognition of Israel as a Jewish state is one of Netanyahu's
principal demands in any eventual peace deal with the Palestinians.
Palestinians have repeatedly rejected this as it would amount to an
effective renunciation of the right of return for Palestinian
refugees.
Lieberman's Yisrael Beitenu campaigned during last year's election for
a tougher version of the pledge, which would apply to Arabs born in
Israel and include a promise to serve in the military or perform other
national service.
Yisrael Beitenu is the second-largest member of the governing
coalition after Netanyahu's Likud party.
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