Rivlin warns against discrimination in bill hurts Jews

President Reuven Rivlin on Tuesday sent a letter to the Knesset's Constitution, Law and Justice Committee, expressing strong opposition to the draft law on nationality.
who seeks to enshrine in law the status of the state of Israel as the nation state of the Jewish people.

The Rivlin initiative is an unusual and challenging step against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who wants to pbad the law next week.

In a letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein and the chair and members of the committee, Rivlin opposes clause 7b of the bill that would allow religious or national groups to establish communities. concern that it could hurt the Jewish, Jewish people in the world and the state of Israel.

He warned against the legal authority to establish communities "without Jews Mizrahi, without Haredim, without Druze, without LGBT Is this the meaning of the Zionist vision? "

The Joint Meeting of the House of the Knesset Committee and the Committee on the Constitution, Law and Justice examined the draft law on nationality
Tuesday morning, preparing for his second and third readings at the Knesset.

The Chair asks the commission to reconsider Article 7b, which was included in the final version of the law despite the objection of the Attorney General and other parties.

Rivlin's letter is as follows:

"Basic Law: nationality was put on your desk, this proposal deals with the most sensitive constitutional aspects of the state of Israel." essential elements are constantly kept on the articles of the legislation, which have been amended over the years.

"Following my conversations with the Prime Minister, I turn to you in an unusual way to draw your attention to clause 7b of the bill, which determines that" the state is authorized to allow a community, including members of one religion or of one nationality, to establish a separate community.

"The amendment to the bill on admission commissions
(according to which families will be allowed to appoint committees of acceptance in communal settlements in the Negev and Galilee) were pbaded into Knesset law in 2011 during my term as Speaker of the 18th Knesset.

the law defends the the right of small Jewish communities to maintain their social and cultural character and to refuse admission to candidates who could harm this character.

"In addition, the law determines that admissions committees will not refuse the admission of a candidate on considerations based on race, religion, bad, nationality, nationality, disability, personal status, age, parentage, badual orientation, country of origin, point of view or political affiliation.

"This legislation, which was pbaded after many Knesset discussions, reflects the Knesset's commitment to allowing different communities to preserve their unique identities and preserve the capacity to realize the Zionist vision in the Knesset. State of Israel, and especially in the Negev and Galilee.

"This law, with all its complexity, sought to reflect the delicate balance between the character of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state, the constant quest for that balance and its preservation. being the main obligation of the Knesset.

"Like the Admissions Committee Bill, approved by the High Court of Justice, Article 7b aims to allow communities to retain their unique identity, unlike Bill introduced before you today determines that a candidate may be denied admission to a community for whatever reason, including religion and nationality.

"I fear that the unspecific wording of this article, which lacks balance, could hurt the Jewish people around the world and in Israel, and could even be used by our enemies as a weapon against us.

"I also ask that we look inward, in the depths of Israeli society: are we ready, in the name of the Zionist vision, to lend a hand to discrimination and discrimination? Excluding a man or a woman? The bill before you allows any group, in the broadest and unsupervised terms, to establish a community without Jews. Mizrahi, Haredim, Druze and members of the LGBT community

meaning of the Zionist vision? I am sure that the sponsors of the bill did not intend to do so, nor do you – Knesset and members of the committee.

"In light of the above, I reiterate my request that you reconsider the importance and implications of the current wording of this article. I am confident that the Knesset will act with the necessary responsibility in considering this bill. , which seeks to add another chapter in the developing constitution of Israel, as a Jewish democratic state.

Amendments of the Minister of Tourism Yariv Levin
to the draft law on nationality were published Monday before his second and third readings to the Knesset.

To pbad the law, the coalition will need a majority of 61 MKs. To this end, coalition members are not allowed to be absent from the Knesset until the end of next week – the last week of the Knesset's summer session.

The Haredim also criticized the bill. Deputy Uri Maklev (United Torah Judaism) said: "Even after amendments have been made to the bill, we would not be satisfied and would have preferred that it never be created. "

An agreement was reached between the United Torah Judaism Party and the Arab parties regarding the Nationality Bill, as reported by the ultra-Orthodox Yated Ne'eman newspaper, while the party Kulanu still supports the bill.