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JERUSALEM – Israel discusses legislation that supporters say is obvious. Critics, meanwhile, say the measure will divide Israeli society and damage its relations with the rest of the democratic world, especially Jews in the United States.
The premise of the so-called nationality law is simple: – Constitutional Basic Law that Israel is the nation-state of the Jewish people. Much of this bill, sponsored by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party, deals with the obvious signs that Israel is a Jewish state, like baderting symbols on the flag and shield, laying down l & # 39; Hebrew. calendar as the official calendar of the country, recognizing Jewish holidays and days of commemoration, and naming Jerusalem as capital.
Other parts of the law, however, have raised the flaws of segments of Israeli society and the Jewish diaspora. These include clauses relegating Arabic to a "special" status in lieu of an official language, promoting the establishment of Jewish communities throughout Israel and addressing the relationship of the Arab world. State with the Jewish community of the diaspora. That the words "democracy" and "equality" do not appear once in the text sounded the alarm among its detractors.
The President of Israel, Reuven Rivlin, called the law "weapon for our enemies". The head of state, Natan Sharansky, said that this would end up "sowing discord between the Jews of Israel and the diaspora". Thousands of Israeli, Jewish and Arab demonstrators marched in Tel Aviv this weekend to protest the discriminatory aspects of the legislation. In the eleventh hour before the Knesset voted on the legislation – it should pbad – a leader of the American Jewish community went to Israel and spent nearly two days discussing the bill and criticizing it with Israeli legislators.
Silverman, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Jewish Federations of North America, told JTA Monday that the Nationality Act "resumed the agenda" of his trip. Before leaving for Israel, he spoke to major Jewish organizations about their concerns about the legislation. Although he was not allowed to address the Knesset Joint Committee to work on the text of the legislation before going to the plenum this week, Silverman said that he attended meetings and was publicly recognized as a representative of the Jewish Diaspora.
He said that he had discussed the concerns of the American Jewish community with many lawmakers and key members of the Knesset, as well as with the Prime Minister's Office.
Silverman told JTA that he was concerned that legislation in some aspects of Israel will alienate young American Jews who are "so concerned about social justice today." He said that there are several parts of the legislation with which "American Jews would have trouble".
Changing the status of the Arabic language as "discriminatory," according to Silverman. Arabs make up about 20% of the Israeli population.
A section claiming that Israel is responsible for preserving Israel's connection with the global Jewish community has also prompted criticism. Critics fear that it be formulated in such a way as to weaken the ability of the Jews of the diaspora, and even of Israel, to promote pluralism within the Jewish state or to ask the supreme court from Israel to hear cases concerning the Jewish Diaspora. as the establishment of the egalitarian prayer section of the Western Wall.
The wording of a clause that would have allowed the establishment of communities based on a religion or nationality was changed Sunday to reflect rather "national worth in the developing Jewish communities and Haaretz said that the clause nevertheless promoted the creation of "exclusively Jewish communities."
The previous wording of the clause would have "encouraged and fueled the BDS movement.", "said Silverman, echoing the statements of many on the media social and even in the corridors of the Knesset. Some, particularly Arab Israelis and their supporters, have used the word "apartheid" to describe the provision.
The author of the first law on nationality, Avraham Diskin, a political scientist and professor of Hebrew University, rejects criticism of legislation, which he calls "declarative" and "without much of practical consequences ".
Diskin told JTA that it is "high time" for a basic law that specifically identifies Israel as a Jewish state, in addition to the many Israeli laws that mention Judaism and Jewishness of the state.
There are "many people around the world outside of Israel, mainly Arabs, who are not ready to accept leaving their own nation". He added that in Israel, some dispute the notion of Israel as a Jewish state – among them the Jews.
Diskin said the law is most needed, however, because of the Israeli Supreme Court. He and other critics of the high court say that he has ignored the Jewishness of the state, for example in cases of Palestinian residency rights in Israel, rights of foreign converts to citizenship, land purchases by the Jewish National Fund, defense projects for Orthodox Orthodox youth and the deportation of illegal migrants.
Israel's Declaration of Independence repeatedly notes the Jewish ties to Israel and that Israel is established as the nation-state of the Jewish people. Unlike the Basic Law, however, the Declaration of Independence is not a legal document
Diskin stated that nothing in the legislation violates human rights or minority rights .
Amir Fuchs, researcher at the Israeli Democracy Institute said that the legislation resembles the preamble of a constitution still unwritten, and that "there is no country in the world that has not specifically listed the right to equality in its constitution ". that the state will have equal rights for all its citizens, "he told the JTA
" That's what's missing. That's the problem, "said Mr. Fuchs.
He acknowledged that other basic laws deal with the democratic nature and individual rights of Israel, including that of dignity and at least two other fundamental laws refer to Israel as both Jewish and democratic.
Fuchs, who heads the Defending Democratic Values Program at the Israel Institute of Democracy, said that the new legislation was not necessary because it is clear that Israel is a Jewish nation-state based on its symbols, language and holidays, among other things.
He said that He does not oppose the idea of a law declaring that Israel is the nation-state of the Jewish people, but that such a law should also be sure that the state has equal rights for all its citizens.
But Fuchs does not believe that Israel will be very different after the adoption of the law and does not agree with those who say that this will turn the country into a state of apartheid. The tipping point, he said, will be in the tight decisions of the Supreme Court, where the "Jewish" element could take precedence over the "democratic" element.
Legislation should be put to a final vote before the end of the Knesset's Summer Session on Sunday. The coalition has enough votes for the pbadage because the orthodox orthodox parties are ready to support it. In the past, the haredi parties have opposed the legislation because of its nationalist nature. But the addition of the word "religious" to a clause on the right to self-determination has partly softened their position.
Silverman said that as a sovereign state, Israel has the right to adopt such legislation. The Israeli and American Jewish communities are "quite young environments for the two major Jewish communities of the world.
Jewish organizations in the United States will ensure the practical application of the law, especially in cases involving the Jewish community of the diaspora.
"Israel must be the nation-state for all Jews," said Silverman. "This can not be limited in any way."
Does the message Israel need to be there? a law to define itself as the nation-state of the Jewish people? first appeared on Jewish Telegraphic Agency
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