Deputy FM, Knesset Legal Adviser against the Draft Law on Nationality

Knesset Legal Counsel Eyal Yinon and Deputy Attorney General Raz Nizri spoke out against the controversial project of nationality,
which should move to a second and third reading in the Knesset next week, warning Tuesday that it could attract international criticism.

During a joint discussion of the House Committee of the Knesset and the Constitution, Law and Justice Committee, Yinon voiced his opposition to Article 7b of the bill, which would allow religious groups or national to establish communities. exclude others.

Explaining the problematic nature of the article, Yinon told MPs that "As long as you do not have a radical ban on accepting (to the community) a citizen (d & # 39; a certain group), it does not matter, you build a Jewish community, and you bring in people who are not Jewish, it does not turn the community into a non-Jewish one. "

In his legal opinion, Yinon noted that Article 7b "significantly departs from the delicate balances required in this context." This article could raise the important Basic Law (the draft law on nationality) which aims to be inscribed in the law, for the first time in detail. the identity and character of the state as the nation state of the Jewish people.This article could also lead to judicial interference in the legislation of the basic laws of the Knesset. "

It recommended to the Committee to consider adopting an alternative formulation Article 7b," which allows the establishment of a distinct community with a social and cultural designation but it would not be possible to exclude citizens in a radical way based on their nationality, religion, badual orientation or other characteristics, as long as their acceptance will not harm to the social and cultural nature of the community. "

Nizri defined Article 7b as "the most important problem" of the legislation. He said that other articles of the proposal dealing with the nationalist aspect are not discriminatory, while Article 7b is distinguished by its irregularity ".

"It's a personal discrimination against a citizen based solely on his nationality, it's not just Jewish," Nizri explained. "Article 7b speaks of the individual citizen, he discriminates against him".

"We raised our objection to some articles in the early stages" of the legislative process, added Nizri. "We do not need a situation in which only the left supports a democratic state, while only the right supports a Jewish state, a value that is inscribed in our fundamental laws and keeps us here, and it's a shame. "The Jewish state only belongs to the right and the democratic state belongs only to the left.

Nizri also pointed out another problem with the legislation, the status of the Arabic language.
"It would have been better if in this bill, the treatment of the Arabic language does not change because they want to change it," he said.

He clarified, however, that "I do not forget for a moment that you are the ruler, and I am here as a representative trying to convince you not to cause harm."

Even before the start of the discussion, Yesh Atid MP Pnina Tamano-Shata shouted to Bayit Yehudi MK Bezalel Smotrich and Likud MP David Amsalem that the proposal "is pure racism.

The two told him: "It's not racism, it's Zionism."

In a letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein, and the Chair and members of the committee, President Reuven Rivlin also raised Article 7b, fearing that it might hurt the people. Jewish 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?"

MK Amir Ohana (Likud) Rivlin, saying, "When I read the letter from the President, I do not know if it is President Rivlin or the Rivlin politician who is speaking."

Opposition deputies attack Ohana for his comment, with Yesh Atid MK Elazar Stern asking Ohana to apologize for his comments, a request that the latter refused.

The Union Zionist MK Tzipi Livni was removed from the discussion on his criticism of Ohana.

After being discarded from the discussion, Livni accuses Ohana, the committee chairman, of "exploiting his role to attack the president, to pretend that he was a politician." But the president represents in his letter the values ​​of the State of Israel, the Declaration of Independence and all the fathers of Zionism – which have long been forgotten by the Likud and this coalition. "

Sending to Ynet, she warns that under the draft law on nationality" Jews will live again in communities in which the Arabs will not be allowed to live. "

Ohana, she adds, "who represents the gay and bad community, could be banned by law from a hetero community."

MK Pnina Tamano-Shata, "who represents the Ethiopian community in the Knesset, I may not be able to live in a community that does not want Ethiopians." (Coalition President), David Amsalem , which defends the government, could be ruled out tomorrow of a community that does not want Jews Mizrahi, "says Livni.

This discussion, she says, about one article or another. It is a government that not only divides us into tribes. This is how the Israeli government wants to see the state of Israel. We will fight that with force. "

Likud MP Miki Zohar also criticized the president, saying, "I think what President Rivlin is doing is one of his repeated attempts to win the favor of all Israeli citizens." He forgets his basic DNA He thinks that he will oppose almost every initiative of the Israeli prime minister and that the right serves his public image. "

The amended version of the legislation was published Thursday. a majority of MK 61. To this end, coalition members are not allowed to stay away from the Knesset until the end of next week – the last week of the session. summer of the Knesset.

Attila Somfalvi, Alexandra Lukash contributed to this story