Thousands of protesters gather against a nation-state bill in Tel Aviv – Israel News



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  Protests Against the Nation-State Bill in Tel Aviv, July 14, 2018

Protests Against the Bill of the Year Nation-state in Tel Aviv, July 14, 2018.
(Photo credit: COURTESY PERMANENT TOGETHER)
Thousands of protesters marched in central Tel Aviv on Saturday night to protest the controversial draft law on nations, calling it racist and discriminatory

Under the banner "We are all at home", public figures, MPs and activists addressed the protest, which saw participants walking from Rabin Square to the center of Dizengoff.

The Jewish Nation State Bill is a basic bill with the constitutional weight that declares the country as nationstate of the Jewish people. It would anchor in law the emblem of the menorah of the state, Jerusalem as capital, national holidays and the right of all residents to preserve their heritage regardless of religion and nationality.

Happening Now: March Through Central #TelAviv to Protest the Nation-State Bill pic.twitter.com/rTlv9QT5Cm

– Tamara Zieve (@TZieve) July 14, 2018

He would make Hebrew the official language of the state, with Arabic receiving a "single status", was demoted from its official language as it is today. ; hui.

The bill is expected to reach a final vote in the Knesset on Monday night.

The demonstration was a joint effort of a wide range of civil society organizations, including organizations working for social justice, anti-racism, aliya and anti-racism. absorption, LGBTQ rights, human rights, shared society and peace, as well as political parties.

"sing protesters against Nati state bill pic.twitter.com/h43t6t9XcV

– Tamara Zieve (@TZieve) July 14, 2018

S & 39 Addressing the crowd, MK Ayman Odeh, chairman of the joint list, said that What is most scary for the right-wing government is that Jews and Arabs can live together.

"The nation-state bill will not make us disappear, but it will mbadively undermine democracy," he said. "The big demonstration was an important step in the fight against fascism."

"The racist legislation of a government that fears power, of a majority that tramples on the minority, will not take us away, we will stay in our homeland, we will stay here – two nations. have come here are the hope of a state of equality and peace, "Odeh said.

Meretz leader Tamar Zandberg opened her speech with a call for calm and peace in the South

the next war, "she said. is that the Israeli government is trying to hide the fact that there are no solutions to racist and incentive projects. "

Rabbi Gilad Kariv, CEO of the Movement for Progressive Judaism, called the project of "despicable." He told the elected officials not to keep quiet.

"Do not play your political poker game for elections at the expense of the image and values ​​of Israeli society and at the expense of of the generous society here. "

Kariv ended his speech with a prayer for peace in the South – a subject that was not forgotten by the speakers at the demonstration, which took place at the end of a day of fierce conflict with Hamas

(Standing together); The Association of Ethiopian Jews; New Is Rael Fund Peace Now; The Religious Action Center of Israel; Sikkuy; Coalition Against Racism in Israel; Mossawa Center; Young job; Hadash; Meretz; Ta & # 39; s; The Association for Civil Rights in Israel; Zazim – Community Action; the Negev Coexistence Forum for Civil Equality; AJEEC NISPED; kulan; Socialist struggle; Fighters for peace; and Shatil.

In a joint statement, participating organizations said, "The State of Nations Act would turn racism, discrimination and segregation into an inevitable part of our lives – more than that – racism and racism. Discrimination is increasingly desired and central in the state of Israel.The law of the nation-state will bring exclusion and damage to minorities to terrifying levels that we do not have. We have never seen before … Our position is clear: all citizens – all – are equal

A mbadive banner says "Minister of Crime" pic.twitter.com/4V4QR4RHc2

– Tamara Zieve (@TZieve) July 14, 2018

"But the government does not want to recognize it. Because they have no solutions for us – not for the housing crisis, not for the elderly and disabled, not for the cost of living, not for the collapse of the system of health, not for the crisis with the Jews of the diaspora. legislate useless, terrifying and discriminatory laws like the law of the nation-state. The law incites, confuses and divides citizens of the state of Israel from each other. "

A section of the bill that states that" the state may allow a community, including members of a religion or nationality, to have separate community regulations, " attracted the criticism of President Reuven Rivlin, the Attorney General's Office and the Knesset's legal adviser.

Now, outside the Dizengoff Center, the crowd chanted @netanyahu 'Bibi returns to the house & # 39; ] pic.twitter.com/Us3ZZk6fdk

– Tamara Zieve (@TZieve) July 14, 2018

The message of Saturday's protest, according to the organizers, was that " we are all equal citizens – Arabs and Jews, men and women, Mizrahim, Ethiopians, those of us who belonged to the former USSR and members of the LGBTQ community.

"The law of division and discrimination that this government promotes – that they call the nation project a lot of us: on cities endowed with" admission committees ", out of fair treatment before the courts; out of citizenship; out of democracy. For this we will not agree. "

Gil Hoffman contributed to this report


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