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Last update - 05:55 31/05/2009
EDITORIAL / Netanyahu must rein in Lieberman's racist proposals
By Haaretz Editorial
Tags: Avigdor Lieberman 

Yisrael Beiteinu's racist campaign against the country's Arab citizens has shifted from the election billboards to the Knesset and cabinet room. Right-wing Knesset members have drafted a series of laws to suppress the Arab community's freedom of expression and right to protest. These bills put at the top of the agenda the need to halt racism, ensure civil rights and advance equality as prescribed by the Declaration of Independence.

Three legislative initiatives are on the docket. One mandates a three-year prison sentence for anyone who observes what the Palestinians call the Nakba - the events of 1948. This bill was approved by Ministerial Committee for Legislation. The second dictates one year in prison for anyone who expresses in writing "a statement that denies the existence of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state." This bill passed a preliminary reading in the Knesset. Finally, there is a proposal to require anyone who receives Israeli citizenship to sign a loyalty oath and perform military service, or some form of public service. This draft law will be submitted today to the Ministerial Committee for Legislation.

The sanitized language in these bills cannot conceal their true objective: the institutionalization and deepening of discrimination against Arab citizens. They stain Israeli democracy, exacerbate the rifts in society and intensify the sense of ostracism and oppression of the Arab community in its relations with the state. These bills highlight Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's irresponsibility in putting law enforcement and legislation in the hands of Avigdor Lieberman, who is using the system to further his discredited ideology.
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Justice Minister Yaakov Neeman is largely responsible for advancing these bills; he heads the Ministerial Committee for Legislation. His vote tipped the balance and allowed for the passage of the "Nakba law," and today his vote will be put to the test in the discussions over the "loyalty law." An experienced jurist like Neeman understands very well the significance of these proposals. His decision to expedite the deliberations on the bills and his explicit support for the Nakba law reveal him to be an extreme right-winger who seeks to appease his political patron, Lieberman.

It is incumbent on the justice minister to demonstrate loyalty to the basic values of democracy and to ensure civil rights and equality before the law, rather than promote illegitimate legislation. It is the prime minister's duty to rein in the racist activism of Lieberman and Neeman, and to ensure that these damaging proposals are shelved, never to be passed.

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      1.   nothing racist about asking everyone to take loyalty oath 04:20  |  Observer 31/05/09
      2.   Haaretz is to be commended for the call for Israel... 05:42  |  BBSNews 31/05/09
      3.   Israeli racism! 06:06  |  Le Corbeau 31/05/09
      4.   Israeli racism! 06:17  |  Le Corbeau 31/05/09
      5.   Where is discrimination? 06:22  |  Frank 31/05/09
      6.   Racist proposals 06:47  |  Baruch 31/05/09
      7.   you will be isolated 06:56  |  fred 31/05/09
      8.   Asking Citizens to be Loyal is Not Racist 07:16  |  Dave J 31/05/09
      9.   Agreed 07:55  |  Ari Z 31/05/09
      10.   The Arab citizens of Israel. 08:24  |  Mario Sala 31/05/09
      11.   The Israeli case is slowly slipping into the background 08:26  |  Kris Lazar 31/05/09
      12.   Beiteinu party 08:30  |  dani.a 31/05/09
      13.   20 years 08:49  |  oc 31/05/09
      14.   It`s an oxymoron 09:10  |  Damian Lataan 31/05/09
      15.   Israeli racism 09:36  |  Bianca 31/05/09
      16.   All-pervasive danger of Lieberman et al... 09:55  |  Esther 31/05/09
      17.   The salient question is... 09:58  |  Esther 31/05/09
      18.   On the contrary, Frank #3... 10:02  |  Esther 31/05/09
      19.   Let Lieberman speak, just like Holocaust deniers 10:34  |  Manny Goldstein 31/05/09
      20.   what do they want from Israel 10:45  |  f 31/05/09
      21.   Some good ideas, but they need a little work 10:48  |  Bruce 31/05/09
      22.   slowy advancing apartheid in Israel proper 11:07  |  Ernst 31/05/09
      23.   Baruch 11:20  |  zmogus 31/05/09
      24.   pass the laws 11:22  |  Truth 31/05/09
      25.   Frank 11:33  |  zmogus 31/05/09
      26.   israeli lower court system is underworked.jails stand empty. 12:33  |  just fine (`em) 31/05/09
      27.   Some good ideas, but they need a little work 12:44  |  Bruce 31/05/09
      28.   Loyalty oath to a country that protects you 13:16  |  Jerry K 31/05/09
      29.   Anything less than loyalty is treason 14:07  |  Akiva P 31/05/09
      30.   better proposals : Investigate sources of income of Aharon Barak 14:11  |  Absolute Sweden 31/05/09
      31.   Study history 14:46  |  Michael 31/05/09
      32.   2 out of 3 already 14:58  |  Israeli 31/05/09
      33.   The Solution 15:09  |  onimo 31/05/09
      34.   Israel should require loyalty 15:09  |  Redeemed 31/05/09
      35.   # 3 frank 15:09  |  Axel 31/05/09
      36.   10 Akiva P, you have it all wrong... 15:11  |  Dutch 31/05/09
      37.   # 10 akiva 15:12  |  Axel 31/05/09
      38.   so being israel is not possible without being zionist ? 15:27  |  muslim-- 31/05/09
      39.   To #8 15:29  |  Frank 31/05/09
      40.   Akiva P # 28 anything less than loyalty... yes Pollard is a good 15:44  |  American in NY 31/05/09
      41.   The problem with loyalty and loyalt oaths 16:04  |  Natallie Durson 31/05/09
      42.   No. 1, Observer 16:22  |  W 31/05/09
      43.   surrounded by enemies and enemy states 16:27  |  Quebec observer 31/05/09
      44.   settle up with Pals before demanding any loyalty oaths 16:37  |  newageblues 31/05/09
      45.   Axel @#36 16:42  |  Akiva P 31/05/09
      46.   What about the ultra-Orthodox (Haredim)? 16:49  |  Yonatan 31/05/09
      47.   Get rid of the Labor Party leftists & defeatists instead 17:16  |  Mark Tuchman 31/05/09
      48.   #22 zmogus 17:26  |  Baruch 31/05/09
      49.   durson, and ignorance 17:30  |  Arie 31/05/09
      50.   FYI, Absolute #29... 17:43  |  Esther 31/05/09
      51.   Racism or Doctrine? 18:18  |  Angel of Oregon City 31/05/09
      52.   What about Jews who favor a State of Israel 18:34  |  ARTH 31/05/09
      53.   FYI Esther ,on Aharon Barak ,the former Leftie Tzar of Supreme Co 18:40  |  Absolute Sweden 31/05/09
      54.   Akiva P a jewish sect that does not recognize Israel 20:00  |  American in NY 31/05/09
      55.   Absolute #53... you do not tell us the source of this... 20:04  |  Esther 31/05/09
      56.   Racist proposals. 20:48  |  Pablo Luis 31/05/09
      57.   tuchman is wonderful comic relief 20:51  |  tea party 31/05/09
      58.   Israel ISN"T Democratic...Now Go Ahead & Arrest Me 21:32  |  Herb Cohen 31/05/09
      59.   Mark #47... wow, what leeway to rant-and-rave... 21:48  |  Esther 31/05/09
      60.   Herb #58...how true your postscript is... 22:37  |  Esther 31/05/09
      61.   Arie - Somehow you have managed to miss the point 22:46  |  Natallie Durson 31/05/09
      62.   Holocaust vs Nakba...who`s denying who? 00:17  |  maoriboy 01/06/09
      63.   First the state must be loyal to all its citizens 09:00  |  Tamar 01/06/09
      64.   Baruch, again. 12:15  |  zmogus 01/06/09
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