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A racist Jewish state
By Haaretz Editorial

Every day the Knesset has the option of passing laws that will advance Israel as a democratic Jewish state or turn it into a racist Jewish state. There is a very thin line between the two. This week, the line was crossed. If the Knesset legal counselor did not consider the bill entitled "the Jewish National Fund Law" as sufficiently racist to keep it off the agenda, it is hard to imagine what legislation she will consider racist.

In 1995 the Supreme Court rescued the state from callously discriminating against its Arab citizens through the Ka'adan case, which prohibited the Israel Lands Administration from discriminating against non-Jews by leasing land through the Jewish Agency. Since then the attorney general has stated that such discrimination is unacceptable - also when it is carried out through the Jewish National Fund. The MKs were unable to accept this egalitarian ruling, and on Wednesday a large majority of 65 voted in favor of a preliminary reading permitting such discrimination. The bill is also backed by the head of the Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee, MK Menahem Ben-Sasson.

Any explanation by the supporters of the bill seeking to beautify it should be rejected immediately by anyone who cares about the country's image. This bill reflects an abasement of the Zionist enterprise to lows never imagined in the Declaration of Independence. Even though the Jewish National Fund purchased the lands for the Jewish people in the Diaspora, the State of Israel has already been established and these lands must now serve all its citizens.
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For those living for tomorrow and not the past, the aim is to create in Israel a healthy, progressive state where the needs of the two peoples should concern the leaders and legislators. The Jewish National Fund's land policy counters the interests of the state and cannot discriminate by law against the minority living in Israel.

The clause in the bill stating that "the leasing of JNF lands for the purpose of settling Jews will not be seen as unacceptable discrimination," even though it involves 13 percent of state-controlled lands and allows for further expressions of discrimination. For example, the establishment of a university only for Jews on JNF land, or a hospital, or a movie theater.

It is not surprising that MK Uri Ariel, who favors the redemption of lands by Jews also beyond the Green Line, is the person who initiated the Jewish National Fund bill. But the support of Benjamin Netanyahu, Ami Ayalon, Michael Eitan, Reuven Rivlin and Shalom Simhon is a very bad omen for the future of legislation in Israel. The Ka'adan case in the Supreme Court failed to bring about change. The power to discriminate was passed on to communities' acceptance committees that reject candidates by reverting to the clause of "being ill-suited to the community." If it was not for the Supreme Court's ruling in the Ka'adan case, it would have been possible also to reject non-Jewish candidates from Russia.

The Ka'adan ruling was exceptional in setting red lines, allowing a broad range for change, establishing norms and preventing the debasement of the rule book. It turns out that the Supreme Court is not omnipotent. In an instant, a racist Knesset can overturn its rulings.
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  1.   Ridiculous 13:13  |  Solomon Kutnicki 20/07/07
  2.   for pro-israelis that say apartheid doesn`t exist 13:18  |  VIPER 20/07/07
  3.   The JNF predates the state and the state did not pay for the JNF 13:24  |  Steven 20/07/07
  4.   If the JNF break their contract with donors we can demand refunds 13:34  |  Nannette 20/07/07
  5.   Nonsense 13:40  |  Dr David I. Gross 20/07/07
  6.   LAND FOR JEWS IN ISRAEL???? 13:54  |  Brant 20/07/07
  7.   Right on Haaretz! 14:00  |  thru-other-eyes 20/07/07
  8.   World, rejoice. So called "Israel" shows its real face. 14:01  |  Andreas 20/07/07
  9.   No qust 14:15  |  Physicist 20/07/07
  10.   Haaretz 14:16  |  Kate 20/07/07
  11.   This is a good reason why Zionism must be dismantled 14:18  |  Khalid 20/07/07
  12.   WHAT IS RACIST IS ARAB GENOCIDALISM AGAINST JEWISH STATE 14:19  |  G. Marcus 20/07/07
  13.   No question - this is blatant racism 14:23  |  Physicist 20/07/07
  14.   GRANTING CITIZENSHIP TO JEWS, NOT ARABS CAN ALSO BE CALLED RACIST 14:27  |  VOICE of MOSHIACH))) 20/07/07
  15.   Let Amos Schocken statue an example and invite pals to Savion 14:34  |  Absolute Sweden 20/07/07
  16.   Maybe it`s racist by some PC definition. What`s the alternative? 14:40  |  Uzi 20/07/07
  17.   Tradition! 14:47  |  r 20/07/07
  18.   YES ANDREAS, REJOICE 14:47  |  Brant 20/07/07
  19.   David Gross is not telling the truth 14:51  |  Dr. Fisher 20/07/07
  20.   Are there any laws that allow Jews to own land in Arab countries? 14:55  |  Hastaroth 20/07/07
  21.   Dear Nannette: just curious to know... 14:55  |  David James Vickery 20/07/07
  22.   Destructive article. Here`s a constructive suggestion - 14:56  |  Tzvi 20/07/07
  23.   #1 14:57  |  Bruno 20/07/07
  24.   Let`s Be Honest Here 14:58  |  Yaakov Sullivan 20/07/07
  25.   #2 15:00  |  Bruno 20/07/07
  26.   #6 15:02  |  Bruno 20/07/07
  27.   Sorry, Kate, but hysterics Just Don`t Cut It Anymore 15:02  |  Yaakov Sullivan 20/07/07
  28.   Khalid you make an excellent point 15:04  |  Binyamin 20/07/07
  29.   IsraeL 15:06  |  Beni Hashim 20/07/07
  30.   This opinion misses the point 15:07  |  S Judah 20/07/07
  31.   Khlid you are so wrong 15:16  |  Rani Habelgi 20/07/07
  32.   Hok Hashevut may also be considered racist by similar PC logic. 15:21  |  Uzi 20/07/07
  33.   JNF LAW 15:22  |  Mitch 20/07/07
  34.   CAN YOU BUY A HOUSE IN SWITZERLAND ? 15:26  |  paul harris 20/07/07
  35.   Facts not fiction 15:31  |  Josh Goldman 20/07/07
  36.   Gaza 15:39  |  Kenneth 20/07/07
  37.   By the same PC logic it`s racist to insist that Jews have the 15:45  |  Uzi 20/07/07
  38.   Khalid and justice 15:48  |  Avrum 20/07/07
  39.   dr gross 15:49  |  bernie 20/07/07
  40.   It gos like this 15:50  |  Ron 20/07/07
  41.   17 Tzvi - A great response and a way forward 15:55  |  S Judah 20/07/07
  42.   David James Vickery 15:56  |  Avrum 20/07/07
  43.   Yaakov #19 15:58  |  Avi Yerushalmi 20/07/07
  44.   Israel`s Black Codes 15:58  |  TimothyL 20/07/07
  45.   Supreme Court extra legal decisions 15:59  |  Jo Jo 20/07/07
  46.   Haaretz flies the flag. 15:59  |  Seth Halpern 20/07/07
  47.   It`s difficult to get upset 16:01  |  JIA 20/07/07
  48.   national not racial 16:01  |  Shosh 20/07/07
  49.   #18david plese please instruct me in moral principles ? 16:05  |  victor hardman 20/07/07
  50.   deception 16:14  |  christoph 20/07/07
  51.   We are talking about land... 16:15  |  Avi Yerushlmi 20/07/07
  52.   To DR David Gross 16:21  |  Nahman Umani 20/07/07
  53.   Knesset "forgets" there is a Jewish state already 16:23  |  Tosefta 20/07/07
  54.   JNF is JEWISH donors money 16:25  |  Manny 20/07/07
  55.   #32 16:26  |  Bruno 20/07/07
  56.   Silly liberals from Haaretz 16:26  |  Gene 20/07/07
  57.   dr. fisher you obviously have never been to israel 16:29  |  ash 20/07/07
  58.   #16 Fisher 16:37  |  Sol 20/07/07
  59.   racist state 16:39  |  bear 20/07/07
  60.   American Jewish racists out in force 16:39  |  Mitch Cohen 20/07/07
  61.   This is not Okay 16:40  |  Danite 20/07/07
  62.   Self-Preservation Trumps Egalitarianism 16:42  |  Tod Zuckerman 20/07/07
  63.   Not okay #2 16:45  |  Danite 20/07/07
  64.   ABOUT TIME! Only Jews should own land in Israel. 16:48  |  Miriam 20/07/07
  65.   It is a BILL, not a LAW 16:51  |  Jake 20/07/07
  66.   Time to Liquidate the Jewish National Fund 16:55  |  Johnny Weintraub 20/07/07
  67.   21 Curious 16:57  |  17 20/07/07
  68.   Nanette #4 17:00  |  Polybios 20/07/07
  69.   #18 David James Vickery 17:01  |  Sol 20/07/07
  70.   This editorial is cheap and anti-democratic 17:02  |  Jake 20/07/07
  71.   Jews banned from buying ANY land in Jordan 17:03  |  Polybios 20/07/07
  72.   Josh Goldman aka Muslim person 17:04  |  A real jew! 20/07/07
  73.   JNF NOT TAX EXEMPT 17:05  |  VERITAS 20/07/07
  74.   Reply to Dr. Fisher (Post No. 19) 17:06  |  Johnny Weintraub 20/07/07
  75.   #21 Yaacov; speak in your own name! 17:07  |  Alicia 20/07/07
  76.   #25 Binyamin 17:11  |  Sol 20/07/07
  77.   Jew Against Israel 17:15  |  Matthew 20/07/07
  78.   Avi Yerushalmi as Ahab #43 17:16  |  Yaakov Sullivan 20/07/07
  79.   Dr. Fisher`s racial polemics 17:16  |  Jake 20/07/07
  80.   All people know that Israel is racist, not all can admit it 17:19  |  Natallie Durson 20/07/07
  81.   JIA and his defences and fences #47 17:20  |  Yaakov Sullivan 20/07/07
  82.   naivete 17:20  |  michael cohen 20/07/07
  83.   Avi # 43 17:24  |  Av Yerushalmi 20/07/07
  84.   Just curious about one thing 17:25  |  Jacob Blues 20/07/07
  85.   Zionism Equals Racism?? 17:30  |  Simcha 20/07/07
  86.   Josh Goldman, you are only lying to yourself 17:31  |  Jake 20/07/07
  87.   The conflict betw. good intentions and reality 17:39  |  Alicia 20/07/07
  88.   "A Wild Stallion", no less, mind you!! #72 17:43  |  Yaakov Sullivan 20/07/07
  89.   The Editorial and the democratic Jewish State 17:48  |  Hana M 20/07/07
  90.   #20 Hastaroth - Let`s rephrase 17:51  |  Just Curious 20/07/07
  91.   #31 GOLLY, OUCH!! David 17:53  |  ballistic 20/07/07
  92.   Dear Alicia (and others): Think for a moment: 17:56  |  Jozef 20/07/07
  93.   Jacob Blues on Jews in Arab Countires #84 17:57  |  Yaakov Sullivan 20/07/07
  94.   "56" Gene 18:00  |  Labhras 20/07/07
  95.   A racist Jewish state 18:01  |  Hannah 20/07/07
  96.   Racist State 18:01  |  Observer 20/07/07
  97.   #64 Miriam 18:03  |  Just Curious 20/07/07
  98.   "59" bear 18:05  |  Labhras 20/07/07
  99.   `88" Hana M 18:09  |  Labhras 20/07/07
  100.   It`s like saying I have a right to be a millioniare 18:12  |  Tim 20/07/07
  101.   HALACHIC STATE ISN`T RACIST:HOLYLAND BELONGS TO ISRAELITES.PERIOD 18:15  |  VOICE of MOSHIACH))) 20/07/07
  102.   # 11 This is a good reason to believe in Zionism 18:19  |  Mansour 20/07/07
  103.   racist act, but hardly the first 18:19  |  Jeff 20/07/07
  104.   `87` Alicia. 18:24  |  Labhras 20/07/07
  105.   "84" Jacobs blues Promotes crime 18:29  |  Labhras 20/07/07
  106.   To Brant and other defenders of the law 18:30  |  Otto Rand 20/07/07
  107.   Knesset is REALISTIC 18:36  |  rich 20/07/07
  108.   D You Feel The EXISTENCE of Israel Is Racist Too? 18:38  |  Ben 20/07/07
  109.   So many apologetics (Jake #70) 18:39  |  Tosefta 20/07/07
  110.   Israel is now `Arab` 18:42  |  Omar 20/07/07
  111.   To Brad and other defenders of the JNF law 18:43  |  Otto Rand 20/07/07
  112.   #92 - Jozef: It would be called anti-semtism 18:44  |  Galit 20/07/07
  113.   To Danite #61 18:49  |  Otto Rand 20/07/07
  114.   Right Of Return 18:51  |  Rachel C. 20/07/07
  115.   More than a Racist state --see URL 18:52  |  Dutch 20/07/07
  116.   To Polybios #71 18:52  |  Otto Rand 20/07/07
  117.   #96 Observer: Israel is indeed a multi cultural country 18:57  |  Ronen 20/07/07
  118.   Otto Rand racist and ignorant 19:01  |  Steven 20/07/07
  119.   To Tod Zuckerman, San Francisco 19:01  |  Otto Rand 20/07/07
  120.   Otto Rand #104 19:03  |  Gee 20/07/07
  121.   More to Otto 19:06  |  Steven 20/07/07
  122.   Dead end Zionism 19:08  |  Ronen 20/07/07
  123.   #71 Polybius, did you just wake up? 19:14  |  Tosefta 20/07/07
  124.   To Ben #108 19:17  |  Otto Rand 20/07/07
  125.   I donate $ to JNF to help fellow Jews 19:20  |  American Jew 20/07/07
  126.   #110 Omar: Israel-defenders? 19:29  |  Ronen 20/07/07
  127.   Long Term Survival 19:29  |  Double Click 20/07/07
  128.   Jewish land in Jordan 19:31  |  Omar 20/07/07
  129.   RACIST OR PARTICULARIST? 19:33  |  JOJO 20/07/07
  130.   Racism, apartheid, Israel`s image bla bla bla 19:35  |  Paul Henzen 20/07/07
  131.   Jewish land for Jews 19:35  |  Eric Mahr 20/07/07
  132.   Ronen #126 (unless your post shifts) 19:36  |  Omar 20/07/07
  133.   More amterial for the UNGA to enable it to Suspend Israel. 19:37  |  Labhras 20/07/07
  134.   a racsist jewish state 19:38  |  me 20/07/07
  135.   Israeli leftists are worst racists 19:41  |  a Jew 20/07/07
  136.   Answer to Hastaroth 19:42  |  Lolita Zamir 20/07/07
  137.   Racist JNF law 19:45  |  Ronen 20/07/07
  138.   Response to Otto Rand 19:46  |  Tod Zuckerman 20/07/07
  139.   OK Return all My Money 19:48  |  ralphsrant1 20/07/07
  140.   American Jew - blissful ignorance 19:49  |  Josh Goldman 20/07/07
  141.   Tosefta, #109 19:52  |  Jake 20/07/07
  142.   A simple solution...... 19:53  |  tadchase 20/07/07
  143.   JNF $ is for Jews 19:54  |  Jeff 20/07/07
  144.   Definition and purpose of Israel 19:58  |  Oleg 20/07/07
  145.   Tosefta - is it true or not? 19:58  |  Polybios 20/07/07
  146.   No Otto, we don`t 20:03  |  Polybios 20/07/07
  147.   #125 American Jew: Helping your people 20:03  |  Ronen 20/07/07
  148.   21 Do you agree that Jews & Christians should have land in Mecca 20:06  |  Nannette 20/07/07
  149.   35. JNF was buying land since 1901. No JNF land was stolen! 20:08  |  Nannette 20/07/07
  150.   Ronen 20:10  |  rich 20/07/07
  151.   Jeff, the pity is that you dont see the inherent injustice 20:10  |  Yaakov Sullivan 20/07/07
  152.   nanette jews and Christians are not to purchase land in Mecca 20:24  |  Yaakov Sullivan 20/07/07
  153.   #144 Oleg: Another definition 20:27  |  Ronen 20/07/07
  154.   Face it: Israel has always been a racist state 20:27  |  peacelover 20/07/07
  155.   Outsider`s opinion 20:31  |  Jose 20/07/07
  156.   Help me out please 20:33  |  The Cuke 20/07/07
  157.   #146 Polybiased: "Arabs can buy land in many parts of Israel" 20:36  |  Ronen 20/07/07
  158.   Try working with reality for once Yaacov 20:43  |  Jacob Blues 20/07/07
  159.   152 Of course non-Jews can buy land and property in Israel! 20:44  |  Nannette 20/07/07
  160.   A racist Jewish state 20:48  |  S. Johnen 20/07/07
  161.   Promoting Crime Labhras? All I did was ask a question 20:49  |  Jacob Blues 20/07/07
  162.   Bravo Ha`aretz! 20:49  |  American Jew 20/07/07
  163.   Nahman Umani 20:52  |  Dr David I. Gross 20/07/07
  164.   Get terms correct...(pat 1) 20:55  |  Michael Greenberg 20/07/07
  165.   great that is the way to go 21:03  |  Joseph 20/07/07
  166.   racist 21:04  |  Ytzhak 20/07/07
  167.   #150 Rich: about the "others" 21:06  |  Ronen 20/07/07
  168.   Ronen debunks his own argument 21:10  |  Jake 20/07/07
  169.   Ronen 21:17  |  Polybios 20/07/07
  170.   No doubt now 21:20  |  Janice 20/07/07
  171.   under any other name 21:22  |  Billy Jack 20/07/07
  172.   #14 to VOICE OF MOSHIACH))) 21:23  |  Janice 20/07/07
  173.   #19 - Dr. FIsher 21:28  |  Janice 20/07/07
  174.   JNF (Jake #141) 21:29  |  Tosefta 20/07/07
  175.   Get terms correct (Part 2) 21:31  |  Michael Greenberg 20/07/07
  176.   Jordan vs. Israel (Polybius #145) 21:40  |  Tosefta 20/07/07
  177.   Spare me the whining 21:41  |  Abba 20/07/07
  178.   Jacob Blues on land/property rights #158 21:49  |  Yaakov Sullivan 20/07/07
  179.   Nanette, she would were she an Arab 21:53  |  Yaakov Sullivan 20/07/07
  180.   great editorial -even Jabotinsky would agree 22:01  |  avramele 20/07/07
  181.   Stolen Land 22:10  |  Serenity 20/07/07
  182.   redeeming land 22:10  |  puzzled 20/07/07
  183.   so be it 22:24  |  Joseph 20/07/07
  184.   Serenity, if you don`t like the comments here... 22:31  |  Jake 20/07/07
  185.   Steven the Money Can be Given to Jews 22:31  |  Bernie 20/07/07
  186.   Kate, Haaretz reduces AntiSemitism 22:36  |  Bernie 20/07/07
  187.   #180 avi quotes apples and spells oranges 22:38  |  victor hardman
  188.