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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