Knesset committee chair: Constitution likely to hurt minority rights - Haaretz

Subscribe to Print Edition

Sun., October 21, 2007 ,

Israel Time: 17:27 (EST+7)

web haaretz.com

Back to Homepage

Print Edition

Diplomacy

Defense

Arts & Leisure

Real Estate

Jewish World

National

Advertising

Magazine

Week's End

Business

Opinion

Rosner's Domain

Anglo File

Books

Travel

del.icio.us

Digg It! new

Last update - 17:23 21/10/2007

Knesset committee chair: Constitution likely to hurt minority rights

By Yuval Yoaz, Haaretz Correspondent

The constitution currently being drafted by a Knesset committee is not likely to safeguard the rights of homosexuals and other minority groups, Constitution, Law and Justice Committee Chairman MK Menachem Ben-Sasson told the Israel Bar Association last week.

Ben-Sasson's surprising comments were made in response to a query by the association's chairman, Amos Van-Amden, who is a homosexual.

	Advertisement

Ben-Sasson confirmed that in order to reach a political compromise which would allow the ratification of a constitution, it would in fact have to come at the expense of minority rights, such as those of the homosexual and lesbian community.

Van-Amden had asked Ben-Sasson: "I belong to a minority, the gay and lesbian minority, and the constitution and the Supreme Court are classically supposed to defend obvious minorities - those that will remain minorities forever. Won't the developing constitution bring us to a status of "oil on the wheels of revolution", or scattered shrapnel on the battlefield for the sake of the biggest historical compromise?"

Ben-Sasson replied: "The answer is yes. The readiness of a large Knesset majority to establish a constitution today, will certainly come at the expense of those who have seek the aid of courts [to defend their rights]."

"When a constitution is made sixty years after the establishment of the state, it strongly reflects the status-quo, and in the status-quo these minorities - liberals, religious minorities, and national minorities - feel better in a court. And as a result of this, I fear they will feel less good with the constitution.

Constitutions in democracies are generally meant to protect minority rights by anchoring them into the law, so that they can be implemented by a court and prevent abuse by political majorities

Bookmark to del.icio.us


	Administrative orphans
	Six Hebron children, whose parents were arrested, were left with their grandmother.


	Change the past
	Father of Jewish psychology suggests avoiding picking away at the scars of the past.

Today Online


	Britain's chief rabbi: Multiculturalism is threat to democracy
	Responses: 94


	PM: Annapolis summit will not bring historic breakthrough
	Responses: 77


	Gideon Levy: The time has come for Israel to give up on Ron Arad
	Responses: 39


	Prince Hassan of Jordan: Muslims must differentiate between Israeli action, Jews
	Responses: 21


	Former Hamas spokesman blasts takeover of Gaza Strip
	Responses: 26

Rosner's Domain

* Jumblatt to Bush: Send car bombs to Damascus

* Israel's fear: Will Rice put a bridging proposal on the table?

* WTR: 75% of Americans don't believe in peace process

* Guest: Should the Saudis attend Annapolis?

More Headlines
17:26 PM: Israel won't ignore Fatah plot to attack my convoy


13:05 Report: Lebanese Druze leader to seek Barak's help in toppling Syria gov't


16:53 Iraq leader orders Kurdish rebels to disarm after deadly strike


16:02 5 Haredi men beat woman who refused to move to back of bus


15:25 U.K. chief rabbi: Multiculturalism is a threat to liberal democracy


16:51 PM: Annapolis conference will not bring historic breakthrough


14:03 Livni to appoint Druze MK Whbee as deputy foreign minister


09:50 Ya'alon: British Gas natural gas deal in Gaza will finance terror


17:23 Knesset committee chair: Constitution likely to hurt minority rights