Interior Minister seeks to strip Israeli Arab MK of citizenship

Running a military blockade is considered a military act. The blockade was put in place by people concerned about Israel's security; it is not much of a stretch to say that trying to damage the blockade by busting through it is an act of war against Israel's military efforts. Here in the U.S., we have Congressmen who have disagreed with the decision to go to war in Iraq. To the best of my knowledge, none of those dissenting Congressmen have traveled to Iraq to actively sabotage the U.S. military effort there.

In any democratic country worth of this qualifier, an act of protest of a citizen against his/her own country is not consider treason, but a right to dissent with her/his government's position. Would Eli Yishai and his likes strip of citizenship to Gideon Levy for his criticism, or is that consider fair criticism from a fellow citizen? The knesset member should learn the meaning of democracy before accepting his position or before claiming his participation in a democratic state.

After all, he was one of the seven drawfs who approved this operation, which makes this woman look like snow white by comparison. After all, SHE didn't order Israeli soldiers to risk their lives so that the drawfs could strutt around with puffed-out chests. Yishai is, sure, but she didn't.

Let's say that you strip the citizenship of this fellow who presently happens to be a legitimate citizen. Then of which country is he a citizen? This makes no sense. If he broke laws then punish him according to law. If his so-called offense is that he spoke out and said things that people don't like, well too bad. People should be allowed to say what they want. If you don't like it you oppose that speech with speech of your own.

I think Hanin Zuabi would feel more comfortable in the Hamas gov't of Mashaal and his cronies.

stateless?

Next election will you revoke the citizenship of all Israelis who voted for a losing candidate?

Wow - I am so impressed with the courage of this woman. I thank god people like her exist!

There must be no place for such abhorrence there .

The law of contact with an enemy must be enforced as it is done in any other country . Her presents on that ship , which clearly violated the law which she suppose to uphold , is enough reason for prosecution .

If you're a member of Congress or Parliament in ANY country and you undermine the country's security through your actions, of course, you get stripped off your immunity and you may even get jail time. And if she is a Palestinian national living in Israel, it's only natural her citizenship should be revoked. When you're not a national of a country, you gain citizenship by pledging allegiance to that country, not by getting involved in actions that kill its soldiers!

Throw them all out into Gaza . No other country in the world is so tolerant to the enemy within as Israel is . In any normal country colluding with an enemy a legislator will be persecuted . In Israel they get a Knesset seat . This is an insanity.

Mr. Yishai has a very strange definition of terrorism. Attacking a combat-ready commando with a club, dagger or slingshot may be violent, but doesn't quite fall into the same category as blowing up a crowded bus full of unarmed civilians. We should also note that Ms Zuabi did not head the group that bundled the hapless commandos into the hold of the ship. That is a false accusation which would normally be libellous were Mr Yishai himself not cowering behind his own parliamentary immunity. Shrill and hysterical allegations like this are doing enormous harm outside Israel.

She should be the only 1 of the "activists" who makes it to Gaza. The Navy should drop her on the shores of Gaza and never allow her back.

This mad dog has got democracy all wrong. Upside down so to speak. Like Alice in Wonderland he wants to control the composition of people by selecting those he agrees with, while (most forms of secular) democracy is people chosing those they agree with. He doesn't know neither appreciate the power of disagreement in a ever moving democratic society. He actually doesn't know what it entails...?! Amazing. I'd venture a guess, that he would propably dismantle democracy the first chance he'll get. No need to let the millions of disagreeing people decide what he doesn't want. The Seven Idiots are so stupid you'd think the opposition had chosen them in the first place. They opposition can just sit down, fold their hands, and await until Bibi's next sociopatic stunt.

How about revoking our minister and his bunch

It is obviouos that she does not place Israels security first and foremost. As a Knesset member, to watch the country's young soldiers going through this ordeal she openly is involved with, instead of leveraging her Knesset connections! What kind of leader is she? What kind of example is she setting? She is nothing short of a traitor to Israel.

Living in a multi-racial, multi-cultural country country like New Zealand we have a different attitude to Israelis of this type; we may not like it, but we have to respect other people''s views, but they similarly have to respect ours. That is why Jews and Arabs can live peacably side by side - we insist on it, it is written into our laws, and racist comments like these would be stamped on quickly, and an apology demanded by the Speaker of the House. It is a good way to be!!

After Ovadia Yossef who came straight from the Middle ages, Arieh Dery the corrupt religious, Shlomo Benizri who wants homosexuals to be sent to psychiaitric hospitals, the last clown they found was Eli Yishai. Rather than staying in politics, the Shass should perform on stage. They remind me Dr Strangelove, but it's not a film, they're really part of the government! Once you see that, you realize that everything is possible. Maybe there is a God out there who wants us to have some fun with these jerks!

enough said. disagree with the policy and get kicked out. MAybe Yishai should leave.

Correct me if I am wrong, but no country may revoke citizenship to a person that was born in that country. That is unless said person relinquishes citizenship in question of her/his own volition(by taking another for instance). That rule applies to all countries in Europe and North America. I thought that was the case in the whole world, but now I am not so certain. If she was born in Israel, and her citizenship becomes void won't she become a person without country? How is it that Israeli citizens must fear for their citizenship, and that anyone - at a whim - may take it from them? If she broke the law put her in front of a court. You can't expel your citizens. It is against the law. But this is Israel we are taking about...

1 state for normal israelis 1 state for the normal palestinians and 1 state which includes the violent palestinians and israel's whacko righties...

Revoking this MK's citizenship only will serve to bolster the fantasy of the settler fanatics and will further endanger Israel's survival.

Send her to Gaza...

Israel tried to stop an iceberg at the price of sinking its own ship. Better change the crew if you want to reach safe harbour ( or be drown with it).

This is absolutely ridiculous! Why would an israeli MK be on a boat full of terrorists? This was a boat which carried relief supplies, men, women, children and even a small baby (3 months old). All this to promote basic human rights in Gaza. Most obvious of these are article 13: Article 13. (1) Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each state. (2) Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country. To harrass the MK in such a way only shows that the government is in a serious crisis. Only desperate persons starts cencorship like this (A government based on fear, not ethics). Israel is not helping itself with this policy.

If Israel considers itself a full democracy, Israel state representative should allow people from all obedience to express their beliefs including their disagreement on the blockade of Gaza. A parliament by essence should not be representing only the interest of the governement but all the population of Israel being Jewish, Arabs and Christians. Same god after all...

The 2nd one is either much better (and truely democratic) or there wasn't one at all. Let's see if Carter was right about Israel.

Sounds wierd. Why would any democratic system want to grant immunity to it's legistlators of all people?

Why not send her and her family to live with her brethern in Gaza? I am sure they would love to have her.Besides why waste any more of our hard owned salaries to pay taxes to keep her breathing? And as to treason if they can condem people to death in many enlightened nations why should we stop from doing it?

isn't it humiliating for an israeli elite commando to be attacked by civilians with such ridiculous weapons? why is it that they insist saying that they were attacked. weren't the commandos who stormed a passenger ship in international waters? if it is they that stormed and attacked the ship, how come that they now say it was the passengers that attacked them? it's a cowardly excuse for a humiliating military action badly planned and miserably executed. once again.

Mr. Yishai , how about striping you of your citizenship instead?

MKs no longer able to protest against right-wing policies. This country is going down!

Israel has been hijacked by right-wing anti-democratic forces that fear nothing more than a legitimate civilian protest against oppression and occupation.

That's nonsense. Who "gave" it to her, then? When is a person becoming Israeli? What would he be if he did not "recieve" citizenship?

I also support the humanitarian aid delivery to Gaza! Don't forget to revoke my citizenship too. Shoudn't be too difficult, I don't have immunity but I'm Jewish.

Israel style. Vast majority of protesters were peaceful. Writing the whole lot off as terrorists is pathetic.

So much for Israel being a democracy...

Don't strip her of her Israeli citizenship, just cancel her parliamentary status, and send her to live in Gaza for ever. As for Interior Minister Eli Yshay, let him retire to the top of some high mountain, where he will be able to think and do nothing. Everybody will be happy.

I think Eli Yishai you are the traitor. If Hanin's experession of her opinion or soldarity for freedom of an occupied people is treason, then you certainly need a lesson in democracy. Of course, you really don't care about decomcracy. You just want to make noise.

Eli Yishai is a ray of light in the darkness of the political and army leadership of Israel. Like David who’s lack of military experience before facing Goliath did not prevent him from doing the right thing. Barak, Dagan, Netanyahu, Ashkenzi and the paintball navy chief are not Alufei Israel but rather Aluvei Israel. Yishai not only carry the name of David (David ben Yishai) but act as the modern David and for that he should be publicly commended. Hazak ve Ematz Yishai. Your call and actions did not and do not go unnoticed.

Definate revoke ... TRAITOR ... Causing ISRAEL such SHAME...

Really? Revoking citizenship because over a disagreement? That's one of the least democratic things I've ever heard of. Yes, let's kill all discussion immediately. Send the people who disagree with the party line away. Absolutely ridiculous.

That Israel has arab representation in its government when it is largely at war with the arab world is the true sign of democracy--the only one in the region. That said, kick her butt the heck out. Let her ride in the back in saudi arabia if she's so unhappy with life in Israel.

Elie Yishai should shut up and make himself invisible - as an addition to his all previous feats he is one the Seven Idiots, who brought the current disaster upon Israel.

Punishing this woman will only keep the drama of the flotilla deaths in the media for longer. Don't these people ever learn?

By not informing parliament (Knesset) that the terrorists were preparing to ambush the Israeli soldiers, she along with all other Israeli's on board are possibly guilty of TREASON! If she was born in Israel, then revoking citizenship only of Arab traitors and not Jewish traitors may be construed as bigotry.

IF she was a citizen of an arab state and found on a boat bringing genuine humanitarian aid to Israel, she would be executed. she is abusing the democratic rights of being an Israeli citizen!

She serves in the Israeli parliament yet her first loyaty is not to Israel its to Israels enemies. We should take her citizenship and then send her to Gaza which is where she wanted to go to and then we leave her there. She would probably fit in well as a member of the Hamas government.

it is getting even worse, why not strip rightaway all non-jewish Israeli from their nationalty?