Haaretz Editorial:

Supreme Court Justice Salim Joubran has the right not to sing the national anthem, “Hatikva.” The law doesn’t oblige him to do so, and the song’s lyrics don’t enable him to do so.

Translation: In the Jewish heart A Jewish spirit still sings, And the eyes look east Toward Zion Our hope is not lost, Our hope of two thousand years, To be a free nation in our land, In the land of Zion and Jerusalem

As a loyal citizen of his country, the justice did not want to betray his conscience during the new Supreme Court president’s inauguration by singing a song whose words are alien to every Arab citizen of Israel. And the uproar that erupted following Joubran’s refusal damaged the delicate fabric of Israeli democracy far more than his silence did.

Against the background of the chorus of denunciations from the right, the position taken by Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin and Vice Prime Minister Moshe Ya’alon, both of whom came to Joubran’s defense, was particularly noteworthy. They deserve high praise for this. Read more