(Reuters) Israel’s president has said a bill promoted by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that would anchor in law the status of Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish people runs counter to its founding fathers’ vision of equality for Arab citizens.
Israel’s President Reuven Rivlin
The bill comes at a time of high tensions in Israel, the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem, where a dispute over access to a religious site sacred to Jews and Muslims alike has ignited Palestinian streets protests and lethal attacks on Jews.
“The formulators of the (Israeli) Declaration of Independence, with much wisdom, insisted the Arab communities in Israel, as well as other groups, should not feel as the Jews had felt in exile,” President said in a speech on Tuesday.
Categories: Arab World, Asia, Israel, Middle East, Secularism, Separation of Church and State
For the Muslim Times’ collection on Separation of Synagogue-Mosque-Church and State, please click here.
The UN General Assembly Resolution 181 on the partition of Palestine made for a Jewish state. Why is Israel being criticized for following the resolution? If Israel is condemned for calling itself after a race or religion, then other countries which have done the same thing should be the first to be so treated. There are islamic republics of Iran and Pakistan and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan among others.
The African Union, European Union, Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Conference should all be condemned for racism or religious bigotry.
It is very easy to pick on Israel while turning a blind eye to worse things done by others.
Clearly, the fuss is unnecessary.
Er Namelee, you clearly do not understand the working of this bill. those countries you mention do not explicitly state that one race or religion has the right of return over another. This bill ensures , among other things, that the palestinians, native citizens of Israel will definitely never have the right of return and are officially second class citizens, Arabic will no longer be the second language of Israel, and it undermines democracy in general. First, befor eyou comment, read the bill. The president of Israel is a right wing zionist, who is against the two state solution and believes Israel is the Jewish homeland, yet even HE is critisizing it, and even HE said it is time to honestly admit that Israeli society is sick with racism.’
Well said Ms. Haniya Khalid!