Don't Amend Israel's Nation-State Law. Repeal It - Haaretz Editorial
By: Haaretz Editorial (Haaretz. com)
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Don’t Amend Israel's Nation-State Law. Repeal It
The Basic Law on Israel as the Nation-State of the Jewish People is a bad law. Its passage in 2018 augured the advent of the putrid anti-democratic wave that has been flooding us since. This is the same wave that gave rise to the most nationalist and racist government in Israel’s history, headed by Benjamin Netanyahu in partnership with the radical right.
This same government has led an attempted regime coup, seeking to undermine Israel’s democratic foundations. The regime coup sought to give the coalition unlimited power to cement Jewish supremacy and Arab inferiority, among other aims, having anchored them in the Nation-State Law.
Had it succeeded, the Nation-State Law would have changed from a merely declarative law, as it was depicted upon passage, into the legislative anchor of a long list of anti-democratic laws, first and foremost against the Arab minority. The government that oversaw the dismantling of the state and society wouldn’t cease its destructive efforts, not even in light of warnings about the threat to national security.
Following the falling of Druze soldiers in the war in Gaza, which highlighted the wrong done to Israel’s Druze citizens by the Nation-State Law, some in the coalition are promoting a Basic Law to enshrine the “important status of the Druze sect.” Other voices promote attempts to “amend” the Nation-State Law so it will benefit the sect’s members.
These attempts are to be rejected completely. These are crooked attempts to translate the “blood pact” into a (relatively) equitable civic status, in keeping with the anti-democratic equation which holds that civic status is a prize bestowed by the state upon those who have passed a loyalty test. In contrast, equal citizenship is a hallmark of democracy. Not only to those who serve in the IDF. Not only to this group or that, as a reward for good behavior,.
In addition, the Hamas attack did not spare Arab citizens of Israel. Since October 7, we have been overwhelmed with stories revealing the solidarity between all parts of society, and the bravery and sacrifice displayed by so many. The pan-Israeli unity revealed on that horrific Saturday, which has remained, essential not only to win the war, but for an Israeli revival.
The Nation-State Law undermines Israeli unity, since it marks out equality as an enemy. In so doing, it endangers Israeli society and the state’s future. The Israel of the Nation-State Law is a state that excludes and alienates minorities, contrary to the spirit of the Declaration of Independence. This is not only anti-democratic, but also dangerous.
The Nation-State Law cannot be amended. It must be stricken from Israel’s laws. This would be the start of the restoration of the Israeli parliament, and the start of healing society as a whole. And yes, particularly now.
The above article is Haaretz’s lead editorial, as published in the Hebrew and English newspapers in Israel.
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The Israeli Nation State Law picks and chooses who within Israel are worthy of being citizens, based on religion and ethnicity. Of course it is antithetical to the US Declaration of Independence.