Growing Israeli trend towards anti-democratic legislation, PAJU (Palestinian and Jewish Unity) # 474, March 12, 2010
Leaders of the Arab minority in Israel warned this week that they were facing an unprecedented campaign of persecution designed to stop their political activities. The campaign is backed by the right-wing government of Benjamin Netanyahu.
The warning came after Said Nafaa, a Druze member of the Israeli parliament, was stripped of his immunity last week, clearing the way for him to be tried because of a visit to Syria three years ago. Syria is considered an enemy state.
In recent weeks legal sanctions have been invoked against two other Arab political leaders following clashes with Israeli security forces at demonstrations against the Israel’s 43 year old illegal occupation of Palestinian land. Pressure is growing for two more MPs to be investigated.
Arab politicians are particularly concerned about a bill introduced last month requiring all parliamentary candidates to swear loyalty to Israel as a Jewish state. If passed, the seats of the 10 Arab MPs belonging to non-Zionist parties in the 120-member Knesset (the Israeli Parliament) would be under threat.
Jamal Zahalka, one of those MPs, said: “Every week either the Knesset or the government try to impose new restrictions on our activities and freedom of speech. There is a growing trend towards anti-democratic legislation.”
Mr Nafaa, the latest target for legal action, was stripped of his parliamentary immunity by a Knesset committee dominated by the right wing. Keeping his immunity was his only hope of avoiding a trial after he was indicted by the attorney general in December over a visit he organized in 2007 to Syria. Arab MP Afou Aghbaria called the case political persecution and asked the committee: “Do you think he organized an espionage trip with 280 people?”
Legislation has already been initiated that would require MPs to swear allegiance to Israel as a “Jewish, Zionist and democratic state”. Currently the pledge refers only to loyalty to “the state of Israel”.
Just imagine the uproar if Jewish politicians in America were required to swear loyalty to the United States as an explicitly “Christian country”!
Adapted from “Arab politicians ‘facing increased persecution’ in Israel”, written by Jonathan Cook, published on line by The National, February 2. 2010. See: www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100202/FOREIGN/702019838
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