Israel’s government wants a controversial law that would deny equality to Arabs - Polidicks

[t]http://cdn.static-economist.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/full-width/images/print-edition/20141129_MAD001_0.jpg[/t] [url]http://www.economist.com/news/middle-east-and-africa/21635064-government-wants-controversial-law-would-deny-equality-arabs-how?fsrc=scn/tw/te/pe/howjewishastate[/url] [QUOTE] A bill approved by the cabinet on November 23rd, and sent to the Knesset, seeks to define Israel as the “national state of the Jewish people”, enhance the role of traditional Jewish law (which gives Jews preferential rights) in Israeli legislation and limit rights for non-Jewish citizens to “individual rights according to the law” (thus denying Arabs “national” rights as a minority). Critics accuse Mr Netanyahu of playing politics and trying to woo hard-right members of his Likud party as he seeks re-election in primaries in January. And he is also keeping one eye on the prospect of an early election, as his coalition fractures. Human-rights groups warn that, without an express right to equality and the inclusion of international law as a source of inspiration for legislation alongside Jewish law, they will be powerless to challenge traditional interpretations that discriminate against non-Jews, women and homosexuals in the Supreme Court. Liberal Jews fear that embedding Jewish law in legislation would speed Israel’s transformation into another Middle Eastern religious state. What Jewish law are they talking about, asks one liberal activist: the law to love one’s neighbour as oneself or to execute homosexuals? For their part, some orthodox Jews worry that the bill reduces religion to nationalism. The bill’s veneration of symbols like the flag and the anthem is “idol-worship”, wrote a rabbi. Shabtai Shavit, a former chief of the Mossad spy agency, wrote that the zeal for Jewish nationalism could yet destroy Zionism: “The nation of Israel is galloping blindly in a time tunnel to the age of Bar Kochba and his war on the Roman Empire.” The zealots’ failure, he noted, led to 2,000 years of Jewish exile.[/QUOTE]

Now why does this seem bone-chillingly familiar...?

Israel has too discovered a time machine to the past?

[quote]Israel’s government wants a controversial law that would deny equality to Arabs[/quote] Couldn't this be the title for most threads relating to Israeli politics in the last couple years?

The following list is all the people who were shocked to hear this news:

Israel needs a new government.

[QUOTE]But the new legislation goes further. Israel’s independence declaration pledged to “ensure complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants”. In the various drafts approved by the cabinet, with a 14-6 majority, the word “equality” was omitted and democracy placed second to Jewishness. Arabic was demoted from its status as an official language, alongside Hebrew.[/QUOTE] Oh no, Arabic isn't an official language anymore? It's like getting upset over Spanish not being an official language of the United States. OP makes it sound as if Arabs are being thrown into shekel-grinders by Jew Hitler.

[QUOTE=Monkah;46615859]Oh no, Arabic isn't an official language anymore? It's like getting upset over Spanish not being an official language of the United States. OP makes it sound as if Arabs are being thrown into shekel-grinders by Jew Hitler.[/QUOTE] considering that the "one-state solution" is technically part of the peace discussions, this is quite the dickish move.

If any of you actually read the source, they dropped Hebrew too.

The amount of Muslim haters on this forum is tremendously alarming

[QUOTE=Monkah;46615859]Oh no, Arabic isn't an official language anymore? It's like getting upset over Spanish not being an official language of the United States.[/QUOTE] not really since we have no official language?

[QUOTE=fruxodaily;46616527]The amount of Muslim haters on this forum is tremendously alarming[/QUOTE] It's at least interesting to see them pitted directly against the anti-Semites.

[QUOTE=fruxodaily;46616527]The amount of Muslim haters on this forum is tremendously alarming[/QUOTE] Uh, yeah, but where in this thread has that been brought up.

[QUOTE=Monkah;46615859]Oh no, Arabic isn't an official language anymore? It's like getting upset over Spanish not being an official language of the United States. OP makes it sound as if Arabs are being thrown into shekel-grinders by Jew Hitler.[/QUOTE] Arab workers and Arab Jews at one point made an enormous portion of people in Israel? Israel embarked on population exchanges to fill the country with Arabic-speaking Jews? It lies in the center of an Arabic-speaking region? Hebrew spoken in Israel is a semi-constructed language implemented late in Israel's short history as a means of establishing national culture? Most Israelis spoke Polish, Russian, etc for the majority of its history? You don't see the hypocrisy?

[QUOTE=ImperialGuard;46616588]Uh, yeah, but where in this thread has that been brought up.[/QUOTE] maybe the winner ratings?

[QUOTE=fruxodaily;46616869]maybe the winner ratings?[/QUOTE] Maybe they're rating it winner because they also knocked off Hebrew? This isn't Arab centered at all, the title is just incredibly biased.

[QUOTE=Kommodore;46616635]Arab workers and Arab Jews at one point made an enormous portion of people in Israel? Israel embarked on population exchanges to fill the country with Arabic-speaking Jews? It lies in the center of an Arabic-speaking region? Hebrew spoken in Israel is a semi-constructed language implemented late in Israel's short history as a means of establishing national culture? Most Israelis spoke Polish, Russian, etc for the majority of its history? You don't see the hypocrisy?[/QUOTE] [QUOTE]Arabic was demoted from its status as an official language, alongside Hebrew.[/QUOTE] Can we just ban everyone who didn't bother reading the article?

fyi you misread the sentence and you're literally telling me to see your error

-ayy-

[QUOTE=ImperialGuard;46617008]Maybe they're rating it winner because they also knocked off Hebrew? This isn't Arab centered at all, the title is just incredibly biased.[/QUOTE] ROFL I hope you truly don't believe that. I fucking recognize every single name there and they vote the same on all issues that suppresses Arabs or Muslims. OY VEY GOYS! Edit: like seriously, fuck just stop pretending. If you hate arabs and muslims just say it, stop being fucking passive about it and try to explain away these Winner ratings like is always done when being called out.

[QUOTE=Swebonny;46617998]ROFL I hope you truly don't believe that. I fucking recognize every single name there and they vote the same on all issues that suppresses Arabs or Muslims. OY VEY GOYS! Edit: like seriously, fuck just stop pretending. If you hate arabs and muslims just say it, stop being fucking passive about it and try to explain away these Winner ratings like is always done when being called out.[/QUOTE]"called out" Israel no longer has a national language. Arabic is no longer an official language, Hebrew is no longer an official language, What exactly are we calling out here? Can you tell me how this is discriminatory, like, at all?

[QUOTE=Swebonny;46617998]ROFL I hope you truly don't believe that. I fucking recognize every single name there and they vote the same on all issues that suppresses Arabs or Muslims. OY VEY GOYS! Edit: like seriously, fuck just stop pretending. If you hate arabs and muslims just say it, stop being fucking passive about it and try to explain away these Winner ratings like is always done when being called out.[/QUOTE] So, I guess it's time for another reality check. The article in the OP is from November 29th. The national home bill as detailed in the article was penned by the governments hard right elements, and was met with opposition from within the government, from the opposition and from the president. So while the cabinet approved the law (which only means it past the first step toward being approved as a law, and now must survive the Knesset voting on it), the prime minister was to present the Knesset with a rephrased law that: 1. Would not put "Jewish" ahead of "democratic". 2. Would not change the status of Arabic language. 3. Would not imply non-Jewish Israelis get less rights. We're probably not going to get to see that law, though, as both Yesh Atid and HaTnua parties do not support it, and having failed to meet Netanyahu half way yesterday will collapse the government. So [URL="http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2014/12/israel-likely-to-have-early-elections/383313/"]we're going to elections[/URL]. One final note. This law was primarily declarative. Israel is from its inception defined as the Jewish State. This is similar to the Palestinian state to be being the national home of the Palestinian people. Both states being recognized as the respective national homes of their people is an essential part of the two state solution. The difference is, of course, that Israel has a significant Arab (and Druze, and Beduine, and so on) minority that are, current government shitheaded-ness not withstanding, equals, the PA has made it clear it aims to be a Jew-free state.

[QUOTE=Swebonny;46617998]ROFL I hope you truly don't believe that. I fucking recognize every single name there and they vote the same on all issues that suppresses Arabs or Muslims. OY VEY GOYS! Edit: like seriously, fuck just stop pretending. If you hate arabs and muslims just say it, stop being fucking passive about it and try to explain away these Winner ratings like is always done when being called out.[/QUOTE] how about those dirty brown people am i right goys

[QUOTE=Kommodore;46616635]Arab workers and Arab Jews at one point made an enormous portion of people in Israel? Israel embarked on population exchanges to fill the country with Arabic-speaking Jews? It lies in the center of an Arabic-speaking region? Hebrew spoken in Israel is a semi-constructed language implemented late in Israel's short history as a means of establishing national culture? Most Israelis spoke Polish, Russian, etc for the majority of its history? You don't see the hypocrisy?[/QUOTE] Don't have much to comment on the matter but wanted to apologise for rating disagree on your post. Meant to give it support and it's bugging the hell out of me.

[QUOTE=Monkah;46615859]Oh no, Arabic isn't an official language anymore? It's like getting upset over Spanish not being an official language of the United States. OP makes it sound as if Arabs are being thrown into shekel-grinders by Jew Hitler.[/QUOTE] you really do try hard don't you

[QUOTE=GordonZombie;46618445]Don't have much to comment on the matter but wanted to apologise for rating disagree on your post. Meant to give it support and it's bugging the hell out of me.[/QUOTE] If you refresh the page you can re-rate.

[QUOTE=Kommodore;46616635]Arab workers and Arab Jews at one point made an enormous portion of people in Israel? Israel embarked on population exchanges to fill the country with Arabic-speaking Jews? It lies in the center of an Arabic-speaking region? Hebrew spoken in Israel is a semi-constructed language implemented late in Israel's short history as a means of establishing national culture? Most Israelis spoke Polish, Russian, etc for the majority of its history? You don't see the hypocrisy?[/QUOTE] Most Jews from Arab countries emigrated to Israel after the establishment of the Jewish state when they were expelled or forced to flee their home countries of Morocco, Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Yemen and so on. It wasn't a "population exchange". At that time they were already a minority among the Jews due to the massive influx of Jewish refugees from Europe and Russia. Regardless, "Eastern" Jews spoke a variety of languages ranging from Moroccan and Yemenese to various regional Arab dialects (none of them, of course, Palestinian Arabic), which is why like their European compatriots everyone ended up speaking Hebrew with each other. Also, while modern Hebrew was constructed in the early 20th century as the Jewish national language, it is so heavily based on ancient Hebrew that a modern Hebrew speaker can read and mostly understand ancient, thousands of years old texts like the Bible and archaeological inscriptions, as opposed to a modern English speaker faced with, say, medieval English.

[QUOTE=ScumBunny;46618509]Most Jews from Arab countries emigrated to Israel after the establishment of the Jewish state when they were expelled or forced to flee their home countries of Morocco, Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Yemen and so on. It wasn't a "population exchange". At that time they were already a minority among the Jews due to the massive influx of Jewish refugees from Europe and Russia. Regardless, "Eastern" Jews spoke a variety of languages ranging from Moroccan and Yemenese to various regional Arab dialects (none of them, of course, Palestinian Arabic), which is why like their European compatriots everyone ended up speaking Hebrew with each other. Also, while modern Hebrew was constructed in the early 20th century as the Jewish national language, it is so heavily based on ancient Hebrew that a modern Hebrew speaker can read and mostly understand ancient, thousands of years old texts like the Bible and archaeological inscriptions, as opposed to a modern English speaker faced with, say, medieval English.[/QUOTE] "For a variety of reasons--some related to concerns over their status and safety within Arab society after the 1948 war, others involving active outreach policies by Israel--large numbers of individuals from from the long-established Jewish communities in such Arab countries as Egypt, Iraq, Yemen, etc... immigrated to Israel," says a fairly standard textbook on middle eastern history that I picked out at random. I'll grant you that some Jews left their home country of their own accord, but Israeli immigration policies and outreach were desperate to achieve Jewish majority in Israel before 1967 when the status of a Jewish state was not statistically certain. Historians broadly agree on this issue, and it's out there for everyone to read. [editline]2nd December 2014[/editline] here, more, from a well known Israeli historian, Avi Shlaim "In 1947, the vast majority of the 608,230 Jews who inhabited the British-ruled Mandate of Palestine held ideological aspirations for the creation of a local Jewish-majority state (Zionism)[15], causing tension with the 1,364,300 indigenous Palestinian Arabs[16]." "This binary deadlock was broken by Benny Morris’ The Birth of the Palestinian Refugee Problem, which convincingly contextualised the majority of flight as resulting from Zionist actions, mostly military hostilities rather than outright expulsion[9]." "Arab intolerance indirectly aided retroactive transfer; over several years, 800,000 Jewish refugees of Middle-Eastern origin immigrated to Israel, following anti-Semitic Arab persecution[108]. This permitted Ben-Gurion to airbrush Israeli ethnic cleansing, portraying these exoduses as a ‘mutual population transfer[109]’."

[QUOTE=Kommodore;46618632]"For a variety of reasons--some related to concerns over their status and safety within Arab society after the 1948 war, others involving active outreach policies by Israel--large numbers of individuals from from the long-established Jewish communities in such Arab countries as Egypt, Iraq, Yemen, etc... immigrated to Israel," says a fairly standard textbook on middle eastern history that I picked out at random. I'll grant you that some Jews left their home country of their own accord, but Israeli immigration policies and outreach were desperate to achieve Jewish majority in Israel before 1967 when the status of a Jewish state was not statistically certain. Historians broadly agree on this issue, and it's out there for everyone to read. [editline]2nd December 2014[/editline] here, more, from a well known Israeli historian, Avi Shlaim "In 1947, the vast majority of the 608,230 Jews who inhabited the British-ruled Mandate of Palestine held ideological aspirations for the creation of a local Jewish-majority state (Zionism)[15], causing tension with the 1,364,300 indigenous Palestinian Arabs[16]." "This binary deadlock was broken by Benny Morris’ The Birth of the Palestinian Refugee Problem, which convincingly contextualised the majority of flight as resulting from Zionist actions, mostly military hostilities rather than outright expulsion[9]." "Arab intolerance indirectly aided retroactive transfer; over several years, 800,000 Jewish refugees of Middle-Eastern origin immigrated to Israel, following anti-Semitic Arab persecution[108]. This permitted Ben-Gurion to airbrush Israeli ethnic cleansing, portraying these exoduses as a ‘mutual population transfer[109]’."[/QUOTE] Israel did and still does try to encourage Jews to emigrate to Israel rather than elsewhere, and when needed aids in the transport of Jews to Israel. But to suggest Arab Jews left their homes merely because Israel encouraged them to would be similar to making this kind of claim about Palestinians after the 1948 war. Like the Palestinians who fled Israel, all Jews I ever heard claimed they were either forced out or fled out of fear. And fact is there is almost nothing left of the ages old Jewish communities of most Arab countries. Regardless, like I said before Eastern Jews were never a majority in Israel. They were always outnumbered by Ashkenazi Jews and often felt discriminated and disenfranchised because of it , a point that caused a lot of ethnic friction throughout's Israel's history. [editline]2nd December 2014[/editline] [QUOTE=Kommodore;46618632] here, more, from a well known Israeli historian, Avi Shlaim "In 1947, the vast majority of the 608,230 Jews who inhabited the British-ruled Mandate of Palestine held ideological aspirations for the creation of a local Jewish-majority state (Zionism)[15], causing tension with the 1,364,300 indigenous Palestinian Arabs[16]." "This binary deadlock was broken by Benny Morris’ The Birth of the Palestinian Refugee Problem, which convincingly contextualised the majority of flight as resulting from Zionist actions, mostly military hostilities rather than outright expulsion[9]." "Arab intolerance indirectly aided retroactive transfer; over several years, 800,000 Jewish refugees of Middle-Eastern origin immigrated to Israel, following anti-Semitic Arab persecution[108]. This permitted Ben-Gurion to airbrush Israeli ethnic cleansing, portraying these exoduses as a ‘mutual population transfer[109]’."[/QUOTE] Avi Shlaim may be well known, but like Ilan Pappe he is hardly undisputed. In fact he belongs to [URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Historians"]a group of Israeli historians[/URL] that reject the narrative accepted by the majority of Israeli historians, and are mostly considered anti-Israeli. Nevertheless your quotes seem to agree with my claim that most Arab Jews fled due to "Arab intolerance" and "anti-Semitic Arab persecution".

[QUOTE=Swebonny;46617998]ROFL I hope you truly don't believe that. I fucking recognize every single name there and they vote the same on all issues that suppresses Arabs or Muslims. OY VEY GOYS! Edit: like seriously, fuck just stop pretending. If you hate arabs and muslims just say it, stop being fucking passive about it and try to explain away these Winner ratings like is always done when being called out.[/QUOTE] Wow. Really? Now you are being very anti-Semite bro!