Israeli Knesset Considers Bill Making It Illegal To Criticize Israel As A Jewish State

[Purveyor]

May 27, 2009

This is beginning to look like panic - Israeli Knesset considers bill making it illegal to criticize Israel as a Jewish state

First there was the Nakba law, then the loyalty oath, now the Israeli Knesset is considering a bill that would institute a one year jail sentence for anyone who speaks "against Israel's existence as a Jewish and democratic state."

According to Ynet, the act of criticizing Israel as a Jewish state becomes illegal when "it may lead to acts of hatred, scorn or lack of loyalty to the State or its government authorities or law systems which have been established legally." The bill, which just passed its first reading in the Knesset, was introduced by MK Zevulun Orlev from the right wing Habayit Hayehudi (Jewish Home) party. Orlev is chairman of the Knesset's Education Committee.

Although the bill passed this initial test by a 47-34 vote, there were some strong reactions against it. Ynet quotes Meretz Chairman Chaim Oron as saying, "Have you lost your confidence in the State of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state? This crazy government – what exactly are you doing? Thought Police? Have you lost it?" MK Jamal Zahalka, from the Balad party, had a more profound reaction that seems to summarize apparent state of the Israeli government as these bills get introduced and move forward:

"Many intellectuals in the academia who talk about a country belonging to all its citizens belong in prison, according to MK Orlev. Arab and Jewish leaders who seek real democracy in Israel also belong in jail, according to Orlev… He wants to put anyone who doesn’t agree with him in jail."

MONDOWEISS: http://www.philipweiss.org/mondoweiss/2009/05/this-is-beginning-to-look-like-panic-israeli-knesset-considering-bill-making-it-illegal-to-criticize.html

[Taverner]

1. Here we go - Israel Israel Uber Alles!

[villager]

2. so if a Jewish person like me criticizes some aspect of Israeli policy...

...from here in the U.S., will there be a warrant waiting for me if I ever visit Tel Aviv or Jerusalem?

[midnight]

3. Silence! How is that creating a better way?

[tan guera]

4. So

Is making it a hate crime both there and here on the docket?

[Me.]

5. How Democratic

What are they afraid of?

[liberal N proud]

6. If only the bu$h regime would have thought of that

All they had was patriotism.

It is fascism when you can't criticize your own government.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

7. Can we now end the charade of calling Israel the only democracy in the middle east?

Please?

[sinkingfeeling]

8. Wow. Israel continues to do everything in its power to 'turn off' the rest of the world.

[Blue Meany]

9. I don't think that Israel and be both Jewish and democratic n/t

[Shaktimaan]

17. Really? Why not?

Japan is both Japanese and democratic, isn't it?
Greece is both Greek and democratic, right?

Most nations are defined according to some sort of cultural or ethnic identity yet still manage to balance the rights of their minority populations quite successfully. The two examples I gave both offer some sort of preferred immigration status to members of their ethnicities, similar to Israel's "right of return" policy.

What makes Israel different?

[harun]

10. That's some serious paranoia

[LeftishBrit]

11. Though this is very bad for civil liberties, the headline is misleading

The proposal is not to ban all criticism of Israel, but to ban challenging its right to exist as a Jewish state, or otherwise supporting disloyalty to the state.

Very authoritarian and dangerous (McCarthy, anyone?); but not QUITE what the headline suggests.

[DCKit]

12. They'd expand it's reach in a heartbeat. It's what fascists do. n/t

[Name removed]

13. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[LeftishBrit]

14. Huh???????????????????????????

This isn't Christian Right Underground.

[Jim Sagle]

15. David Duke, is that you?

[Jefferson23]

16. Joe McCarthy would be pleased.

[Shaktimaan]

18. This is very dissapointing.

Not exactly fascism. But definitely retarded.