Racist
Brotherhood
FP 19. Maerz 2013

Haaretz Published Mar.18, 2013

A battle over identity
Haaretz Editorial

The proposed Basic Law nullifying Arabic as an official language needs to be killed immediately; the identity of the State of Israel must not rest on the political and legal extinction of the minority.

Excerpts:
The proposed Basic Law, which was submitted to the previous Knesset, would nullify Arabic as an official language; make Jewish law the basis for legislation barring any other interpretation; and fail to require the government to build communities for members of other religions - that is, for the country’s Arab citizens.

Full article:
Likud-Yisrael Beiteinu and Habayit Hayehudi have agreed as part of their coalition deal to advance a racist Basic Law that would redefine the state’s Jewish and democratic character. While the prime minister is informing the new ministers of their positions, one at a time, based on their electoral strength and their talent in political negotiations, and while the public waits tensely for the “revolution” that the new government has promised to bring, one firm foundation is being faithfully preserved: the foundation of racism.

The proposed Basic Law, which was submitted to the previous Knesset, would nullify Arabic as an official language; make Jewish law the basis for legislation barring any other interpretation; and fail to require the government to build communities for members of other religions - that is, for the country’s Arab citizens.

This insane law, which was only removed from the agenda in the past because of Tzipi Livni’s steadfastness, has now been resurrected due to the strange alliance between Naftali Bennett’s Habayit Hayehudi and Yair Lapid’s Yesh Atid.

If one part of the alliance was intended to bring about the “equal sharing of the burden” - that is, to end the discrimination by and excessive rights for certain groups within the population - then another part of what this racist brotherhood does is shatter the principle of equality that the state owes to all its citizens.

The bill not only destroys Israel’s image as a democratic country and subordinates democracy to religion - it also divides the population in two.

Bennett’s enthusiasm for the law is not surprising. He is, after all, the representative of the skullcap-wearing extreme right. But what about Lapid? Lapid the liberal, nonreligious bearer of the banner of equality - what does he have to do with such a dark law?

Has Lapid, who coined the phrase “Zuabis,” referring to MK Hanin Zuabi (Balad), become enchanted with the principle of ethnic and religious purity? His disgust for the ultra-Orthodox has not prevented him from adopting a bill that transforms him into a devoted student of Shas leader Eli Yishai and an ally of the darkest Knesset members.

This proposed law needs to be killed immediately. The identity of the State of Israel must not rest on the political and legal extinction of the minority.
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