Mass Outrage Against Israel's Apartheid Nation-State Law

by Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org - Home - Stephen Lendman)

The Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) blasted the new law, saying the following:

It "does not address minorities whatsoever, neither their collective nor individual rights."

It makes non-Jews second-class citizens, especially Israeli Arabs, constituting 20% of the population. 

"The law omits mention of any commitment to democracy or human rights…The expression 'Jewish and democratic' was completely removed from the law…"

Majority Knesset hardliners "created a reckless law," harming non-Jews, Arab citizens most of all, along with all sectors of society opposing apartheid rule.

The Arabic language was downgraded. The law "does not recognize (the) basic right to language" for its Arab citizens.

It affirms separate and unequal status for Jews and non-Jews. The Jewish character of Israel takes precedence over everything else. Israel's fantasy democracy is more illusory than before.

Following earlier mass protests, tens of thousands in Tel Aviv's Rabin Square demonstrated on Saturday night - rallying to "Abolish (the) Nation-State Law," calling for "Yes to Equality."

Despite Israel's ban on publicly displaying Palestinian flags, they were prominently waved. Signs read "Nation-State is apartheid."

The Higher Arab Monitoring Committee in Israel, along with other Israeli Arab groups, petitioned the Supreme Court to overturn the law.

A near-60 page petition called it racist legislation, contradicting fundamental international law. It states: 

"There is no constitution in the world today containing a clause that determines that the state belongs to one ethnic group or that a given state is exclusive to a certain ethnic group."

"There is also no single constitution in the world that does not include the right to equality for all its citizens and residents."

The law's Article 7 outrageously says the state of Israel "is solely for the benefit of Jews." Equal rights for Arabs must be denied "to promote and encourage Jewish settlement."

Arab citizens are called "the other…(T)he state must...discriminate in the allocation of land, housing, budgets and incentives, and land planning and zoning."

Addressing demonstrators, Former MK Mohammad Barakeh called for "eras(ing) this abomination and remov(ing) the stain made by Netanyahu and his government called the nation-state law."

On Sunday, Netanyahu accused demonstrators of "want(ing) to turn Israel into an Israeli-Palestinian state or a state of all its citizens. It is for precisely this we passed the nation-state law."

Just societies treat all their citizens equally. Ziofascist Israel opposes equality and other fundamental democratic rights.

The apartheid law defines Israel as "the nation-state of the Jewish people," Hebrew the sole official language.

The law is Israel's version of Nazi Germany's Nuremberg Laws. Israel is to Palestinians what Hitler's regime was to Jews - in both countries, individuals opposed by ruling authorites treated like subhumans, forced to endure virtually every type indignity, degradation and crime against humanity.

Palestinians and Israeli Arab citizens are discriminated against in virtually all aspects of their lives.

The Nation-State law officially made apartheid ruthlessness the law of the land - contravening fundamental international laws, norms and standards.

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