The cabinets vote is another clear indication that Israel is dropping any pretense of it being a democracy, Josh Ruebner of the U.S. Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation, told Common Dreams. Israel more than ever self-identifies as an apartheid state which exists for the privilege and benefit of one set of people and discriminates against another. The bill, which is backed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, would amend Israels Basic Law to designate Israel the national homeland of the Jewish People. The right to self-determination in the state, according to the bill, is limited to Jews, writes Aeyal Gross for Haaretz. Others only have personal rights according to any law. Most of the principles in the bill, relating to heritage, symbols, holidays, and the role Hebrew law plays in legislation, equate the state with only one group. According to Ruebner, the bill would further subject the approximately 20 percent of Israeli citizens who are Palestinian to deeper levels of oppression and mistreatment by adding to the more than 50 discriminatory laws on Israels books.
Posted on: Tue, 25 Nov 2014 03:25:16 +0000