Civil and Human Rights Looking Deeper into the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
Israel is portrayed as a democracy that shares American values. Is this true? Do all its citizens enjoy the same civil rights before the law? What about the human rights of those under occupation?
Thursday, October 23, 2003
New Laws Legalize Apartheid in Israel: cannot run for election demanding equal rights for all
Palestine Center - New Laws Legalize Apartheid in Israel: " Report from a Palestine Center briefing | 10 June 2002 by Jamal Zahalka
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The first of the discriminatory laws analyzed by Zahalka is the family reunification law. ... any Israeli citizen who marries a Palestinian from the Palestinian Authority (PA) areas or someone of Palestinian origin will not be allowed to petition Israel for Israeli citizenship on behalf of his/her spouse. As a result, hundreds of Arab families are kept apart.
Under a National Insurance Law, Israel voted for a 25 percent cut in child allowance for families without a member serving in the army. This comes after a February vote to decrease the allowance by 12 percent. Ninety percent of Arabs do not serve in the Israeli army. In all, Arab families were slapped with a 37 percent cut in child allowances. ... Although the law also applies to religious Jews and new immigrants who do not serve in the army, Zahalka argued that these groups are unaffected since they are compensated by the Israeli Ministry of Religious Affairs and the Jewish Agency.
The Incitement Law forbids Arabs in Israel from supporting or sympathizing with the Palestinians in the Occupied Territories who are resisting the Israeli occupation. ... Anyone caught with material considered hostile to Israel can be sentenced to one year in prison. Zahalka described the law as a constraint on freedom of speech. Such a law will have a major impact on any attempt by Israeli citizens to challenge the government’s military occupation of the Palestinian territories.
The fourth law ... is designed to prevent an MK from visiting an enemy state. According to Zahalka, Jordan, Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Algeria, and Yemen—all Arab states where relatives of Arab Israeli citizens live—[are listed] as enemy states.
The fifth and most dangerous law, in Zahalka's opinion, is the election law. Any person or party that directly or indirectly denies that Israel is a democratic Jewish state and a state for the Jews will be barred from running for the Knesset.
Tuesday, October 21, 2003
No one in Israel can run for office if they want Israel to be anything but a Jewish state
Learning about Jews : sf-imc: "by Jessie Morales Monday October 20, 2003
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Few Americans know that no one in Israel can run for office if they want Israel to be anything but a Jewish state. So, for instance, if an Israeli citizen wanted to run on a platform that Israel should have a truly secular democratic government that provides equal rights, liberty and justice for all its citizens regardless of religion, ethnicity or sex, that person would not be allowed to run for office.
As more and more Americans learn the truth about Israel and realize how billions of their tax dollars are being spent in such a racist country , they may demand an end to U.S. support of apartheid Israel. "
