Lawmakers seek to drop Arabic as one of Israel's official languages (among other things)

[azurnoir]

The bill, initiated by MKs Avi Dichter (Kadima ), Zeev Elkin (Likud ) and David Rotem (Yisrael Beiteinu ), and supported by 20 of the 28 Kadima MKs, would make democratic rule subservient to the state's definition as "the national home for the Jewish people."

<snip>

This would mean that MKs would be asked to legislate in the spirit of Jewish law, and courts to adjudicate by it in cases where no other express law exists. In the language of the bill: "If the court sees a legal question requiring a ruling, and finds no solution in legislation, custom or clear analogy, it will rule in light of the principles of freedom, justice, integrity and peace in Jewish heritage."

The bill also calls on the state to "act to ingather the exiles of Israel and Jewish settlement within it, and allocate resources to this end."

As for other ethnic groups in Israel, according to the bill: "The state is permitted to allow a community, including people of another faith or nation, to maintain a separate community."

http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/lawmakers-seek-to-drop-arabic-as-one-of-israel-s-official-languages-1.376829

[ellenrr]

1. these lawmakers are in deep delusion.

they want to act like the Arab world doesn't exist.

The only way to understand Israel's actions is as a cultural pathology.

[Violet_Crumble]

2. It's a concern that so many Kadima MKs support this bill n/t

[azurnoir]

4. The whole has a feel similar to the US''s "seperate but equal "

philosophy of 50 or 60 years ago, but it seems progress means different things to different people
it will be interesting to see where this goes

[oberliner]

5. Kadima lawmakers retract support for bill scrapping Arabic as official language in Israel

A number of Kadima lawmakers say they are reconsidering the bill they submitted on Wednesday calling for a new Basic Law that changes Israel's definition as a "Jewish and democratic state" to "the national home for the Jewish people." The bill also proposes that Hebrew be the country's only official language, removing Arabic from the list.

On Thursday speaker Reuven Rivlin gathered the Arab Knesset members for the traditional Iftar feast in the Knesset cafeteria, where he summed up the parliament's closing summer session as stormy and controversial.

http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/kadima-lawmakers-retract-support-for-bill-scrapping-arabic-as-official-language-in-israel-1.377031

[Violet_Crumble]

6. I would hope all 20 remove their support of that bill...

The article said one has removed his name from the proposal and another is threatening to do the same. That leaves 18 to follow suit, including the one who helped draft the bill. I hope they all do so...

[no_hypocrisy]

3. Israel need *more* communication with *all* its residents, not less.