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Deteriorating Conditions for Israeli Arab Citizens

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Racist incidents result, including a 66% 2009 increase on football fields because offenders aren't punished. Also in Israeli communities, at times originating from the highest political levels to incite violence within and between Israeli Arabs and Jews.


Discriminatory legislation follows, earlier examples include the 1950 Law of Return, the 1952 Citizenship Law, and same year Entry into Israel Law - granting Jews worldwide automatic citizenship on arrival, a benefit no other country affords or should.


In 2009, 21 discriminatory bills were introduced that undermine Arab legitimacy, a population Lieberman calls the "enemy within." While all bills didn't pass, proposing them shows how 1.5 million citizens are threatened - dispelling peace and reconciliation hopes, notions past Israeli governments spurned, let alone the current one, introducing extremist measures, including to let the Interior Minister revoke citizenship rights of anyone deemed disloyal, with no right of appeal to the Attorney General.


The current one, Eli Yishai, said if the bill passes he'll revoke MK Azmi Bishara's citizenship as well as for 34 other Israeli Arabs - but not Yigal Amir's, Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin's killer. For Israeli extremists, he's a hero.


In 2003, the Citizenship and Entry into Israel Law became a temporary measure, thereafter renewed annually. It denies citizenship and Israeli residence to Palestinians who marry Israeli citizens. Although in theory applying to all Israelis, it's been used disproportionately against Arabs - despite being in violation of the unanimously adopted UN resolution on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination that upholds fundamental international human rights law.


In December 2009, Yisrael Beitneinu MK, and Chaiman of the Knesset Constitution, David Rotem, introduced an amendment with 44 other MKs to the Basic Law Human Dignity and Freedom, to eliminate its incompatibilities with the racist Citizenship and Entry in Israel Law. It was rejected, but if adopted, would have institutionalized Basic Law racism, the closest thing Israel has to a constitution. Its mere introduction, however, set a dangerous precedent, suggesting future efforts that will pass.


Other bills are also outrageous, including the attempt to prohibit Nakba commemorations on threat of cutting off funding for institutions supporting it. Another bill criminalizes denying Israel's right to be called a Jewish state. It's not. It's a Zionist one, the distinction some orthodox Jews acknowledge, but not extremist MKs. If passed, offenders will be imprisoned for up to a year, and Arab citizen inequality and discrimination will be institutionalized.


Rotem also introduced a Loyalty Oath bill, requiring citizens pledge it to a "Jewish, Zionist, and democratic State," to its emblems and values, and to perform military service or an equivalent as a condition for a national identity card signifying citizenship. So far, it's rejected but may be reintroduced in new form, given the dominance of extremist MKs.


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