Labor ministers: Stop 'Nakba law'
Three of party's ministers ask government secretariat for cabinet discussion on law approved by ministerial committee banning day marking 'catastrophe of Israel's formation'. Minister Braverman: Motion undemocratic and unwise
Will government withdraw its support for 'Nakba law'? Three Labor Party ministers filed an appeal with the government secretariat on Monday against the motion to prohibit marking Nakba Day (the "catastrophe" of Israel's formation), which was approved by the Knesset's Ministerial Committee for Legislative Affairs on Sunday.
Ministers Isaac Herzog, Shalom Simhon and Avishay Braverman demanded that the government hold a discussion on the law in a wide forum which would include all ministers. Should the government decide not to support the law, it would be taken off the agenda and would not be advanced.
"This motion harms the freedom of expression and freedom of protest, which are the basic principles of a democratic state. This kind of law will increase separatism and estrangement in the society and will strengthen the extremist minority among Israel's Arabs," the appeal said.
Minister Braverman told Ynet, "Such an enactment is a mistake. We ask the prime minister to remove the issue from the agenda. Life is not black and white. Such an enactment backed by the Israeli government strengthens the extremists.
"It's undemocratic, unwise and out of place. This is the last thing the government needs now, and shouldn't be part of its message towards the entire democratic world which is watching what it does."
'Series of laws meant to cause uprising'
Labor Knesset Member Yuli Tamir said her party should use its seat in the cabinet to oppose the law prohibiting marking Nakba Day.
"The series of laws proposed by Yisrael Beiteinu now is meant to cause an uprising among Israel's Arabs and lead Israel into a confrontation that will cause waves of hatred and violence that Yisrael Beiteinu feeds on. The fact that the Labor Party sits in the government legitimizes and backs racist steps that harm the Israeli society's ability to continue to exist," she said.
The motion sparked a row immediately after it was approved. According to the move, brought before the ministerial committee by MK Alex Miller (Yisrael Beiteinu), all public events which refer to the establishment of the State of Israel as a calamity will be prohibited by law.
Any infringement on the law would be punishable by up to three years in jail. If the government does not stop the motion from moving forward, it will soon be brought to the Knesset for a preliminary reading.
Ministers Michael Eitan (Likud) and Isaac Herzog voted against the motion at the ministerial committee, while Minister Meshulam Nahari (Shas) abstained. The attorney general's representative, Orit Koren, also opposed the move.
Yisrael Beiteinu's next move is to advance an amendment to the Citizenship Law, previously referred to as the "Loyalty Law". Clauses added to the law state that "a condition for receiving a citizenship in accordance to this law will be that the citizenship receiver pledged loyalty."
The proposal also includes the oath of allegiance, which is expected to stir a row: "I pledge to be loyal to the State of Israel as a Jewish, Zionist and democratic state, to its symbols and values, and serve the state, as required, in military service, or alternative service, as stated by the law."
