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Yisrael Beiteinu MK: Democracy being abused
Roni Sofer
Published: 14.03.11, 12:33
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1. I WONDER WHAT WOULD....
Mark from Georgia ,   USA   (03.14.11)
Happen here in the USA if certain towns that were Arab, decided to celebrate our July 4th holiday as a day of mourning? That the elected officials, the Mayor, the City Council etc., gave speeches on the how Evil the USA is, and the USA should be destroyed? On July 4th? What do you think the public response would be when video's and pictures of these events hit the news? I already know what would happen, do you?
2. If you don't like it....
Shai ,   il   (03.14.11)
...then why do you oppose redrawing the boundary between the Jewish and Arab state in such a way that you can celebrate your "Nakba" and YOUR national narrative in Palestine, as Palestinian and not Israeli citizens? Every time it's brought up, your MK's howl how you've been here forever and we're newcomers. Put aside the fact that the Land was Jewish before it was populated by Arabs invading the area from Southwest Asia, who's proposing to move you from your mountains? Nobody. Instead, you make the proposal a straw man howl and insist you must be part of Israel. Why would Jews want that anymore? The way we see it, Israel's Declaration of Independence offers a vision where you are to be part of building this state with the Jewish People. We celebrate the founding of this state, which is the only place on the planet where Jewish nationhood is free to express itself, in part because it welcomes you as equals when you do not negate our rights here, either. When you spit on this State with such a Nakba, you spit on us. Don't expect us to see it as rain. Is it any wonder no government will form a coalition with you? Is it any wonder why, given that Jewish populations who aren't in the coalition are treated the same way, the population you represent doesn't get the perks that coalition members get? There's nothing racist here - it's simple politics and Arabs play their cards wrong election after election. You make yourselves outcasts by constantly saying you're not of this State, and somehow wonder why you're treated as the outcasts you insist on being. If you cooperated in building the state rather than tearing it down and cheering for the enemies of the Jews, you'd be embraced. The way we see it, nobody's citizenship is a right. You earn it, and your rights flow from the contributions you make. By this standard, what you've earned is to be citizens of a Palestinian state. Just because you have a blue identification card doesn't earn you the right to replace our State with Palestine.
3. And what about anti-Zionist Jews?
Bob ,   TA   (03.14.11)
I know anti-Zinost Haredi groups usually refuse to accept goverment funding anyway, by maybe... still you will find some way how to punish them for their mourning... If the bill is not another racist one, targeted solely on Arabs, of course...
4. I think there is a mistake
Golan ,   modiin   (03.14.11)
the article refers to cities that commemorate Independence day and memorial day, not the so called Nakba which is what the Arabs call their failed attempt to massacre the Jews and ended up believing the propaganda used by the Arab leadership in order to make the local population rise up and butcher Jews. (instead they rose up and fled!)
5. To MK Herzog
Abraham Nachmias ,   Petach Tikva IL   (03.14.11)
Today you represent nobody, so why don't you join Hadash and then represent your beloved friends? You will be in good company no doubt!
6. democracy being abused...
aline silverman ,   israel   (03.14.11)
Indeed it is....This is the feeling I had when I first came to this country....In other democratic countries, people who act against the state are accused of High Treason !!!!!
7. #5 he does represent someone
(03.14.11)
Herzog (the man behind Ehud Barak's illegal NGOs) is bought and paid for by the New Israel Fund, and this who he represents.
8. Not about freedom of opinions
ezer   (03.14.11)
It is not about freedom of opinion or freedom of expressing your opinion. There is no such right, only a privilege that cannot be abused. If you (radical leftists) express your opinion by abusing another's, the other (Israel) has the right to self defense.
9. when the left whines you know you are on the right track
ralph   (03.14.11)
10. Constitution, Law and Justice Committee ...
seadog1946 ,   ArthurKill, NJ   (03.14.11)
Israel has a constitution??? Oh... that's right, it's just unwritten. This way, you can make it say whatever you want, whenever you want.
11. Hebrew calendar Nakba Day is a hate crime, not free speech
Dr. L. Brnd ,   San Diego, USA   (03.14.11)
America does not object to Japan commemorating Hiroshima Day, or Germans commemorating Dresden day. If they ever held this on the 4th of July, US Independence Day, they would have sold their last Mercedes or Toyota in the USA. But Nakba ("Disaster") Day does not commemorate some tragic (for the Arabs) battle or defeat, or some wrongheaded military adventure that ended badly. Nakba Day is all about Israel's Independence being the Disaster, although on May 15, 1948, nothing particularly bad happened to any Arabs. They want Israel's independence, according to UN specification, to be marked as a "disaster", even to the extent that they try to hold this "commemoration" according to the English or even Hebrew calendar date (rather than the Arabic or Muslim calendar date_ - to emphasize that Jewish independence is the Disaster. This is bigotry and hate-crime conduct, not freedom of speech. It is no different than burning KKK crosses or swinging nooses from trees on Martin Luther King Day, which is illegal in the USA - as a hate-crime exception to our free speech laws. There is no conflict -NONE- with free speech standards to similarly outlaw and punish any Nakba commemorations held on May 15 or on 5 Iyar in the English calendar. What the Arabs do according to the Arabic-Muslim calendar, like Ramadan, is their own business. Defiling another peoples calendar to mark their despicable Nakba "event" is not a right they have, not in the USA, and not in Israel. Nakba Day on May 15 should not even be allowed in mosques. It is a hate crime. There is no absolute religious freedom in the US - we do not allow anything that can harm public safety. A mosque that wanted to hold a public celebration of Osama Bin Laden's birthday every Sept. 11th would be shut down as a public nuisance.
12. Nakba Law
Yehonathan Hunter ,   Minneapolis, US   (03.14.11)
Withholding funds to organizations that see Israel's independence day as a day of mourning isn't anti-democratic. Thousands fought and died so that we can have a Jewish Democratic State of our own. A return to our historical homeland and a safe haven for Jews everywhere.
13. Nakba should be illegal
nadav ,   tel aviv   (03.14.11)
In "Jordan," which is in fact arab "palestine," it is illegal to fly the PLO flag, sing the "palestinian" anthem, or refer to any symbols of a so called "palestinian" identity in public! Jordan early on recognized that the ersatz palestinians were a Nasserite invention and tool to destroy Jordan, just as it was meant to destroy israel, replacing both states by one "palestinian" state that would be a vassal of Egypt. Nakba should be banned in israel as sedition.period.
14. #3 There's a difference between anti-Zionist JEWS and Arabs
(03.14.11)
Jews, whether they're haredi anti-Zionist or pro-Zionists they are still Jews and are still part of the Jewish country. Arabs, if they're anti-Zionists, have no business being in OUR Jewish country. If they don't like it, they should leave. They can go back to one of the 22 countries that belongs to them.
15. Celebrate nabka, pay the price, it is that simple.
Bunnie Meyer ,   Los Angeles, CA USA   (03.14.11)
You don't have to live in Israel, you can move to gaza, celebrate nabka all you want there.
16. Naqba no 3
(03.15.11)
B"H NAQBA NO 2 WILL COM E SOON
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