Tibi: Recognize others' pain
Photo: Gil Yohanan
MK Tibi: Take funds from 'Nakba' deniers
In response to bill withholding state funds from groups marking Palestinian day of mourning on Israeli Independence Day, MK wants to punish those who refuse to 'recognize national tragedy beheld by Palestinian, Arab people'
The Knesset is set to debate Monday a new bill proposed by MK Ahmed Tibi (United Arab List-Ta'al), which states that state funds will be denied to any organization or authority that negates the Nakba – a Palestinian day of mourning for the establishment of the State of Israel.
Tibi says the bill will make sure everyone recognizes "the national tragedy beheld by the children of Palestine, residents of the land".
MKs Danny Danon (Likud) and Alex Miller (Yisrael Beiteinu) have demanded that the Knesset reject the bill offhand, claiming it negates the existence of Israel.
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"This bill was intended to prohibit acts that deny this tragedy and aims to recognize the pain and suffering of the other, including a national minority," the Arab MK explained.
The bill and subsequent demand for its rejection are to be debated by the Knesset presidium, which consists of the Knesset speaker and his deputies. The presidium is charged with accepting or rejecting urgent proposals, and Tibi is one of the deputies involved.
His bill is set to withhold funds from organizations that "prevent the Palestinian and Arab people from feeling at home and of equal rights" by "publicly denying 'Nakba Day' as a true historical event seminal to the tragedy of the Palestinian and Arab people".
The proposal counters a bill proposed by MK Miller, which states that any state-backed organization will be fined for marking 'Nakba Day' – which implies considering Independence Day a day of mourning.
Danon and Miller are planning to attend the presidium debate in order to fight Tibi's bill.
"This bill negates the very establishment of the State of Israel and its place is in the trashcan of history and not the Israeli Knesset," said Danon.
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