First there was the Nakba law, then the loyalty oath, now the Israeli Knesset is considering a bill that would institute a one year jail sentence for anyone who speaks “against Israel’s existence as a Jewish and democratic state.”
According to Ynet, the act of criticizing Israel as a Jewish state becomes illegal when “it may lead to acts of hatred, scorn or lack of loyalty to the State or its government authorities or law systems which have been established legally.” The bill, which just passed its first reading in the Knesset, was introduced by MK Zevulun Orlev from the right wing Habayit Hayehudi (Jewish Home) party. Orlev is chairman of the Knesset’s Education Committee.
Although the bill passed this initial test by a 47-34 vote, there were some strong reactions against it. Ynet quotes Meretz Chairman Chaim Oron as saying, “Have you lost your confidence in the State of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state? This crazy government – what exactly are you doing? Thought Police? Have you lost it?” MK Jamal Zahalka, from the Balad party, had a more profound reaction that seems to summarize apparent state of the Israeli government as these bills get introduced and move forward:
“Many intellectuals in the academia who talk about a country belonging to all its citizens belong in prison, according to MK Orlev. Arab and Jewish leaders who seek real democracy in Israel also belong in jail, according to Orlev… He wants to put anyone who doesn’t agree with him in jail.”
“This is the proposal: Whoever says ‘death to the Arabs’ should not be put in prison, but whoever says ‘a country of all its citizens’ should not be put in prison. This is a crazy law aimed at managing the political discourse according to laws.”
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