Israeli Cabinet passes loyalty bill, Arabs angry

[Etritonakin]

I also think Palestinians have every right to ask that Jews who want citzenship in Palestine take an oath pledging allegiance to its existence, purposes and intents before anything related to their "Jewishness" -even if the oath contained things which protected another race or religion.

Not having such oaths will not necessarily promote peace.
Everyone being willing to act peacefully -and doing so -would remove the necessity for such oaths.

Most of all -I look forward to the day when these things are no longer an issue.

 

[xkatz]

I find pledges and oaths to be distasteful altogether. Actions speak louder than words.

 

[xkatz]

Also, I am disappointed that Israel calls itself a "Jewish state". The Israeli government hasn't been acting/behaving very Jewish as of late.

 

[arimoff]

I think the protest is against the specific wording proposed, as in includes "A Jewish State".

Because a story about it didn't come in through my news feed this morning.

Well why didn't it? sign up for it and you will receive other news as well, not just Jewish.

I don't understand you, do you have a problem with Israel being a Jewish state?

 

[arimoff]

by the way before a person receives American citizenship he has to swear to serve America and only America so whats the problem? is it again when it concerns the Jews it is not aloud?

 

[arimoff]

Ridiculous! it's similar if Nazi Germany would have demanded Jews to pledge loyalty to them, most Palestinians (Muslims in general) view Israel as an oppressive and a pseudo Nazistic system do you expect them to pledge loyalty to a state that oppresses them? and BTW we Muslims don't pledge loyalty to enemies of our people & religion.

So don't pledge and go live in Arabia. You don't like it then don't take the oath, the bill was voted in witch means the majority of that country wants it so who cares what people in other countries think about it. You don't see me complaining that Muslims took the house my father built so why are you even here complaining?

 

[arimoff]

It boils down to whether you believe Israel to be a secular state.

No it bids down to if you agree that Jews have a right to a home.

 

[xkatz]

by the way before a person receives American citizenship he has to swear to serve America and only America so whats the problem? is it again when it concerns the Jews it is not aloud?

Well for one swearing or taking an oath is not a very effective method of preventing treason/betrayal. Also, it clearly shows a bias. IMO, if Israeli Arabs have to take an oath, so should their European and Ashkenazi Israeli counterparts take oaths as well. There's no harm if everyone takes the oath. Additionally, why should they have to proclaim Israel a Jewish state?

 

[LuisDantas]

I also think Palestinians have every right to ask that Jews who want citzenship in Palestine take an oath pledging allegiance to its existence, purposes and intents before anything related to their "Jewishness" -even if the oath contained things which protected another race or religion.

Not having such oaths will not necessarily promote peace.

Agreed, but...

Everyone being willing to act peacefully -and doing so -would remove the necessity for such oaths.

You mean that there is a practical use for the oaths? Which would it be?

AFAIK they are just a national/ethnic pride thing and would best be disposed of altogether.

 

[LuisDantas]

No it bids down to if you agree that Jews have a right to a home.

You mean, to demand an explicitly Jewish homeland?

Quite frankly, I just don't see why it would be so. There are hundreds if not thousands of people that never had or demanded one. From a practical standpoint I'm not convinced that the very existence of Israel is even morally defensable.

Note that I don't at all mean that the Jewish people should suffer or be homeless. But to have their own country? That is something else entirely.

 

[Yona]

Well for one swearing or taking an oath is not a very effective method of preventing treason/betrayal. Also, it clearly shows a bias. IMO, if Israeli Arabs have to take an oath, so should their European and Ashkenazi Israeli counterparts take oaths as well. There's no harm if everyone takes the oath. Additionally, why should they have to proclaim Israel a Jewish state?

Modern Israel was founded on the principle that it would be a JEWISH state and that it will be a homeland for the JEWISH people, this is evident in it's founding documents. This is our historical and ancient homeland. It was founded in the wake of centuries of persecution, opression, starvation and murder, the holocaust, the farhud, the Russian progroms and so on and so on. That's why it's important that the state of Israel remain a homeland for Jews first and foremost and is again why I don't find anything wrong with the bill at all, no rights are being taken away here and it would be foolish to try to be naive about why such a bill got proposed and passed.

 

[Reverend Rick]

You mean, to demand an explicitly Jewish homeland?

Quite frankly, I just don't see why it would be so. There are hundreds if not thousands of people that never had or demanded one. From a practical standpoint I'm not convinced that the very existence of Israel is even morally defensable.

Note that I don't at all mean that the Jewish people should suffer or be homeless. But to have their own country? That is something else entirely.

Luis, how is this any different than Saudi Arabia? Try wearing a cross around your neck there.

I believe people should be able to run their countries as they wish. Thats why we have DIFFERENT COUNTRIES. If every country did everything the same, there would be no need for different countries.

Surely your not advocating all countries to be the same are you?

 

[dust1n]

Well why didn't it? sign up for it and you will receive other news as well, not just Jewish.

Well, I mean, the only publications I know from that entire area I have saved are Ha'areetz, Africa Times, Al'Jazeera, Indian Times, The Hindu and Asia Times. Do you have a suggestion?

I don't understand you, do you have a problem with Israel being a Jewish state?

Yes, mainly because the word 'Jewish' could have three meanings. It could be a racist state, a bigoted state, or a state which claims cultural superiority or any combination of the three. I don't understand you, would you expect a Jew to take oath to a caliphate?

 

[dust1n]

by the way before a person receives American citizenship he has to swear to serve America and only America so whats the problem? is it again when it concerns the Jews it is not aloud?

I do not agree with American's pledge or immigration qualities, but if I did, I wouldn't mind a pledge to Israel. It's the pledge to a 'Jewish state' which is more than just Jewish.

 

[dust1n]

No it bids down to if you agree that Jews have a right to a home.

No, it really just boils down to whether or not Israel is a secular state.

 

[dust1n]

Luis, how is this any different than Saudi Arabia? Try wearing a cross around your neck there.

It's not... or at least if it wasn't, that would be the problem.

I believe people should be able to run their countries as they wish. Thats why we have DIFFERENT COUNTRIES. If every country did everything the same, there would be no need for different countries.

People don't run countries, parties and politicians do.

Surely your not advocating all countries to be the same are you?

Um.. if by 'peaceful' and 'egalitarian' and 'human rights', yes I am.

 

[dust1n]

That's why it's important that the state of Israel remain a homeland for Jews [sorry, I thought you meant its citizens] first and foremost and is again why I don't find anything wrong with the bill at all, no rights are being taken away here and it would be foolish to try to be naive about why such a bill got proposed and passed.

Then you should expect that the second rate citizens of a country or inevitably going to get ****** off because their government prefers a certain race or religion over another.

 

[Reverend Rick]

Um.. if by 'peaceful' and 'egalitarian' and 'human rights', yes I am.

It's a big world and you are being unrealistic.

 

[dust1n]

It's a big world and you are being unrealistic.

It is unrealistic that every state can eventually become democratic with guaranteed human rights, a stable regulated economy that supports all, and personal liberty?

 

[Yona]

Then you should expect that the second rate citizens of a country or inevitably going to get ****** off because their government prefers a certain race or religion over another.

Boohoo, then they can move elsewhere. They are not being stripped of their rights, it's pretty obvious why this bill happened and they are not second-class citizen. Israel's declaration of independence states that it is a Jewish state but also it gives equal social and political rights regardless of person's race, sex and religion. You're exaggerating the situation.