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Can Israel Satisfy Critics of Its Nation-State Law?

(JNS) Jonathan S. Tobin - The primary purpose of Israel's new nation-state law is to give expression to the right of the Jewish people to self-determination in their ancient homeland. That shouldn't be controversial unless you think that the Jews are the only people who should be denied such rights when dozens of other countries similarly constituted aren't subject to siege or boycotts. The outrage that this law has provoked is not so much a discussion about how citizens of Israel should be treated, but whether or not the basic purpose for which the nation was created is legitimate. The Arab Higher Monitoring Committee organized a recent protest against the law in Tel Aviv at which some people waved Palestinian flags and chanted slogans such as "With blood and fire, we will redeem Palestine" and "Millions of martyrs are marching to Jerusalem." That made it quite clear that the goal wasn't so much equality or democracy, but the demise of Israel. Israeli opposition Yesh Atid party leader Yair Lapid wondered on Twitter what would happen to anyone who waved Israeli flags in Ramallah the way the demonstrators had flaunted their allegiances in Tel Aviv. The Arab Higher Monitoring Committee has long been on record as opposing Israel's status as a Jewish state, even if it is also explicitly democratic with equal rights guaranteed to minorities. The same is true of the Arab Joint List that has 13 seats in the Knesset and whose members oppose Israel's existence as a Jewish state under any circumstances. There's no way to satisfy such critics. Moreover, polls show a decisive majority of Israelis favor the law.
2018-08-15 00:00:00
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