Israel's Cabinet approved on Sunday a bill that
would require new citizens to pledge a loyalty oath to a "Jewish
and democratic" state, language that triggered charges of racism
from Arab lawmakers who see it as undermining the rights of the
country's Arab minority.
Few non-Jews apply for Israeli citizenship so if the bill passes
into law, the legislation would not directly affect Arab citizens of
Israel, who make up 20 percent of the population.
Nevertheless, it has infuriated the Arab minority and stoked
tensions with Palestinians at a time when fledgling peace talks are
deadlocked over Israel's refusal to extend a moratorium on new
building in West Bank Jewish settlements.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended the bill by saying it
reflected the essence of Israel at a time when he said many in the
world are trying to blur the connection between the Jewish people
and their homeland.
"The state of Israel is the national state of the Jewish people
and is a democratic state in which all its citizens - Jews and
non-Jews - enjoy full equal rights," he said. "Whoever wants to
join us, has to recognize us."
Ahmad Tibi, an Arab lawmaker, called the move a provocation.
"Its purpose is to solidify the inferior status of Arabs by
law," he said. "Netanyahu and his government are limiting the
sphere of democracy in Israel and deepening the prejudice against
its Arab minority."
Unlike their Palestinian brethren in the West Bank and Gaza
Strip, Israel's Arabs are citizens, with the right to vote, travel
freely and to collect generous social benefits. But they have long
suffered from second-class status, frequently suffering
discrimination in housing and the job market.
While the new bill would not force them to profess their loyalty,
it would require a foreign-born spouse to take the oath in order to
receive citizenship.
The bill is backed by Yisrael Beitenu, a hard-line nationalist
party whose leader, Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, openly
questioned the loyalty of Israel's Arabs during last year's election
campaign.
"I think this is an important step forward. Obviously this is
not the end of the issue of loyalty in return for citizenship, but
this is a highly important step," he said.
The vote came during an impasse in Mideast peacemaking. Just a
month after their launch at a White House ceremony, talks between
Israeli and the Palestinians have become deadlocked over Israeli
settlement construction in the West Bank.
Palestinians say they will not resume negotiations unless Israel
extends a 10-month-old slowdown on new housing starts, which ended
in late September.
Netanyahu has rejected an extension, but is considering
compromises to keep the talks alive. Over the weekend, the Arab
League gave the U.S., which has been mediating talks, another month
to resolve the deadlock.
Under heavy international pressure, Netanyahu has been sounding
out key Cabinet ministers but does not appear to have a majority for
extending the building restrictions.
Lieberman has been a vocal critic of extending the settlement
curbs. Netanyahu's decision to bring the bill to a Cabinet vote may
be a way to soften Lieberman's opposition to extending the slowdown,
though officials have denied there is any connection.
The bill - which still needs to pass a wider parliamentary vote -
easily passed by a 22-8 margin. Only a handful of ministers, mostly
from the centrist Labor Party, opposed it.
Isaac Herzog, a minister with the centrist Labor Party, said he
opposed the bill because it would create unnecessary domestic
tensions and further damage Israel's standing when it is under fire
internationally.
"It is unnecessary and doesn't serve the interests of the state
of Israel," said Herzog. "It has a certain ideological logic
behind it but has adverse effect on Israel's image and its spirit of
true democracy."
Israel is now pushing another sensitive matter: its demand that
the Palestinians recognize it as the state of the Jewish people. The
Palestinians have refused to do so for fear that it will undermine
the status of Israeli Arabs and undercut the claims of Palestinian
refugees.
