The Israeli right-far-right coalition was already on shaky footing, but is even moreso this weekend amid issues surrounding the “Jewish State” bill being pushed by the ruling Likud Party.
The bill aims to describe Israel as an exclusively Jewish state, and would remove Arabic as an official national language, though it would grant it some nominal secondary status.
The bill’s primary goal seems to be giving Jewish property claims an advantage in legal battles, as far-right coalition members have cited court rulings as proof of the need for such a bill.
Justice Minister Tzipi Livni, on the more centrist side of the coalition, postponed debate of the bill, and her party says that the timing is terrible, coming amid soaring tensions with Israel’s Arab minority. They also expressed concerns that the move to define Israel exclusively as Jewish was as much as the expense of democracy as it was at the expense of Israel’s ethnic and religious minorities.
Livni’s postponement is at best temporary, however, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to circumvent her committee and bring the bill directly to the cabinet. No date was announced for this.
Livni’s party might not be the only problem, however, as Economy Minister Naftali Bennett has vowed to withhold his party’s support from any bills proposed by “centrists” from this point forward to spite Livni. The coalition seems at this point to be hanging on by a thread.
The European reaction to that will be startling and important. The arrogant Israeli right wing is over reaching.
FIFA is the international football (soccer) association and right now the European qualifing playing for Europeian cup, Israel is no where close to Europe but they are participating the event and is OK with FIFA, sooner or later ISIS and Israel as a "Jewish" state are to compete while FIFA watching.
The question is the double standard of the Europeans and if they truly care for the Palestinians cause why can't they participate in FIFAs game.
A shame the "coalition" won't implode. Otherwise they'll come up with some law to gas all those who aren't jewish.
Of course, if that happened the US Congress would pass a resolution calling the gassing an act of "Self Defense" while AIPAC/ADL/JDL would call anyone critical of the gassing an "anti-Semite."
Israel as a Jewish state is a great idea. America should adopt the reasoning and declare itself a Christian nation. The heritage of a greater portion of our people is Christian than the portion of Israel's population that is Jewish. Israel's supporters here will without doubt heartily endorse the idea as they are not racist hypocrites. .
Why should the US follow such folly? Imagine punishing atheists for something Israel is doing. Let them stew in their own juices – if they get away with it – but the Proverb says "Pride goeth before a fall."
Your sarcometer is not functioning.
I guess the Nuvolari fan above was making an ironic comment.
What is it going to take to get America to realize that Israel is a deeply racist, land-stealing criminal enterprise? Must we wait for actual genocide?
So much for a "Western style democracy" in the Mideast.
I used to think (hope) that there would be a limit to how far the Israelis could go before the USG would Beech-slap them. I no longer think there is a limit…just as there is no longer a limit to the USG's depravity.
Government — Anarchy by and for the rich
In Israel as it is in Empire USA, the corporate rich supply over 90% of the political donations and if a politician wants to serve more then one term, they had best be in full and perfect submission to those who paid millions to buy their election.
So, paid actor theatrics such as this must be staged to create the illusion that government is so hopelessly corrupt, that democracy is so impossible, that most people turn their back on government and all the corporate rich to do as they please.
For what pleases the corporate rich if for the upper half of society to hoard all the wealth, the uneducated lower half to be enslaved by poverty and for three-fourths of the wealth to be owned by the rich ruling class, namely the 25% most wealthy.