Israel Bill Would Put Judaism Above Democracy
Image by haaretz
An Israeli lawmaker on Monday submitted a highly controversial proposal that would make Judaism superior to democracy in the State of Israel, amending a previous bill that was tossed by the Knesset before the last general election.
Coalition Chairman MK Yariv Levin (Likud) presented his formulation for a new Israeli basic law, one that obligates the courts to prioritize the state’s Jewish identity in rulings that address issues of religion and state.
Levin decided to revive another bill, but has added to it a number of highly controversial provisions. Levin’s formulation grants – for the first time – legal status to the term “the land of Israel” and the (exclusive) Jewish affinity to it.
“The land of Israel is the historical birthplace of the Jewish people and the place of the establishment of the State of Israel,” the proposal states. No other nationalities or religions are mentioned in this context, which continues, “The right to realize national self-definition in the State of Israel is unique to the Jewish people.”
For more, go to Haaretz
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.
Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.
At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and the protests on college campuses.
Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.
Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
