Labor ministers to fight bill banning Nakba events (Not Ehud Barak)

[IndianaGreen]

Last update - 14:28 25/05/2009

Labor ministers to fight bill banning Nakba events

By Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent, and Haaretz Service

Three Labor ministers declared Monday their intention to appeal the approval by a ministerial panel of a law to ban ceremonies marking Israel's Independence Day as a "Nakba," or catastrophe.

Social Affairs Minister Isaac Herzog, Agriculture Minister Shalom Simhon, and Minority Affairs Minister Avishay Braverman said the bill damaged freedom of expression and freedom of association.

"This law will increase the isolationism and alienation in society and will strengthen the extremist minority among Israeli Arabs," the ministers said in a statement.

On Sunday, the Ministerial Committee for Legislation approved a preliminary proposal which would make it illegal to hold events or ceremonies marking Israel's Independence Day as a "Nakba," or catastrophe.

Rather than holding barbecues and parades on Independence Day, Israeli Arabs and Palestinians usually take the day to commemorate the dispersal of Palestinians during the 1948 War of Independence.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1088046.html

[IndianaGreen]

1. UPDATE: Barak, Labor ministers to fight bill banning Nakba events

The slimeball Ehud Barak does a Texas 2-step. Did anyone take note?

Or did he? Haaretz quotes unnamed associates, but not Barak himself. What is he doing, taking a poll?

Last update - 02:30 26/05/2009

Barak, Labor ministers to fight bill banning Nakba events

By Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent, and Haaretz Service

Defense Minister and Labor Party chairman Ehud Barak opposes a bill that would forbid Israeli Arabs from commemorating the Nakba on Israel's
Independence Day and plans to raise the issue with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his associates said Monday.

Three other Labor ministers announced yesterday that they would appeal the bill's approval by the Ministerial Committee on Legislation to the full cabinet.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1088046.html