Top 10 worst errors Israel is about to make - Bradley Burston

[shaayecanaan]

"1. The Loyalty Oath.

What it is: A proposed amendment to Israel's Law of Citizenship, which, if approved by the Knesset, would require non-Jews seeking citizenship to pledge allegiance to Israel as a "Jewish and democratic state." The bill does not require Jews to make the same declaration.

Why it matters: A watershed measure which has been widely condemned as formally racist, passage of the bill, a key demand of Avigdor Lieberman's Israel Beiteinu party, could also fuel Lieberman's drive to head the Israeli right, and eventually, run for the premiership."

http://www.haaretz.com/blogs/a-special-place-in-hell/a-special-place-in-hell-top-10-worst-errors-israel-is-about-to-make-1.318659

Apparently Jews will not be required to sign a loyalty oath, probably because of reservations that ultra-Orthodox Jews have about swearing loyalty to a state (let alone a democratic state). I must admit I was mistaken about this earlier.

In any event this explains Shas' support for the bill - they have no problems supporting it because it doesnt apply to Jews.

Presumably then, it will only apply to foreign workers who manage to get citizenship, and East Jerusalem residents who apply for same, and there are not huge numbers of either.

[Ozymanithrax]

1. A lot of the ultra-orthadox Jews don't even recognize the state of Israel...

since the Messiah has not come.

And you are right, it is an egrigious error.

[shaayecanaan]

4. I think that's the whole point of it...

However, it does seem rather two-faced for Israel to insist on the oath for Arabs but not Jews.

In reality, not many East Jerusalem residents apply for citizenship. And Israel is not keen on letting Chinese and Thai foreign workers obtain citizenship since it will dilute their Jewish stock or whatever (they even threatened to kick out all the Asian restaurant chefs a few years back and insist that they be replaced by Jews). So the oath is likely to be a non-starter for numerous reasons.

[Crunchy Frog]

5. I thought that if you don't recognize the state of Israel

or support it's particular self identification, that makes you an anti-semite and a terrorist supporter. Now they're going to let those folks become citizens without even taking a loyalty oath.

[azurnoir]

2. Ahmen Mr Burston

I particularly like that last one

10. Failing to indict Avigdor Lieberman for alleged money laundering.

What you can do: Pray.

I will admit I've been curious to see a picture of Avigdor shirtless and not because I think he's sexy

[hendo]

3. I very much enjoy thier Biggest Mistakes of the past decade

1-10 are The Siege of Gaza. I couldn't agree more.

[txaslftist]

6. These aren't mistakes.

These are necessary precursors to genocide.

[LeftishBrit]

7. Nobody is going to commit genocide.

War, oppression, violence, yes. But using 'genocide' for anything that is happening, or likely to happen, on either side trivializes the meaning of the term.

[txaslftist]

9. genocide

includes ethnic cleansing, forcible diplacement, etc...

It doesn't require the extinguishing of the people.

[Donald Ian Rankin]

13. No, it explicitly doesn't.

Genocide means trying to wipe out a people. Anything else may be as wicked as genocide, but it isn't genocide, any more than rape is murder or vice versa.

[Violet_Crumble]

14. I didn't see yr post earlier...

Ethnic cleansing, forcible displacement etc don't make something genocide. They can be part of a genocide, but on their own don't constitute genocide. Genocide isn't something that's happened in the I/P conflict, as ugly and brutal as it has been, though it's used by partisans on both 'sides' at times as a claim against the other side. Ethnic cleansing has happened during the conflict, and there has been imo low-level ethnic cleansing happening in Jerusalem over time. But not genocide...

[LeftishBrit]

8. Excellent article.

[Violet_Crumble]

10. He's pretty good with his Top 10's...

Reading through this one, something occured to me. All ten of those errors that Israel's about to make at the hands of an extreme RW government are all things that are supported by one or two American'supporters' of Israel here. When it comes to Israel, it's almost as though Americans don't care what the government's ideology is - as long as it's the government of Israel they're going to drool over it and think it's just too awesomely DeMoCrAtIc for words...

[shira]

11. There are one or two American supporters here for all 10 things on the list? Really? n/t

[Donald Ian Rankin]

12. So which ones don't you support?

And of those, which ones have you not actually posted in tacit defence of, even if you claim to oppose them?

[shira]

15. You honestly believe I'm for all 10? n/t

[Donald Ian Rankin]

16. No, but I reckon there are a good few you support. NT