A committee of the Israeli Knesset has passed anti-Nakba legislation. The law would not criminalize commemorations of the Nakba–the original legislation, loudly condemned–but, Haaretz reports, end public funding for activities that "reject the existence of the State of Israel as a Jewish state or deny the democratic character of the state." The bill was submitted by precocious dimwit Alex Miller.
A Labor Party minister warns that the legislation would "harm the fragile fabric of Jewish-Arab relations in Israel and also defame Israel in the world." And here is Noam Sheizaf, at Promised Land:
One has to understand the political reality in Israel to fully
appreciate why this new law is no less than a direct attack on the core
principles of the democratic system, and most notably, on the rights of
the large Israeli-Palestinian minority.
Basically, to outlaw funds equals to outlaw an activity altogether.
From now on, if an Arab city or village conducts for example a
remembrance ceremony for the members of their community who died 1948,
it will stand the risk of losing all public support for the
municipality – something no one, especially the poor Arab population,
can afford….
It seems that when it comes to the Arabs, Israelis have totally
forgotten the meaning of freedom of speech. It is almost embarrassing
to remind that this idea involves the freedom to express opinions that
we don’t agree with, by people we don’t necessarily like.
Update: Ha'aretz is reporting that 230 lecturers from Israeli
universities and academic institutions intend to "publicly violate" the proposed Nakba legislation if it becomes law. One telling quote from Professor Bill Freedman of Haifa University:
"I can not sit on the sidelines while Israel descends into anti-democratic fascism," Freedman said.
"I saw the bills proposed to the Knesset. I am American originally,
and the subject of freedom of speech is ingrained deep inside of me."
