Cabinet passes citizenship law; leftists, Arabs fume about oath of allegiance (Israel)

Israel Insider ^ | 10/10/10 | Israel Insider

[BuckeyeTexan]

MKs from both sides of the political spectrum responded on Sunday to the cabinet's approval of changes to the Citizenship Law requiring a loyalty oath of new citizens. Twenty-two voted in favor of the bill and eight opposed it, including all Labor ministers. Likud ministers Benny Begin, Dan Meridor, and Michae Eitan also voted against the bill.

Right-wing parties expressed their satisfaction with the approval. "The government decision that people who become citizens must declare their loyalty to the State of Israel as Jewish and democratic is an important message," said a spokesman for Yisrael Beiteinu.

Arab MK Ahmed Tibi accused the government of having "turned into the stooge of Israel Beiteinu and its fascist doctrine.

"There is no country in the world that forces its citizens or those naturalizing to swear their loyalty to deology or a sectarian obligation," the UAL-Ta'al MK claimed. "Israel is proving that it is not egalitarian and is in fact democratic for Jews and Jewish for Arabs."

(Snip)

Labor Chairman Ehud Barak withdrew his non-conditional support for the amendment moments before the government meeting, saying that he would only back it if, in addition to defining Israel as Jewish and democratic, the words "in the spirit of the Declaration of Independence" would be added. The Labor chairman explained that the addition "reflects Israel's open and liberal spirit" and "coincides with the basic values adopted by other countries in the world".

[abigkahuna]

I think Israel is going down the wrong path here.

[Fred Nerks]

In some countries, a pledge is taken by a new citizen, as opposed to an oath.

Australia
Australian nationality law
Officially called the “Pledge of Commitment”:

From this time forward, under God,
I pledge my loyalty to Australia and its people,
whose democratic beliefs I share,
whose rights and liberties I respect, and
whose laws I will uphold and obey.

All new citizens have the choice of making the pledge with or without the words ‘under God’.

[skr]

I’m surprised this wasn’t already in the oath.

[Navy Patriot]

Great idea, a loyalty oath, and reinstate the death penalty for breaking that oath.

If an Arab foreign national is honest and truthful, he has nothing to fear.

[RichInOC]

Especially the part that goes "Shema Yisrael Adonai Eloheinu Adonai Eḥad"...

[northwinds]

"The government decision that people who become citizens must declare their loyalty to the State of Israel as Jewish and democratic is an important message," said a spokesman for Yisrael Beiteinu.

I think this is a great idea....from now on I believe all people becoming citizens of the U.S. must declare their loyalty to the United States as Christian and democratic....

[abigkahuna]

Now that is a straightforward pledge/oath. Why Israel wants to commit itself as a theocratic state and not a democratic/republic state is beyond me. If I were an Arab Israeli, I would be a bit miffed too—as I would now be officially a second class citizen, if at all. Not totally knowing the current state of affairs of arab israelis, I could imagine that currently their might be defacto second class citizens, but to make it official is to much heat.

[GeronL]

How dare we expect citizens to act like citizens.

Hey, lets give citizenship to anyone who crosses the border with a bomb or drugs.

Come to America, even if you HATE it with a blind passion.

[GeronL]

Giving citizenship to avowed enemies of Israel is retarded

[Fred Nerks]

...The government decision that people who become citizens must declare their loyalty to the State of Israel as Jewish and democratic is an important message...

I see this the same as if anyone becoming naturalized in Australia, were asked to say: "...I declare my loyalty to Australia as AUSTRALIAN and democratic..."

'Jewish' in that context refers to a PEOPLE and a CULTURE, not a religion...and any arab who can't bring himself to say that, doesn't deserve citizenship.

[An Old Man]

To become a U.S. citizen, you must take the Oath of Allegiance. When you take the oath, you must promise to:

Renounce foreign allegiances
Support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States
Fight in the U.S. Armed Forces, perform noncombatant service in the Armed Forces, and perform civilian service in the U.S.

The Oath of Allegiance:

“I hereby declare, on oath,

that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen;

that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same;

that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law;

that I will perform noncombatant service in the Armed Forces of the United States when required by the law;

[Danae]

“I pledge Allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands.”

“One Nation under God, [is] indivisible with liberty[,] and justice [is] for all.”

That is how it should be read. It is an oath of Allegiance to the United States. Its not a little schoolkid rhyme as they seem to present it today by union dominated teachers...

If it is good enough for America, then by golly its good enough for Israel as well.

[abigkahuna]

Why don't you ask the current non-jewish citizens of Israel if they would feel like a second class citizen... It would be akin to a poster above saying that jewish americans could not be full citizens unless they declared themselves prostate before Mormon Citizens...The whole thing is absurd on its face.

We are talking about folks that are already citizens of Israel, and asking them to reduce their status.

Now if you wish to compare this to the United States....No where in the constitution does it state that I have to bow before a theocratic authority. The Jewish Religion, culture and people are interchangeable--Many of you argue against the theocratic mullahs of Iran...That Islam is a political as well as religious institution-- Well then, does not that logic extend to any system that uses its "religious culture"?

I am speaking here from a view point of freedom and liberty. If some posters here want to confuse the issue--with the war on terror, well, what ever...My support for Israel is strong and deep. I just happen to think that this is a wrong course for that nation.

But if some knee jerk posters here wish to pledge an oath that they are some sort of (Insert religion here) Hyphenated American, then be my guest. If you want to force the rest of us to swallow your bilge--then you will have civil war on your hands. My America allows me to practice my religion free from state interference...I guess yours would not allow that.

[abigkahuna]

Heck I would replace the current oath with something similar to the Military Oath: I, (NAME), do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; (and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God)

The part in parethenisis I would scratch for ordinary citizens. My oath would be to the constitution, not some clap-trap written by a socialist to affirm the power of the federal government over the power of the states--but hey I am a conservative, you wanna bow down to Washington--be my guest.

[Danae]

I think you have something here!

Imagine this... Who do you think would protest the hardest? Those who love America? Or those who hate America?

Of course, those who hate America are not going to take such a serious and solemn oath as that (Lets combine the two!!) as something they want to do! Quite literally, it will flush out those who seek to destroy the constitution, as opposed to maintaining it and living under its real meaning. Not what case law has changed it into over 200 years.... but its original meaning as it was written, in the CONTEXT it was written in.

I think you are on to something here. I think we DO need a renewed oath of Allegiance. The one we have now has been reduced to a schoolkid rhyme with no meaning given behind it, with no context for it at all, let alone its seriousness....

Things that make you go “hummmmmmm...”

[SamuraiScot]

unless they declared themselves prostate before Mormon Citizens...

That would be odd. Would declaring themselves pancreas be less problematic?

(Er, you maybe meant "prostrate"?)

[abigkahuna]

Well, its simpler--no need to mention god for those that feel offended, One could swear (which means god), or affirm. I find that very constitutional.

So how do we get the ball rolling--I mean who could argue against the constitution? Especially the enemies, domestic and foriegn?

[abigkahuna]

Yeah I do :)

[BuckeyeTexan]

I didn’t say any of those things. I’m sure what you’re talikng about.