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Ten thousands protest loyalty oath bill and racist laws in Tel-Aviv Communist Party of Israel Monday, 18 October 2010 http://www.maki.org.il , mailto:interelations@maki.org.il Protest over the amendment to the Citizenship Act continues – some10,000 people on Saturday (October, 16) evening gathered in Tel Aviv's Gan Meir to protest of the loyalty oath bill, which was approved by the rightist Israeli government on Sunday. Protesters also voiced their opposition to the rising tide of fascism in Israel, as well as the growing legitimization of calls to transfer Arab-Palestinian citizens out of Israel. Entitled "Together against Racism – Jewish and Arab march for democracy", the march from Gan Meir park to the Defense Ministry headquarters brought together demonstrators from the Communist Party of Israel (CPI), the Democratic Front for Peace and Equality (Hadash), the Communist Youth and Meretz , members of a number of NGOs and activists groups, and thousands of democratic protesters. The participants, carried signs reading: "Lieberman's voice, Netanyahu's hands", "Fascism and ethnic cleansing are standing proud" and "together we'll protect democracy." Demonstrators carried Israeli red flags, and chanted, "Lieberman, Lieberman, a fascist and a racist too". Leading the procession were Members of Knesset Dov Khenin and Muhammad Barakeh (Hadash), the Secretary General of the CPI, Muhammad Nafa'h, MK Haim Oron (Meretz), former MK Mossi Raz (Meretz) and Tamar Gozansky (Hadash), Peace Now Director-General Yariv Oppenheimer and Gush Shalom leader, Uri Avneri "Democracy will prevail and racism will be defeated. There is no room for (Prime Minister Netanyahu) Bibi and Lieberman's games in the peace process. Everyone's interest is for a two-state solution. There will be no transfer here," told MK Barakeh. The protest organizers distributed leaflets titled: "The Israeli government's loyalty oath to the citizens of this country," which read, "I promise not to discriminate or deprive anyone because of their descent, sex, nationality, accent, color, culture, economic status or any other factor. We demand the members of Knesset to be loyal to us and grant us the right to live in dignity, security and hope for the future." Speaking on a park bench in Sarona garden, MK Khenin said, "The democratic freedom is in grave danger. The nightmare of a transfer is turning into a realistic plan, and that's why we stand here today. The foul wave that started with the Arabs has now reached the Jews who dare think differently". "Attacks on universities, artists and academicians have also become part of the 'internal danger'. We stand before a fatal battle for our future," he added. Meretz Chairman Haim Oron also spoke during the rally and said, "A bad spirit is hovering above this land. The test that stands before us is complicated and complex. The Knesset has 11 pending bills that are oozing of racism. We must stop this wave. "We cannot run a democratic country as long as there is an occupation. We call on the government and the Knesset to freeze all racist laws and continue to freeze the construction in the settlements," he said.
Leading Communist Party of Israel members meet Palestinian President in Ramallah Communist Party of Israel Monday, 18 October 2010 http://www.maki.org.il , mailto:interelations@maki.org.il Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) said today (Friday, October 15, 2010), in a meeting with leading Communist Party of Israel (CPI) members in Ramallah, he would not recognize Israel as a Jewish state, adding that he was also opposed to population exchanges as part of any permanent peace agreement. Abu Mazen add that he was also opposed to population exchanges as part of any permanent peace agreement. During a meeting with heads of the CPI and the Democratic Front for Peace and Equality (DFPE / Hadash) Abbas said, "Had we given up on our principles, we would have signed an agreement years ago." According to those who took part in the hour-long meeting, the Palestinian president said the direct talks with Benjamin Netanyahu have not progressed and that the Israeli prime minister is insisting on the continuation of construction in the West Bank's Jewish settlements. Abbas reiterated that he would not agree to resume negotiations as long as settlement construction continues. Abbas noted that the negotiations with Israel during former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's term did progress, and mentioned the Arab initiative as a key element of the peace process. "We won't budge from the Palestinian principles with regards to a final agreement," he said. During the meeting, Abbas said that in 1993, following the Oslo accords, the Palestinians recognized the State of Israel. "We want Israel to recognize the state of Palestine within the 1967 borders," the Palestinian leader told the Hadash members. Yasser Abed Rabo, secretary of the Palestinian Liberation Organization's Executive Committee, as well as other PLO officials, also attended the meeting. He spoke of the "unacceptable demand" to recognize Israel as a Jewish state, adding that this demand was aimed at thwarting the implementation of the right of Palestinian refugees to return. Hadash chairman and leading CPI member, Mohammad Barakeh told the meeting was held "in the shadow of racist laws, such as the amendment to the Citizenship Act and the demand to recognize Israel as a Jewish state, as well as the demand for population exchanges. "We refuse to accept these developments and we will fight them," the Communist Knesset member said. "We came to Abu Mazen and the Palestinian Authority officials in order to hear a clear and official stance regarding the stalled negotiations, and we made it clear that we would not be a herd of sheep during the negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians," Barakeh said. After the meeting Barakeh announced that tomorrow, Saturday night (Oct. 16) at 7 pm, a mass Jewish-Arab demonstration will be held in Tel Aviv under the banners "Together against racist laws" and "Against transfer and despair – marching for common hope!" The demonstration has been called by the CPI and its partners in the Democratic Front for Peace and Equality. The initiative has been joined by other democratic organizations and parties, who have joined the call for public protest against the army and police's practical preparations for revoking the citizenship of Arab citizens and deporting them ("transfer"), against recent racist legislation and for the defense of democratic space in Israel. Among our partners in the rally are Meretz, Yesh Gvul, Gush Shalom, Fighters for Peace, the Negev Forum for Co-existence, Agenda, the Mizrachi Rainbow, the Women Democratic Movement in Israel (Tandi), the Communist Youth (Bank-Shabiba), Emil Touma Institute; and co-existence organizations such as Shutfut, the Abraham Foundation, Sikkui and others.
Together against racist laws Communist Party of Israel Thursday, 14 October 2010 http://www.maki.org.il , mailto:interelations@maki.org.il Following the "transfer exercise": Jews and Arabs will demonstrate together in Tel Aviv on Saturday night against the descent into fascism This Saturday night (Oct. 16) at 7 pm, a mass Jewish-Arab demonstration will be held in Tel Aviv under the banners "Together against racist laws" and "Against transfer and despair – marching for common hope!" The demonstration has been called by the Communist Party of Israel and its partners in the Democratic Front for Peace and Equality (DFPE - Hadash/Jabhah). The initiative has been joined by other democratic organizations and parties, who have joined the call for public protest against the army and police's practical preparations for revoking the citizenship of Arab citizens and deporting them ("transfer"), against recent racist legislation and for the defense of democratic space in Israel. Among our partners in the rally are Meretz and co-existence organizations such as Shutfut, the Abraham Foundation, Sikkui and others. The organizers of the event declare that "against the government authorizes the Allegiance–Citizenship law, the fascist Lieberman's declarations at the UN and the security forces' exercise of deportation of the Arab population and against the dangerous erosion of democratic space – we will stand together, Arabs and Jews, and call: 'transfer' shall not pass! Together we will fight to end the occupation, for a just peace, equality, democracy and a future of hope". MK Dov Khenin (DFPE) has placed an urgent motion on the Knesset's table regarding the police-army exercise of "transfer", which took place last week. Khenin emphasized that the exercise of deportation and citizenship revocation shows that the ideas of transfer presented by Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman at the UN are becoming operative. Khenin called upon the democratic public in Israel to act "before the right-wing government brings a terrible disaster upon us all". As reported by Kol Israel correspondent Carmela Menashe, on October 7 army, police and other security forces completed an extensive exercise, in which they simulated Hamas terror attacks and protests by Arab citizens in the wake of transfer actions. According to the report, "among other things, the forces simulated extreme scenarios, such as violent protests in the Arab sector following agreements on population exchange with the [Palestinian] Authority". In addition, said Menashe, in this scenario, "in order to contain the detainees, a detention camp for Israeli Arabs will be set up at Golani Junction" in the Galilee. The extensive exercise directed by the Prison Service included the Home Front Command of the IDF, the Israel Police, the Military Police, firefighting forces and more. Eroding the bases of democracy The horrifying "transfer scenario" cannot be detached from the government-sponsored bill which proposes to oblige non-Jews attaining Israeli citizenship to swear allegiance to Israel as a Jewish and democratic state. This fascist legislation was forged by Lieberman's emissary, Minister of Justice Yaakov Neeman, and it has received widespread support in the Netanyahu-Barak government. MK Muhammad Barakeh, Chairman of the DFPE, said in response that Netanyahu has decided to open the Knesset's session with racist government-sponsored legislation. The amendment to the Citizenship Law, added Barakeh, is soaked in racism and transferism along the lines of Lieberman and Kahane's views, with the support of Security Minister Barak. This bill proves once again that Israel's book of laws can become a manual for the most racist and oppressive of the world's regimes. The racist bill, supported by most Likud ministers as well as all Israel Beitenu, Shas and HaBayit HaYehudi ministers, and opposed by Labor ministers as well as Likud members Dan Meridor, Michael Eitan and Benny Begin, has drawn sharp criticism amongst civil rights organizations and in the Arab public. "[Demanding] an oath of allegiance from non-Jewish naturalizing citizens is opposed to democratic principles", said the Association for Civil Rights in its response. "The formula of the oath presented by the government in itself undermines the bases of democracy in Israel", said ACRI in its letter to Netanyahu. ACRI called upon the government to oppose the bill, to stop its de-legitimization of the Arab minority in Israel and to act immediately upon its obligation to ensure equality for all citizens of the state. Smells like the Nuremberg laws Commentator Nahum Barnea published a sharp denunciation of the bill in Yediot Aharonot on Oct. 8: The bill does not only look racist: it truly is. It obliges non-Jews to swear their allegiance to the Jewish state, but exempts Jews from the obligation. They are exempt because Haredi rabbis will not swear allegiance, not to the state, not to [its] Jewish [character], and certainly not to [its] democratic [character]. The outcome is severe. This is not yet one of the Nuremberg race laws, but the smell is there... The new law exposes Lieberman as protagonist, as the real leader of the government, and Netanyahu, who opposed it and now supports it, as spineless. Lieberman will weaken Netanyahu more and more, until he brings him down." Both occurrences in the last week – the "transfer exercise" and the amendment to the citizenship law – do indeed indicate the growing strength of Lieberman and his ideology in Israeli politics and in the Israeli establishment. These occurrences also demonstrate how Lieberman plans to take over the political arena: his insistence during coalition talks that Netanyahu hand over the Justice and Internal Security portfolios to ministers of Lieberman's choosing (Neeman and Aharonovich respectively) has come, in this same week, to magnificently fascistic fruition. Resistance to the Liebermanization of Israeli politics, to racist incitement and to the exclusion of the Arab citizens and the left from democratic space – this is today the primary task of all lovers of peace and democracy in Israel.
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