MEMO EXCLUSIVE

The Israeli parliament yesterday approved a bill requiring non-Jews to pledge an oath of allegiance to Israel as a 'Jewish and democratic' state. The move is seen as yet another humiliating blow to the Arab leaders who have made every conceivable concession to ensure the success of 'the peace process'. The Middle East Monitor (MEMO) spoke to a leading Arab Member of the Knesset, Mr Talab El Sana, to get his reactions to this development.

"The timing of this law is not accidental", El Sana said. Israel's right wing government embarked on this move at this specific time for two reasons; the first is related to the troubled negotiations with the PLO and the second is a direct response to the dictates of Israel's internal coalition politics.

With regard to the first, El Sana said, "Netanyaho believes that this is his opportunity to impose the Jewish identity of the state on the Palestinian people, the Arabs states and the international community. His long term goal is to abrogate the right of the Palestinian refugees to return. When Israel becomes the state of the Jews, on what basis will the refugees be able to exercise their right of return? This explains the timing of the law; to pre-empt the return of the refugees."

On the second level, El Sana said, "the new law is an attempt by Netanyaho to ingratiate his Coalition partners and Avigdor Liebermann in particular who has been the main advocate and mover of the bill."

About the reaction of Palestinians in Israel, El Sana added, "We view this as a dangerous development which seeks to legitimize state discrimination against the 1.5 million Palestinians in Israel. In the absence of a constitution to guarantee and protect their rights, they have every right to ask where is their state if this is the state for the Jews."

El Sana said all the rhetoric and actions of the Netanyaho government suggest that it is preparing the ground for another wave of ethnic cleansing and expulsion of Palestinians.

"This shows the failure of Zionism," El Sana said. "After more than six decades it has failed to domesticate the Palestinian population in Israel; hence they want to do so by force of law."

All of this exposes the fallacy of Israeli democracy. Equality is the bedrock of democracy. There is no democracy without equality. This law clearly discriminates in favour of Jews."

El Sana ended by pointing out that the eight ministers of the parliament who voted against the bill did so not because they were Palestinians but because they are convinced that this law is racist and discriminatory.