MYTH: "Israel Instituted A Racist Loyalty Oath Requiring Immigrants To Pledge Allegiance To Israel As A 'Jewish And Democratic State'."

By Mitchell Bard--reposted with permission.

MYTH:
"Israel Instituted a Racist Loyalty Oath Requiring Immigrants to Pledge Allegiance to Israel as a 'Jewish and Democratic State'."


FACT:

The Israeli cabinet has proposed the adoption of an oath of allegiance for new immigrants. If adopted, people seeking to become naturalized citizens will have to pledge an oath of allegiance to the State of Israel as a "Jewish and democratic state" while also promising to "honor the laws of the state."⁴⁰¹ No changes to existing laws have been implemented as yet and since the idea of requiring an oath with such language is controversial in Israel it is likely to be revised during the deliberative process in the Knesset. The new oath may not even be approved at all because the recognition of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state is already embedded in Israel's Declaration of Independence and its 1992 "Basic Law on Human Dignity and Liberty."⁴⁰²

Although the proposed law instructs immigrants to officially declare and recognize Israel as a Jewish state, it does not stipulate a requirement for actually being Jewish to receive citizenship. Israel has never put restrictions on what religion its citizens choose to follow and assures freedom of religion within Israel as a matter of law.⁴⁰³

Moreover, the oath will not affect current Israeli citizens or those who acquire Israeli citizenship through birth, thus allaying many fears within Israel's various Arab communities that their children would have to pledge allegiance to a "Jewish state."

Syrian President Assad as well as Arab members of Israel's parliament have suggested the oath is a "fascist act" and cements Israel as a "racist country."⁴⁰⁴ In truth, the expectation that immigrants swear an oath to their new homeland is not unusual; check, for example, the requirements of citizenship in the U.S. and other Western countries.

Consider also the preamble to the Palestinian Basic Law, as well as the Hamas Charter, which both assert that Palestine is part of the "Arab world" and that "Islam is its official religion."⁴⁰⁵ Standing in stark contrast to the broad ranging religious freedoms granted to all citizens in Israel, non-Muslims are not accorded equal rights in the Palestinian Authority or any other Muslim country in the Middle East.

From its inception Israel has been a Jewish state without compromising the rights and freedoms of its citizens, regardless of ethnicity or religion. The proposed oath will ensure that all those who voluntarily choose to move to Israel in the future will understand the essential connection between the Jewish people and the State of Israel. The oath has not yet been instituted into law and, in the end, the decision on whether it is necessary or desirable will be determined through the democratic processes of Israel's goverment.

⁴⁰¹ Herb Keinon, "Loyalty Oath to 'Jewish State' Set to be Approved", Jerusalem Post, (October 6, 2010). 
⁴⁰² "Basic Law: Human Dignity and Liberty", The Knesset (1992).⁴⁰³ 2009 Report on International Religious Freedom, "Israel and the Occupied Territories", US Department of State (October 26, 2009) 
⁴⁰⁴ Jerusalem Post Staff, "Zoabi: 'Israel has Reached the Height of Fascism", Jerusalem Post (October 7, 2010). 
⁴⁰⁵ "2002 Basic Law", The Palestinian Basic Law (2002).

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