Some background info on the battle against "demographic suicide":
mediamonitors.net
Israel's Two-Tiered Citizenship Law Bars Non-Jews From 93 Percent of Its Lands
by Roselle Tekiner
On a bus tour through the Galilee several years ago, the guide
commented that the government was having difficulty preventing Arabs
from encroaching on the land through which we were passing. I asked
why Arabs were being kept off this land and he replied that it was
national land. I told him I didn't understand what "national land" meant if
it has to be secured against Arabs. "Aren't Arabs citizens of Israel?"
"Of course they are," he replied, "but it's much more complicated here
than in the United States and difficult to explain. " That ended our brief
exchange, for he turned abruptly away. He apparently had learned to
recognize and avoid loaded questions that he either could not or did not
want to answer.
No Israeli nationality applies to all citizens, as does a US
nationality in the United States
Zionist uses of the term "nation," "national, " and "nationality" are
indeed difficult to understand and to explain because they derive from
concepts that are unfamiliar to Americans. Moreover, their true
meanings are deliberately obscured by usually incorrect translations
from Hebrew into English.
The prime example of deception, from which the others flow, is the
accepted translation of Israel's Law of Citizenship as "Nationality " Law.
In the original Hebrew text, the word is ezrahut, the correct translation
is "citizenship."
It would not occur to the average English peaking observer to object to
translating ezrahut as "nationality" because "citizenship" and
"nationality" are interchangeable terms in the United States, as well as
in most democratic societies. In Israel, however, they are two separate
and very different statuses. Citizenship (ezrahut) may be held by Arabs
as well as Jews while nationality (le'um), which bestows significantly
greater rights than citizenship, may be claimed by Jews alone.
To refer to "Arab nationals," as this law does, is a deceptive translation
of ezrahut, because Arabs or others who are not Jews cannot be
"nationals" of Israel. Only Jews can be "nationals." Their nationality
rights are granted by the Law of Return. No Israeli nationality applies to
all citizens, as does a US nationality in the United States or French
nationality in France, for example. In Israel, there is only a Jewish
nationality. That nonJews cannot qualify for nationality rights in the
state of Israel was affirmed by the Supreme Court in 1972 in a
statement that there is no Israeli nation separate from the Jewish
people.
The original mis-translation of ezrahut as "nationality" has been
consistently repeated, successfully concealing the existence of the two
legal statuses, with non-Jews eligible for only one. Like a virus
introduced into a computer system, the error is continually replicated
and now permeates most writings on the topic of nationality and
national rights in Israel. Having 5uccessftilly conveyed the erroneous
perception- that Arabs and Jews alike are nationals of Israel, it seems
logical to assume that national lands, like national lands in other
countries, are a national asset belonging to all the people. Even if a tour
guide were equipped with details of this clever ruse, however, he would
not last long in his job if he explained the rationale behind prohibitions of
Arab encroachment on " national" lands.
"Redeeming the Land" for the "Jewish People"
The process by which the land becomes national" land is through
purchase or confiscation by the Jewish National Fund. The procedure is
referred to as "redeeming the land," which then becomes the inalienable
property of the Jews of the world, who are(; Israel's national
constituency and referred to in law as "the Jewish people."
"Redeeming the land" derives from the Bible. The concept was
appropriated by political Zionism and transformed into strictly nationalist
terms. The state, instead of God, would return the people from exile to
restore the relationship between "the Jewish people " and the land. The
problem was: how can a country, eager for world recognition as
non-discriminatory and democratic, structure its institutions to deprive
permanently its citizens who are not Jews of use of much of its land?
The solution came through Knesset enactment of the Status Law,
empowering the World Zionist Organization/Jewish Agency to develop
the country for the Jewish people. "National" institutions, such as the
Jewish National Fund, were then established for Jews only. The Zionist
movement created a network of "national" institutions to carry out
policies-such as land redemption for Jews-which are clearly
discriminatory. By publicizing these institutions as purely philanthropic
agencies, the popular perception that Israel is a genuine democracy
has remained largely undamaged.
The fact is, however, that the Jewish Agency is a component of the
government with massive resources and has at times had a budget
almost as large as the development budget of the government.
Ninety-three percent of Israel's land is "national" land, which is
developed, leased and administered by "national" institutions for Israel's
"national " constituency, "the Jewish people."
The government, serving a "citizen" constituency, can at any time give
the Jewish Agency authority to deliver services to its "national"
constituency. In this way, services can be legally withheld from
non-Jewish citizens. For example, Ian Lustick, in his book Arabs in the
Jewish State, tells how a program providing special incentives for large
families was administered by the Jewish Agency instead of by the
government, to ensure that only Jews would be motivated to have more
children. The rationale was that it is in the interest of Israel to increase
the Jewish, but not the Arab, population.
The United States grants tax-deductible status to many of Israel's
"national" institutions. US administrations have continually ignored US
laws prohibiting funds of a tax-exempt organization to be directed to or
disbursed by a foreign government. Deliberately, or in ignorance of the
effects of the Status Law, which makes the Jewish Agency a
component of the Israeli government, contributions to the Jewish
National Fund via the United Jewish Appeal are treated by the US
Internal Revenue Service as if they are as qualified for income tax
deduction as any contribution to any private, voluntary , American
philanthropic agency in the US. Consequently, American taxpayers
contribute significantly to "redeeming the land" for "the Jewish people,"
helping to prevent Arab encroachment on what has become "national"
land through Israel's unique "redemption" process. |
