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.
