The Palestinian Fatah party has condemned the Israeli cabinet for the approval of the ‘oath of loyalty’ bill, saying the move indicates a policy of ethnic cleansing.
Backed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the bill requiring non-Jews seeking citizenship to swear loyalty to a "Jewish and democratic state" was passed by Israeli ministers in a vote of 20-8 on Sunday.
Fatah spokesman Usama al-Qawasmi said the amendment to the Israeli citizenship law was aimed at Palestinians and condemned Tel Aviv as "the most racist and dictatorial" entity in the world.
The bill showed the Israeli cabinet is adopting the right-wing extremism of hawkish Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, the Fatah official said, reminding that the amendment was one of a series of ‘loyalty laws’ proposed by Lieberman’s Yisrael Beitenu party.
Addressing leaders at recent UN General Assembly session, Lieberman said under proposal Israeli borders would "better reflect demographic realities" — a plan under which residents of Arab towns would have their Israeli citizenship revoked.
Qawasmi said the move was an attempt to bend international laws and UN resolutions which protect the right of return of Palestinian refugees.
Palestinians have refused requests by Netanyahu to recognize a "Jewish" Israel.
Earlier in the day, Israeli Social Affairs Minister Isaac Herzog said the bill carried a "whiff of fascism."
Israel fabricated its existence in 1948 during the Six-Day War against the Arab world, forcing 711,000 Palestinians to leave their homeland. Estimates made in 2008 put the number of the refugees at over 4.6 million.
In 1967, Tel Aviv went on to annex the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and East al-Quds (Jerusalem).
The move is considered illegal under international laws.
Unlike all democracies, Israel does not have a written constitution, nor does it have a bill of rights.
In his book Israel, let’s talk about it Belgian journalist and author, Michel Collon has raised the shortcoming, saying it defies the Western media’s designation of Israel as the only "democracy" in the Middle East and the "government of law."
What is referred to as Israeli "laws," Collon has protested, describes Israel as a "country" for Jews, where non-Jew citizens are not considered human.
(Press TV)
