The bill has sparked wide condemnation and many believe it to be discriminatory and racist, since it allows communities to reject residents if they do no meet the criteria of "suitability to the community's fundamental outlook", which in effect enables them to reject candidates based on sex, religion, and socioeconomic status.
Knesset panel approves controversial bill allowing towns to reject residents
Israeli Arab MKs al-Sana and Tibi walk out on committee discussion, calling it a 'criminal law' aiming to prevent Arabs from joining Israeli towns.
By Jonathan Lis and Jack Khoury • Ha’aretz
The Knesset's Constitution, Law and Justice Committee on Wednesday unanimously approved a bill which gives the right to absorption committees of small communities in Israel to reject candidates if they do not meet specific criteria.
The bill has sparked wide condemnation and many believe it to be discriminatory and racist, since it allows communities to reject residents if they do no meet the criteria of "suitability to the community's fundamental outlook", which in effect enables them to reject candidates based on sex, religion, and socioeconomic status.
The bill is due to be presented before the Knesset plenum in the coming weeks.
Israeli Arab MKs were outraged by the proposal and walked out on the committee's discussion of it.
MK Talab al-Sana (United Arab List – Ta'al) called the bill racist and said it was meant to prevent Arabs from joining Israeli towns. MK Ahmed Tibi (United Arab List – Ta'al) compared the bill to racist laws in Europe during World War Two, and the two told the committee members before leaving the hall: "We will not cooperate with this criminal law – you have crossed the line."
The committee's chairman, David Rotem (Yisrael Beiteinu), responded to claims the bill was meant to reject Arabs from joining Israeli towns. "In my opinion, every Jewish town needs at least one Arab. What would happen if my refrigerator stopped working on a Saturday?"
Update 12:35 pm CDT – Here's the Jerusalem Post's report [Hat Tip: Maverick.]:
C'tee okays bill that lets communities reject newcomers
Arab MKs charge that the bill is racist and aimed at preventing Israeli Arabs from being accepted in Jewish communities.
By DAN IZENBERG • Jerusalem Post
The Knesset Law Committee on Wednesday unanimously approved a bill allowing small communal settlements in the Negev and Galilee to reject would-be newcomers if they are not suitable on various grounds for life in the community.
The bill will now be sent to the plenum for second and final readings.
The two Arab-Israeli committee members, Hanna Swaid (Hadash) and Taleb el-Sana (Ra'am-Ta'al) stormed out of the chamber in the middle of the vote after seeing that the bill's supporters had a clear majority.
The final vote was six in favor of the draft, and, none against. Those who voted for the bill were Shai Hermesh and Israel Hasson (Kadima), Avraham Michaeli (Shas), Uri Orbach (Habayit Hayehudi), and committee chairman David Rotem (Israel Beiteinu.)
Arab and left-wing MKs charged that the bill was racist and aimed at preventing Israeli Arabs from being accepted in Jewish communities, even though the land is state-owned.
The bill applies to all communities in the Negev and Galilee with 500 or fewer families. It states that the allocation of a plot of land on which to build a home will be conditional on the approval of an admissions committee, if the community has one. It also determines the composition of the committee which must include two representatives of the settlement, a member of the movement to which the community belongs, a representative of the Jewish Agency or World Zionist Organization, and a representative of the regional council
The law lists the acceptable grounds for turning down an applicant who wants to join the community. These include:
* The candidate is not suitable for social life in the community. A decision to refuse a candidate on these grounds shall be based on an expert opinion.
* The candidate does not match the social-cultural fabric of the settlement and there is reason to assume he might harm it.
* Unique characteristics of the communal settlement or admission terms as stipulated in the association's codex, if there are any, provided they are approved by the registrar.
The law also stipulates that "the admission committee may not turn down a candidate based on reasons of race, religion, gender, nationality or handicap."
The left-wing and Arab MKs proposed several changes to the draft of the bill that was presented to the committee by Rotem for a vote.
Several demanded that the bill apply only to communities with 50 families or less. Dov Hanin (Hadash) demanded that instead of having a Jewish Agency or WZO representative on the admissions committee, there should be an Israeli Arab, a woman or some other minority representative. El-Sana demanded to know on the basis of what criteria the committee could determine who was socially suitable for the community.
"The law is bad, harmful, and injurious and has nothing positive about it," said Hanin.
"The law is a great provocation and is being legislated in bad faith," added Swaid.
When Ahmed Tibi (Ra'am-Ta'al) charged that the bill was aimed at the Israeli Arabs, Rotem, who appears to enjoy baiting the Arab MKs, replied, "That isn't true. Every Jewish community needs one Arab resident. Otherwise, who will repair the refrigerator that breaks down on the Sabbath?"
Tibi did not find the comment funny.