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CONTACT: Naomi Paiss
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[email protected]

Statement on Expulsion Law

19 July 2016

Today the Knesset passed the latest, and most troubling, in a barrage of anti-democratic laws. This is a clear sign that the current Israeli government – led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu – has led the country onto a slippery slope away from the values of liberal democracy enshrined in Israel’s declaration of independence.

A representative democracy is based on the fundamental principles of respect for the will of the voters and protections against the tyranny of the majority.

This bill undermines these core democratic notions by allowing Knesset Members to dismiss elected officials over the content of their speech. Now, politicians can police unpopular political speech and serve as judge and jury on the matter.

This bill was written to threaten Arab Members of Knesset. It sends a clear message to Palestinian citizens of Israel: you are not equal citizens. This is a damaging message that threatens to drive a deeper wedge between Jewish and Arab communities. And while the current target is the Arab minority, the law is a bludgeon the majority can wield against other minority communities in the future.

NIF stands for a vision of Israel based on the values of equality and democracy. This law is a leap away from that vision.

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