There are some really dark things happening in Israel right now. There is no other way to say it. There are laws being passed that would make Mussolini proud, and I am actually self-censoring right now and not saying what I really want to say, maybe because I’m jetlagged and it feels too early in the day and the post to invoke Godwin’s law.
Laws like the new loyalty law just passed that will make any non-Jewish citizen applying for citzenship have to swear allegiance to Israel as a “Jewish and democratic state” (note Jewish first, democratic later).
Hell, I’m technically Jewish and would refuse to swear allegiance to a country that upholds backwards religious laws, which is how the biggest advocates of the Jewish element of this statement would like to see the country run. Fuck you.
The law as it stands is extra racist, though, because it only requires non-Jews to make this oath. You are accepted into the country on the understanding that you will never have equal religious freedom here.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen an Israeli government so composed of fascists, religious nuts and spineless molluscs and that’s saying something. Every time I read the news I feel just a little bit worse about things and I’m already feeling pretty fucking bad. What’s even worse is that there are a lot of people in Israel who think laws like this one and a new one being suggested that would have people’s citizenship revoked for “treason” (i.e. joining a peaceful flotilla to Gaza) are a good thing. Fuck you too.
That’s why events like this Saturday’s (the 16th) Arab / Jewish demo in Tel Aviv are so important. The only thing we can do in the face of this new wave of racially motivated fascism is unite and be counted. Please come and show your support. The timing and the location means things may well get heated, but there will be police at hand so there is unlikely to be physical violence.
Meet Saturday, 16/10 | 7:00 PM| Gan Meir- King Gorge street in TLV, march to the Ministry of Defence.