Israel elections: '99% of Israeli Arabs stand by their loyalty to the state'

[Turborama]

Last update - 22:57 08/02/2009

Defense Minister Ehud Barak said Sunday that while he believes the government must take action against any disloyal citizen, he could not back rival Yisrael Beiteinu leader Avigdor Lieberman's campaign motto of "no citizenship without loyalty."

"I believe in the declaration of independence and the need to act accordingly. Ninety-nine percent of Arab citizens are citizens who stand by their obligation to the state. I think steps need to be taken when people act against the state, Jews and Arabs alike," Barak said in an interview with Channel Two. "As I see it, Lieberman's statement 'No citizenship without loyalty' is wrong. That is not Israel's problem. Some political players are deal with that instead of with the true issues," he added.

Channel Two on Sunday aired live interviews with the top three contenders for prime minister: Labor Chair Barak, Kadima Chairwoman Tzipi Livni and Likud Chairman Benjamin Netanyahu. All three candidates were asked about Lieberman, whose campaign against Israeli Arabs has sparked outrage. Lieberman has declared his ambition of gaining 15 seats in next week's election, while surveys in fact predict Yisrael Beiteinu may win even more than that.

Livni told the interviewers that she would not discount the possibility of forming a coalition government with Lieberman, despite his controversial stance.

Read More: http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1062507.html


(edit to tidy up the subject line)

[Radical Activist]

1. Well

regimes that require absolute loyalty to the state certainly have an interesting history.

[LeftishBrit]

2. Does it strike anyone else...

that Lieberman's attitude to Israeli Arabs, and demand for 'no citizenship without loyalty' is strongly reminiscent of those people and sites that are ever-ready to suspect American Jews of 'dual citizenship' and 'being more loyal to Israel than America'?

And of course of Norman Tebbit's suspecting British Asians of disloyalty and demanding that they should pass the 'cricket test' of cheering for the British cricket team against that of their country of ancestry.

[oberliner]

3. The only good thing about Lieberman is that his party is taking votes away from Likud

A Kadima victory could lead to a unity governing coalition with Lieberman's party on the outside looking in.

Didn't the British cricket team just lose to Jamaica? Doesn't seem like anyone would be cheering for them at the moment!

[LeftishBrit]

4. The British cricket team usually loses.

Cheering for the Gallant Losers is all part of good old British tradition, though less so when people have a bit of lager in them and want to bash their rivals up (more of a problem with football than cricket!)

It's usually all those convicts from Australia who win!

[shaayecanaan]

5. Nobody cheers for them anyway...

only the old WASP superannuation set and a few Indians watch the cricket. A few beer drinkers show up but it is really just out of politeness. It is a dull, dull game.