A Separation Wall Through the Heart

[Resistance]

http://www.alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=16602

Imagine having to decide between your country or your spouse. With the passage of Israel's new law on marriage and citizenship, thousands of Israeli Arabs now face this painful and unjust choice.

Israeli law already extends an absolute preference to Jews over members of all other ethnic or religious groups in obtaining Israeli citizenship. The Law of Return, together with the country's Citizenship Law, grants automatic citizenship to Jewish immigrants to Israel. Not only do the country's legal rules benefit Jews over other potential immigrants, they give Jews priority over Palestinians who fled or were driven from the country during the 1948 and 1967 wars.

The law that was just passed, however, goes an important step beyond the previously existing rules. Rather than granting a preference to Jews over all other groups, it specifically singles out Palestinians for adverse treatment.

The new law is thus racially discriminatory against persons of a single nationality. Aside from Palestinians, all other persons who marry Israelis are eligible for citizenship. But the law's discriminatory character extends beyond its impact on the Palestinians who are barred from obtaining citizenship. It is also discriminatory in its impact on Israelis.

The overwhelming majority of Israeli-Palestinian marriages are between Israeli citizens of Palestinian origin (known as Israeli Arabs), and Palestinians living in the West Bank and Gaza. By blocking the reunification of families split between Israel and the occupied territories, the law will have a devastating impact on the family life of Israeli Arabs.

[atreides1]

1. As I Have Stated Before

It seems that the Jewish people of Israel have learned the lessons
taught to them by Nazi Germany, very well.

I wonder if this would bother people more if it were not Palestinians
that this law was being applied to, I kind of doubt it.

[Resistance]

2. remember

that the people of Israel are besieged with propaganda from their right-wing fundamentalist dominated government (who serve the interests of a ruling minority) just as it is in America.

[Darranar]

3. Agreed...

Sharon is Israel's Bush.