MK Ben Ari: Prosecute Arabs for Treason Over Calls for Rebellion
MK Dr. Michael Ben-Ari on Saturday night called for an investigation to be opened against MK Jamal Zahalka on treason charges.

by David Lev, Arutz Sheva
May 31, 2009

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad (L) meets with Israeli Arab Knesset member Azmi Bishara in Damascus, 12 September 2006. Israeli Interior Ministry Ronni Bar-On told a weekly government meeting two days ago that he has asked the attorney general to investigate two Israeli Arab lawmakers who went to Syria without authorization. Bishara and fellow Israeli Arab MP Jamal Zahalka travelled to Syria this weekend without obtaining authorization from the
interior ministry as is required for all visits to countries considered by Israel
as enemies.
 

MK Dr. Michael Ben-Ari (National Union) on Saturday night called for an investigation to be opened against MK Jamal Zahalka (Balad) on treason charges. Ben Ari made the statement after the Arab MK said Israeli Arabs would conduct a "civil rebellion" if the Knesset adopts the loyalty law proposed by Yisrael Beiteinu (Israel is Our Home).

Zahalka made the declaration Saturday night after the Higher Arab Monitoring Committee sent a letter to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, President Shimon Peres, and Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin warning of "negative consequences" that would stem from the law's passage.

Speaking to reporters afterwards, Zahalka said ratification of the measure would be "a declaration of war against the Arabs, and would push them to a civil uprising. We will not obey these laws and we will pay the price, whatever it is. We will continue to mark the 'Nakba' in spite of what the right says, and we will continue to oppose a Jewish State, and promote a state for all citizens," he said. He added that the Monitoring Committee would soon call on diplomats and ask them to pressure the government to oppose the "racist" laws.

In response, Ben-Ari said that the Committee "once again proves that it stands at the forefront of the fight against the State of Israel. We must put a stop to these attempts to intimidate and threaten the rule of law, and strongly prosecute those who do so," he said.

On Sunday, the Knesset Legislative Committee will begin discussing the law proposed by Yisrael Beiteinu that would require all Israeli citizens to take an oath of loyalty to the state. Those who refuse to do so, or who refuse to serve in the IDF or other state service framework, could be prosecuted.

The committee was also set to discuss a law which would forbid commemoration of Nakba Day, the day Arabs mourn the establishment of the State. However, according to a report broadcast on Voice of Israel government radio the government has pulled the bill with the intention of making changes before it is resubmitted for consideration. Among the changes will be cancellation of a clause that would remove citizenship from those who violate the law, the report said.

A third law that has already been approved on its first reading, proposed by MK Zvulun Orlev (Bayit Hayehudi), sets a penalty of one year in prison for anyone who calls for the destruction of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state.

According to the proposal, the text of the loyalty oath would read something like the following: "I hereby commit to be loyal to Israel as a Jewish, democratic and Zionist state, to respect its symbols and values, to serve the state if and when called upon to do so, in military or other service, as required by law."

In notes attached to the proposal, Yisrael Beiteinu legislators wrote that there was a clear connection between good citizenship and loyalty to the state. "In recent years we have learned that there are many citizens who are not loyal to the state, and therefore shirk their military or civil duty." The law would clarify the connection between citizenship and service, the commentary says.