The Israeli government decided Sunday to back a bill proposed by the ultra-right National Religious Party that would enable state land to be apportioned for Jewish use only. The government decided to accept an appeal submitted by Education Minister Limor Livnat, who asked to overturn a recommendation against this proposal that was submitted by the ministerial legislation committee.
The National Religious Party formulated this proposal in response to the High Court of Justice's landmark decision in the “Katzir case,” holding that Israeli Arabs have rights to live on a communal settlement located on state land. The proposal to annul the thrust of the Katzir ruling empowers the Jewish Agency to allocate land "in accordance with its goals," that is, to establish exclusively Jewish communities, Haaretz reported.
Livnat claimed at Sunday's government meeting that the bill had been drafted not to circumvent the High Court, but rather "to supplement it."
A five judge High Court panel reached the Katzir decision in March 2000, by a four to one vote. The decision held that the state cannot discriminate between Arabs and Jews in the distribution of land resources, even if the allocation is done by the Jewish Agency, and not by the Israel Lands Administration.
The Court approved a request submitted by A'del and Iman Ka'adan, asking for the right to purchase a plot and build a home on the Katzir communal settlement.
For his part, Israel's cabinet minister Dan Meridor Monday denounced as "a grave error" and "flagrantly discriminatory" the decision to support this law. Meridor added the decision "places us in a bad situation, changing our image in our land and in the world."
"It is not permissible to allow an Israeli law to state that a non-Jew may be prevented from living in a particular place for security reasons," Meridor said.
For his part, Israel's Defense Minister and Labor leader Benjamin Ben-Eleizer said that Labor ministers and MKs would oppose the bill. Ben-Eliezer referred to Sunday's government decision to support this bill "an ambush."
(Albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
