Poll: 36% of Jews want to revoke Arabs' voting rights
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ynetnews
(Analysis) October 15, 2010 - 12:00am

Thirty-six percent of Israeli Jews are in favor of revoking the voting rights of non-Jews, Yedioth Ahronoth reported, citing findings by the Dahaf polling agency, headed by Dr. Mina Tzemach. The poll was held in the aftermath of an amendment to the Citizenship Act, approved by the government Sunday, which requires new citizens to pledge their allegiance to a "Jewish and democratic state".

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Israel's right needs perpetual war
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Zeev Sternhell - (Opinion) October 15, 2010 - 12:00am

The facts must be acknowledged: The heads of the rightist parties have a strategic outlook and the ability to take the long view, and they also know how to choose the right tools to carry out their mission.

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An oath for the few excludes the many in an ethnocracy
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National
by Jonathan Cook - October 15, 2010 - 12:00am

In all likelihood, I will be one of the very first non-Jews expected to swear loyalty to Israel as an ideology rather than as a state. Until now, naturalising residents, like the country's soldiers, pledged an oath to Israel and its laws. That is the situation in most countries. But soon, if the Israeli parliament passes a bill being advanced by the government, aspiring citizens will instead be required to uphold the Zionist majority's presumption that Israel is a "Jewish and democratic state".

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Demographics may scuttle Mideast peace
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Daily Star
by Joseph Chamie - (Opinion) October 15, 2010 - 12:00am

Countless words have been spoken and written, several wars and numerous armed clashes have taken place. Thousands have died, with even more injured and suffering. Yet, after more than 60 years of struggle, numerous diplomatic initiatives, agreements and peace offers, intergovernmental conferences and behind-the-scenes negotiations, comprehensive resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict remains disappointingly elusive.

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Ruth Gavison: Loyalty declaration bill is bad legislation
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
by Dan Izenberg - October 15, 2010 - 12:00am

Hebrew University law professor Ruth Gavison, an outspoken supporter of characterizing Israel as a Jewish and democratic state, told The Jerusalem Post in an exclusive interview Wednesday that she was opposed to the loyalty oath bill approved in the cabinet earlier this week. “It is possible to unequivocally support [the characterization of] Israel as a Jewish and democratic state, as I do, and still think that this bill, at this time, in this fashion and in this context, is a bad move,” she said.

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The view from the hilltops
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Haaretz
by Esther Zandberg - October 14, 2010 - 12:00am

"At school I studied [Hebrew poet Haim Nahman] Bialik and not [medieval Arabic poet] Al-Mutanabbi; I learned about [the Jewish commander] Bar Kochba and not [the Muslim commander] Salah a-Din ibn Ayyub; I studied the Bible and not the Koran. But from the Jewish sages' admonition to 'respect but suspect,' only suspicion remains. When people say they are going to 'develop' the Galilee, I hear 'disinherit.' Develop the Galilee?

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Danger of Israel’s racist demands
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jordan Times
by Daoud Kuttab - (Opinion) October 14, 2010 - 12:00am

Without any reason, the Israeli government has created a totally artificial problem for all future persons wishing to get citizenship: they will have to pledge allegiance to Israel as a Jewish and democratic state. Once again the Israelis are trying to push their internal problems and their hesitation to pay the needed price for peace onto others.

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Israel is taking a dangerous direction
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jordan Times
by Michael Jansen - (Opinion) October 14, 2010 - 12:00am

The adoption by Israel of a loyalty oath to be applied to non-Jews seeking naturalisation was inevitable. It was inevitable because Israel is a “Jewish state” founded by Zionist Jews for Zionist Jews.

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Israeli forces train for Arab transfer riots
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The National
by Jonathan Cook - October 14, 2010 - 12:00am

Israel secretly staged a training exercise last week to test its ability to quell any civil unrest that might result from a peace deal that calls for the forcible transfer of many Arab citizens, the Israeli media has reported. The drill was intended to test the readiness of the civil defence units, police, army and prison service to contain large-scale riots by Israel's Arab minority in response to such a deal.

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Will Israel Expel a Million Palestinians?
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Asharq Alawsat
by Abdul Rahman Al-Rashed - (Opinion) October 14, 2010 - 12:00am

The extremists in Israel are trying to build a case that aims to bring the peace process to a complete halt. [They are saying] if you want a Palestinian state, you must realize that we will expel a million and a quarter Palestinians who hold the Israeli nationality and live inside the Jewish state. This proposal means that Israel is for Jews only. Is it reasonable for a state to be established for three million people, whilst at the same time this results in the displacement of another million?

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