Parliament of the Israeli occupation government votes for a new bill banning Arab citizens from candidacy if they visit Arab states

Knesset debates new bill banning Arabs from candidacy if they visit Arab states

[ 03/11/2007 - 11:01 AM ]

NAZARETH, (PIC)--

Arab MPs in the Israeli occupation government parliament (Knesset) have criticized a preliminary bill tabled by their Jewish counterparts, stipulating that any Arab in the Palestinian lands occupied in 1948 who visits an Arab country, except Egypt and Jordan, is banned from parliamentary candidacy.

52 Knesset MPs had voted for the new draft law in its first reading while 17 others voted no.

For his part, MP Jamal Zahalqa, the head of the Arab democratic assembly bloc, described the new law as "anti-democratic", pointing out that laws like this are taken every week flouting all the democratic principals claimed by Israel."

Zahalqa opined that any Arab country considered an enemy by Israel is in fact a sisterly country for the Arabs of Palestinian lands occupied in 1948.

The Arab MP warned that Israel is trying to impose a fait accompli policy leading to a new political transfer campaign against the 1948 Palestinians.

The Arab MP stated that Israel would not be able to continue to enact anti-democratic racial laws against Arabs while marketing itself as a democratic state before the international community.

For his part, Knessat MP Ahmed Al-Tibi, asserted that he would accept any invitation from any Arab country, adding: "Despite the law, I will go to it without hesitation because the sane man cannot be afraid of breaking an unjust law."

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