The Yisrael Beiteinu party plans to bring a controversial proposal that would require all citizens to vow loyalty to the state to a cabinet vote next week. The bill would also require all citizens to perform military or other national service.
The bill would allow the Interior Ministry to revoke the Israeli citizenship of any person who fails to perform national service and to declare loyalty to “the state of Israel as a Jewish, Zionist and democratic state.”
If the cabinet approves the measure, Yisrael Beiteinu will bring it to the Knesset, where it will have to pass three votes before going into effect. The law is not believed to have sufficient support to pass a Knesset vote.
The proposal has raised anger among Arab MKs in particular. Several Arab MKs have termed the bill “racist” for allegedly denying Arabs the freedom to form their own, non-Israeli, national identity.
A proposed demand for all loyalty was a central part of the Yisrael Beiteinu campaign, and one of the party's slogans was “No citizenship without loyalty.” The party gained several seats in the elections, becoming the third-largest Knesset faction.