David Bedein, Director of the Israel Resource News Agency and Center for Near East Policy Research based in Jerusalem, explained to Israel National News what he feels is the real reason for the strong left-wing opposition to the new loyalty oath currently under government consideration.
"Just like the American Pledge of Allegiance," Bedein said, "a loyalty oath or the like is par for the course in other countries."
But, he added, "Mainstream media coverage of the 'loyalty legislation' proposed by the Israeli government has all but ignored the context of why this law is being discussed at this time: The growing power and influence of the 2007 Haifa Declaration, signed by more than 30 leading Israeli-Arab organizations that have coordinated a systematic effort to undermine the nature of the State of Israel as a Jewish state."
Goal: Overrun Israel with 'Right of Return'
"Haifa Declaration signatories such as Ittijah, I’lam, Mossawa and Adalah, have openly stated," Bedein continued, "that their goal is to replace Zionism as the basis of the State of Israel, with the implementation of the 'right of return' for Palestinian Arab refugees and their descendants who now wallow in the indignity of teeming UNRWA refugee camps... and who would be encouraged to reclaim lands lost in the 1948 war."
A quote from the Haifa Declaration: "Our vision for the future relations between Palestinian Arabs and Israeli Jews in this country is to create a democratic state founded on equality between the two national groups. This solution would guarantee the rights of the two groups in a just and equitable manner. This would require a change in the constitutional structure and a change in the definition of the State of Israel from a Jewish state to a democratic state established on national and civil equality between the two national groups..."
Bedein said that while many left-wing non-profit organizations currently receive Israeli funding, this could be threatened if the new loyalty oath goes through. He explained:
"Currently, Israel non-profit organization law states that ‘A non-profit organization shall not be registered if any of its objectives negates the existence of the democratic character of the state of Israel.’ If the new proposed amendment to Israel’s basic law goes through, the law would declare that ‘A non-profit organization shall not be registered if any of its objectives negates the existence of the democratic and Jewish character of the State of Israel.'"
"In other words, this proposed legislation could block funds from the New Israel Fund and the European Union to Israeli-Arab organizations that have signed on to the Haifa Declaration, which represents nothing less than an insurrection against the raison d’etre of the State of Israel."