The Knesset secretariat has agreed to allow MK Michael Kleiner (Herut) to propose a law requiring all Israeli citizens to pledge allegiance to the State of Israel as a Jewish State as well as its anthem and flag. Knesset legal advisor Attorney Anna Schneider asked that Kleiner’s proposal be withdrawn from consideration, calling its wording \"racist.\" The issue that aroused her opposition is the bill’s coercion of non-Jewish minorities in Israel to pledge their allegiance to Israel as a Jewish State, without mentioning its democratic character.
Kleiner rejected Schneider’s recommendation that he use the phrase a \"Jewish and democratic state\" and forego a declaration of allegiance to the national anthem.
Kleiner wrote a letter to Schneider saying, \"You represent a mind set according to which the values ‘democratic state’ and ‘Jewish state’ are Siamese twins that must not be separated from each other. It is certainly a legitimate world view, but in order to turn it into a legal principle, you will have to be elected to the Knesset and convince the political system to support legislation that reflects your world view.\" Kleiner added that the Knesset legal advisor should not be involved in voiding proposed legislation.
Kleiner rejected Schneider’s recommendation that he use the phrase a \"Jewish and democratic state\" and forego a declaration of allegiance to the national anthem.
Kleiner wrote a letter to Schneider saying, \"You represent a mind set according to which the values ‘democratic state’ and ‘Jewish state’ are Siamese twins that must not be separated from each other. It is certainly a legitimate world view, but in order to turn it into a legal principle, you will have to be elected to the Knesset and convince the political system to support legislation that reflects your world view.\" Kleiner added that the Knesset legal advisor should not be involved in voiding proposed legislation.