The Jewish Republic of Israel (Gideon Levy)

[oberliner]

Swearing an oath to a Jewish state will decide its fate. It is liable to turn the country into a theocracy like Saudi Arabia.

Remember this day. It's the day Israel changes its character. As a result, it can also change its name to the Jewish Republic of Israel, like the Islamic Republic of Iran. Granted, the loyalty oath bill that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seeking to have passed purportedly only deals with new citizens who are not Jewish, but it affects the fate of all of us.

From now on, we will be living in a new, officially approved, ethnocratic, theocratic, nationalistic and racist country. Anyone who thinks it doesn't affect him is mistaken. There is a silent majority that is accepting this with worrying apathy, as if to say: "I don't care what country I live in." Also anyone who thinks the world will continue to relate to Israel as a democracy after this law doesn't understand what it is about. It's another step that seriously harms Israel's image.

http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/opinion/the-jewish-republic-of-israel-1.318135

[Ruby the Liberal]

1. A loyalty oath?

This is Avi Lieberman territory and Bibi is promoting it? It is one thing to form a coalition government but another to drive that government off the cliff. Where is Lipni, and does she have enough to put this to a halt?

[oberliner]

2. Livni: Loyalty oath amendment is 'politics at its worst'

Leader of the opposition and Kadima chairwoman Tzipi Livni condemned on Sunday the cabinet's approval of a controversial amendment to the Citizenship Law requiring non-Jews seeking citizenship to pledge allegiance to Israel as a Jewish and democratic state.

"What we have seen today is politics at its worst. The sensitive issue of Israel's existence as a Jewish and democratic state has become subject to political horse-trading."

http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/livni-loyalty-oath-amendment-is-politics-at-its-worst-1.318219

Unfortunately, she appears to be outnumbered.

[Ruby the Liberal]

3. Outnumbered, yes - but at least she spoke up.

Lieberman has been calling for a loyalty oath from forever and everyone has summarily ignored him. I am surprised Bibi is backing this now. Something is up for him to bow to Yisrael Betineu on this irrational demand now.

[oberliner]

4. Yes - Agreed

Still frustrating that she wasn't able to form a coalition and become PM. I think we'd be a in a very different place now had that happened.

[Ruby the Liberal]

5. I am desperately out of touch. Where is Shas on this (if you know)?

If I recall, they are in the coalition.

[oberliner]

6. Shas is very much in favor of the loyalty oath

The only people in the cabinet who voted against it were the five Labour ministers and three of the Likud ministers.

Shas appears to want to go even further with this sort of thing unfortunately.

[Ruby the Liberal]

7. I am not surprised. I had just hoped that the Yb"N push would have

called them back in favor of something harsher, thus not backing the measure.

While this is annoying, I STILL favor coalition governments with multiple parties.

[shaayecanaan]

8. The oath already requires loyalty to the State...

which is their main issue, so changing it to Jewish state is not a deal breaker for them. In fact its probably more palatable than swearing allegiance to a secular state.

There are probably still a lot of people within their ranks who are not quite happy with swearing allegiance to any state, but in any event they're maintaining tactical silence.