By DOVID BEN-MEIRUpdated: SEPTEMBER 9, 2016 15:59
I've seen opponents of Israel declaring that there are "over 50 apartheid laws" directed against Arabs in Israel. Whenever you see the same peculiarly stated supposed fact – "over 50 laws" – quoted again and again, you can usually be sure that most people quoting that statistic don't really know what they're talking about! They're just quoting each other without really checking the source. That's how slander spreads: one source distorts the facts and spreads the lie that is then picked up and passed on by people who are readily willing to believe the worst about those that they hate most.I looked for the source of this outrageous falsehood and found it in the website of Adalah. Adalah is an Arab-Israeli NGO that is funded mostly by the European Union and European countries. Its agenda is the negation of Israel as the state of the Jewish people, instead turning it into a state without an identity at first, but with support for the right of return of all Arab refugees and their descendants – Adalah basically wants to turn the only Jewish state into the 23rd Arab state.The allegedly discriminatory laws that Adalah cites can be divided into three:1] Laws against terrorism, terrorists and enemies of the state like spies. Every law that is meant to help root out terrorism is called discriminatory against Arabs because – Adalah points out though not exactly in these words – almost all terrorists are Arabs.For example: the law that takes state pensions away from those that spy or help the state's enemies is discriminatory because an Arabic member of Knesset passed on information to Hezbollah. I guess according to Adalah one should be able to betray one's country and still demand a government-funded pension!Obviously these aren't discriminatory laws but rather laws that aim to combat those who would harm innocent civilians including women and children.2] Laws that Jews like and the Arabs don't. Examples: the laws to apply Israeli law to all of Jerusalem and the Golan. How are those discriminatory? Answer: they're not. But Adalah, being patriots for the Arab cause, are against anything the Jews do.3] Laws that are basically affirmative action for the tiny Jewish minority of the world, to affirm Israel as the state of the Jewish people; laws that give prominence to Jewish symbols, language, holidays and the right of every Jew to return to the Jewish homeland. Adalah doesn't think laws should give the Jewish nation prominence in their country.For comparison: Catholicism is the state religion of Costa Rica, Liechtenstein, Malta, and Monaco; Argentina, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Panama, Paraguay, Peru and Poland give the Catholic Church some recognition in their constitutions, but without establishing Catholicism as a state religion. Greece, Bulgaria and Georgia recognize the special role of the Eastern Orthodox churches in their constitutions while remaining secular states. The Anglican Church is the established church of England. Lutheranism is the established church in the Scandinavian states.Islam is the established state religion in Bangladesh, Djibouti, Iraq, Pakistan, Tunisia, Afghanistan, Algeria, Brunei, Comoros, Egypt, Jordan, Libya, Maldives, Malaysia, Mauritania, Morocco, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, United Arab Emirates, Iran, Oman, Kuwait, Yemen and Bahrain. The Organization of Islamic Cooperation has over 50 members.A quick glance at the flags of the world shows over 20 flags with Islamic symbols and over 15 with Christian symbols.In over 25 states Arabic is an official language, of them about 15 where Arabic is the only official language. Over 40 countries claim English as an official language to some degree.In the world there is only one country where Hebrew is the official language (together with Arabic).There is only one country with a Jewish majority.There is only one flag that has Jewish symbols on it.There is only one country where Jewish holidays are official holidays.That country is Israel, where there is no official religion, where there is freedom of religion, and it is the only country that is Jewish and democratic.One country!For some – like Adalah and those that "celebrate" Israel apartheid week – that's one too many.For lovers of truth and justice – Israel is a blessing.