Thursday, December 28, 2006

Verrrrry Interesting

This could turn out to be a very interesting legal conundrum:

AG to Eitam: Repeating anti-Arab comments may lead to charges

Attorney General Menachem Mazuz warned MK Efi Eitam (National Union) on Thursday that he may face charges should he repeat his call to expell the vast majority of West Bank Palestinians and to ban Israeli Arabs from participating in Israeli politics.

In a letter sent by the deputy attorney general for special projects, Shay Nitzan, MK Eitam was told that, "The attorney general has reached the conclusion these statements constitute a criminal offense. However, despite the severity of the matter the attorney general decided an investigation would not be launched at this point in time."

"The attorney general has asked me to advise you that repeating similar statements in the future may lead to criminal proceedings against you," Nitzan said in the letter.


To charge an MK with expressing an opinion as acting in a criminal fashion is a bit over-the-top.

If Eitam attempts to table a bill, then either it is defeated or, as happened with MK Kahane, the legislation was deemed inappropriate for Knesset discussion and was taken off the agenda.

If he travels, say, to Turkey to learn of population transfer methods (Cyprus 1974), then maybe he could be compared to Azmi Besharah.

I would suggest to AG Mazuz that he first learn to apply the law, specifically Para. 11 of the Citizenship Law (*). Or the Law for the Protection of the Holy Places, Para. 2 (Whosoever desecrates or otherwise violates a Holy Place shall be liable to imprisonment for a term of seven years. Whosoever does anything likely to violate the freedom of access of the members of the different religions to the places sacred to them or their feelings with regard to those places shall be liable to imprisonment for a term of five years).

Then he could deal with Eitam.


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(*)
11
ביטול אזרחות (תיקון: תשכ"ח, תש"ם)
(א) אזרח ישראלי שיצא מישראל שלא כדין לאחת מהמדינות הנזכרות בסעיף 2א לחוק למניעת הסתננות (עבירות ושיפוט), תשי"ד - 1954, או רכש את אזרחותה, יראוהו כמי שויתר על אזרחותו הישראלית והיא תתבטל מיום יציאתו מישראל; ביטול אזרחותו הישראלית של אדם לפי סעיף קטן זה, מבטל גם את אזרחותו הישראלית של ילדו הקטין שאיננו תושב ישראל.
(ב) שר הפנים רשאי לבטל את אזרחותו הישראלית של אדם אשר עשה מעשה שיש בו משום הפרת אמונים למדינת ישראל.

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