Editorial ‘inappropriate and misguided’

Editorial ‘inappropriate and misguided’

I found the Oct. 15 editorial concerning the proposed loyalty oath for new citizens in Israel to be inappropriate and misguided. The need for the oath is a matter for Israel to determine, not for Americans, Jewish or otherwise. The following paragraphs from The Daily Alert prepared by The Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations provide, I hope, further clarification on this matter. I am certain the Jewish Standard did not intend to join the delegitimizaion campaign.

“New Loyalty Oath to Apply to Jews as Well as Arabs – Attila Somfalvi

“Prime Minister Netanyahu ordered that the proposed amendment to the Citizenship Act requiring those seeking Israeli citizenship to pledge their allegiance to a ‘Jewish and democratic Israel’ will also apply to Jews seeking Israeli citizenship under the Law of Return.” (Ynet News)

“Israel’s New Oath of Allegiance – Lee Smith

“The idea that mandating an oath of allegiance for new citizens is a sign of Israeli fascism is part of the delegitimization campaign against Israel. It fits so well with media blather about the decline of Israeli democracy that critics have conveniently ignored the fact that such oaths are normal fare in every major Western democracy.”

“The U.S. oath of allegiance for new citizens requires new Americans to ‘absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty’; promise to ‘support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic’; promise to ‘bear arms’ and ‘perform noncombatant’ service at the direction of the U.S. government; and swear in the name of God Almighty himself, all of which makes swearing an oath of allegiance to the democratic Jewish State of Israel seem like pretty weak stuff.” (Tablet)

comments