RUTHFULLY YOURS

This column proudly displays Israel’s national flag. The same flag will appear in the same place on every edition of Israel Hayom from this day forward. That will be our way of saluting the nation-state law, which, among other things, confirms this flag’s central and important role in the State of Israel.

Since you, our readers, naturally do not have a problem reading a newspaper that is openly patriotic, you should wonder about the controversy and antagonism that this law has generated within the Israeli public and among its politicians.

The State of Israel gave itself a very nice gift for its 70th birthday: the nation-state law – a law that defines Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish people. Israel is proud of this important Zionist legislation, despite the many futile attempts to make it appear hurtful, racist or discriminatory. The law is a true source of pride for the state. I am still waiting for someone, anyone, to point to a single clause in this law that contradicts in any way the values of democracy and equality.

I would like to ask the opponents of this law: What about it upsets you? Is it the clause that talks about Israel being the historical homeland of the Jewish people, where the State of Israel was established? Or perhaps is it the clause that decisively concludes that unified Jerusalem is the capital of Israel? Could it be the one that burns into our psyche that Hebrew is the official language of this state, and the Hatikvah is its national anthem?

In this law, the Jewish people, a nation that returned to its homeland after 2,000 years in exile (though some never left), demonstrates its respect for “those who are not Jewish” and recognizes their right to “observe their days of rest on their Sabbath and their holidays.” It also recognizes the “special status of the Arabic language” and even stipulates that while Hebrew is the only official language of Israel, “this clause does not harm the status given to the Arabic language before this law came into effect.”

In this important law, the State of Israel also promises to “strive to ensure the safety of the members of the Jewish people in trouble or in captivity due to the fact of their Jewishness or their citizenship.”

Israel Hayom has supported and still supports the nation-state law. Dozens of articles in support of the law were published on its pages, alongside articles opposing it, as is befitting of a conservative newspaper that gives a platform to a variety of views.

The Arab world refuses to accept the existence of a Jewish state. In fact, the very idea of Jewish nationality is unacceptable to the Arabs, including the leaders of the Israeli Arab public, be they politicians or the members of the Arab Higher Monitoring Committee in Israel. It is precisely for this reason that, for the benefit of future generations, it is supremely important for Israel to carve in stone (and in its future constitution) the principles of this law. For those who claim that the law is unnecessary because its stipulations are already in practice, let me remind you that the future is written in the ink of the past.

That is why this law is necessary. It is necessary in a changing world, where many progressive movements often challenge the idea of a nation-state, particularly when it has to do with the Jewish people. This law is not against minorities. It’s not about minorities. It is only about the question of nationality. It is not against anyone, but rather in support of the Jews and the minorities living among them. The much-discussed principle of equality already exists in the civil sphere. A quick survey of the Middle East will clearly demonstrate that despite all the threats we face, Israel is still the safest place to live in this entire region, whether you are Druze, Arab or Circassian, whether you are Christian, Muslim or Jewish.

Our focus on the question of nationality and our assertion that the state is the nation-state of the Jewish people is another piece in the puzzle of our justified existence here. It is necessary to keep reminding ourselves that we have a right to be here, to prevent people from becoming confused at some point in the future; to make sure that we never succumb to opposition or denial of this right by the Arab world or parts of the West.

Another important aspect of the nation-state law is that it anchors our state flag in the law books: white with two blue stripes and a Magen David in the center. It is important to display this flag every day. We, at this newspaper, will do so daily, in honor of our readers and in honor of the State of Israel.

“For Zion’s sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until her triumph go forth as brightness, and her salvation as a torch that burneth” (Isaiah 62:1).