Arab Committee: Nakba bill, call for war

The Higher Arab Monitoring Committee slammed Zionist regime's intention to hold a vote on Sunday on a bill outlawing marking the Nakba (catastrophe of occupation) day by the Arabs in occupied territories. The Committee stated this bill is racist and aims at forcing the Arabs to forget and deny their own history.

The Committee sent a letter on Saturday to Zionist regime's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, President, Shimon Peres, and Knesset Speaker, Reuven Rivlin, warning them of the outcome of passing such a bill that denies the Arab and Palestinian history.

The Nakba day is marked by the Palestinians in commemoration of 1948 invasion of Palestine when hundreds of thousands of Palestinians became refugees as Israel was being created on their homeland.

 Zionist regime's cabinet intends to discuss three bills during its Sunday session; the first prohibits marking the Nakba, the second bars the residents from publishing any materials “that negate Israel’s existence as a Jewish democratic state”, and the third requires every citizen of Israel to pledge allegiance to the Jewish State, especially since this issue requires a pledge of loyalty to Zionist principles that ignores the very existence and historic of the Arabs.

Chairman of the Higher Arab Monitoring Committee, Mohammad Zeidan, said that the bills are racist and aim out provoking the Arabs and oppress their basic rights.

 He added that the bills are meant to force the Arabs to deny their own history and their Arab-Palestinian identity.

In its letters, the Committee said that the Arab and Palestinian history in this land is deeply rooted, and that they will never accept to be forced to deny their history and national identity.

 Zeidan stated that this bill violates the International Law and Israel’s obligation to respect the rights of the Arabs in this country.

 The Committee would be holding an emergency meeting on Sunday after the government concludes its vote.

Secretary of the Committee, Abid Anabtawi, stated that the battle against this bill should not only be carried out by the Arabs, but also by all peace groups, as it undermines all efforts to achieve peace.

Anabtawi added that the Arabs would not respect this bill, will remain united against it and that if the government approves such a racist bill, it would be like a declaration of war against the Arabs and Palestinians.