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Can Israeli Druze bring about cancellation of Nationality Law?

Spurred by Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman’s resignation and the realization that elections will likely be moved to early 2019, the leaders of the Druze community are determined to fight against the Nationality Law.
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It certainly seems like Israel is headed toward early elections. Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman, who resigned Nov. 14, and Education Minister Naftali Bennett were both part of the current right-wing government of Benjamin Netanyahu, competing over which of them was its most right-wing member. And so, whether or not the current government will be dissolved in the coming months, it would leave a series of controversial laws and initiatives in its wake. What all these laws and initiatives have in common is that they attempt to bolster Israel’s identity as a Jewish state and, ultimately, demand total loyalty from its citizens. Under these circumstances, Judaism and loyalty became the criteria to be eligible for the equal rights of citizenship.

These elections, which will likely take place between March and May 2019, may be the last chance for the Druze community to repeal the odious Nationality Law, which, by its very nature, defines them as second-class citizens. If they fail in this attempt, the law will tarnish the country’s image for all time. That is why, just a few hours after Defense Minister Liberman resigned, Brig. Gen. Amal Assad (res.), a member of the Druze community, told Al-Monitor with complete confidence that “the Nationality Law will be repealed.”

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