News
Netanyahu meets Druze leaders
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday met with Druze coalition members of Knesset to listen to their concerns about the Nation-State Law.
Netanyahu met Communications Minister Ayoub Kara of Likud, MK Akram Hasson of Kulanu and MK Hamad Amar of Yisrael Beiteinu. Defence Minister Avigdor Liberman, Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon and Tourism Minister Yariv Levin were also present.
The Druze community has launched a public campaign, to include a protest march and demonstrations, to protest against measures in the Nation-State Law that they say will marginalise and discriminate against the Druze community.
The Prime Minister’s office released a statement after the meeting that said: “A plan will be drafted that will express the State of Israel’s deep commitment to the Druze community.” However, there is currently no plan to amend the Law in any way.
Prime Minister Netanyahu will today meet with Sheikh Muwafak Tarif, the spiritual leader of the Druze community, to discuss the Nation-State Law.
Opposition leader Tzipi Livni met yesterday with Sheikh Tarif. She reportedly gave him a copy of the Declaration of Independence and said: “Sentences from the Declaration of Independence must be inserted into the Nation State Law that refer to equal social and political rights for all citizens regardless of religion, race and gender.”
Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon admitted yesterday that mistakes were made in the legislative process for the Nation State Law. He told Army Radio: “The enactment of the Nation State Law was done hastily. We were wrong and we need to fix it.”
Haaretz reports today that 15 members of Israel’s governing coalition have expressed support for changing the new law in to alleviate the concerns of the Druze community.