500 signatures reached
To: David Cameron
Mr Cameron, stop defending apartheid in Israel
The Prime Minister should re-think his answer
Why is this important?
By refusing to condemn Israel's Nationality Bill, David Cameron defended the indefensible and showed himself out of step with all right-thinking people in this country and elsewhere. See the extract below from PMQs of Wednesday 26.11.14:
Sir Gerald Kaufman (Manchester, Gorton) (Lab): Will the Prime Minister condemn the new Israeli Government Bill that removes what are defined as national rights from all Israeli citizens who are not Jews, makes Hebrew the only national language and has been denounced by the Israeli Attorney-General as causing a "deterioration of the democratic characteristic of the state”? Will he make it clear that the statutory, repressive removal of citizenship rights on the basis of religion will turn Israel into an apartheid state?
The Prime Minister: One of the reasons I am such a strong supporter of Israel is that it is a country that has given rights and democracy to its people, and it is very important that that continues. When we look across the region and at the indexes of freedom, we see that Israel is one of the few countries that tick the boxes for freedom, and it is very important that it continues to do so.
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201415/cmhansrd/cm141126/debtext/141126-0001.htm#14112630000006
Sir Gerald Kaufman (Manchester, Gorton) (Lab): Will the Prime Minister condemn the new Israeli Government Bill that removes what are defined as national rights from all Israeli citizens who are not Jews, makes Hebrew the only national language and has been denounced by the Israeli Attorney-General as causing a "deterioration of the democratic characteristic of the state”? Will he make it clear that the statutory, repressive removal of citizenship rights on the basis of religion will turn Israel into an apartheid state?
The Prime Minister: One of the reasons I am such a strong supporter of Israel is that it is a country that has given rights and democracy to its people, and it is very important that that continues. When we look across the region and at the indexes of freedom, we see that Israel is one of the few countries that tick the boxes for freedom, and it is very important that it continues to do so.
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201415/cmhansrd/cm141126/debtext/141126-0001.htm#14112630000006
