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One Citizenship. One Obligation. One Opportunity. One Law”

Published on: July 18, 2012

by Avigdor Liberman

Today, in the Knesset we have the chance to make history. Yisrael Beytenu will be submitting a proposed law to finally equalize the national burden, 64 years after the state was established.

A couple of months ago when the Tal Law was struck down by the Supreme Court as unconstitutional and discriminatory, Yisrael Beytenu immediately wrote the IDF, National, or Civilian Service Law Proposal which called on all Israelis to serve their country and their society. This law passed through the Ministerial Committee for Legislation and received widespread support from across the government.

Soon after, Kadima joined the government and had as one of its main points, the equalization of the national burden and all the parties agreed to join the Keshev Committee to create a consensus law. This committee fell apart when it did not live up to the principles of its formation and a smaller committee consisting of Vice Prime Minister Yaalon and MK Plesner tried to hammer out the details for a new proposed law. That too fell apart with mutual accusations and we were told that another investigative committee was being formed.

Unfortunately, while the deadline for a replacement to the Tal Law, by August 1st, came closer and closer, internal bickering and narrow political interests has meant that we could miss the historic opportunity to finally equalize the national burden.

The public has watched the politicking with consternation and despair.

They have seen committee after committee; talks after talks and debate after debate fail to deal with something so simple and so much a part of the national consensus.

We, in Yisrael Beytenu, said that the nation can not afford to spurn this opportunity; the time is ripe for change. The public supports equalizing the national burden in overwhelming numbers, one of the broadest coalitions in Israel’s history was built around it and it may soon be too late to pass such a law.

In 1948, when, against massive odds, the Israel Defense Force was able to repel five Arab armies and defend our state, the overwhelming majority of Israelis contributed to the war effort. However, we know that statistically by around 2020, a majority of Israelis will not fully contribute to society and undertake either military or national service.

This means that within the next decade a minority of hard-working and loyal Israelis will shoulder the burden of serving our society, while the rest will merely benefit without making a full contribution. In fact, within a few years it may become impossible to even propose such a law due to the opposition of the Arab and Haredi leadership and their supporters in the Knesset who have an interest in keeping their constituents on the fringes of Israeli society.

The time is now because tomorrow may be too late.

The Zionist dream of a Jewish and democratic state could be in danger in the future if we do not act now. A Jewish State was reestablished so the Jewish People can defend ourselves by ourselves in our ancestral homeland. By mandating that some serve, while others don’t, we are creating massive schisms in our Jewish society which may become irreversible in the future and flies in the face of Jewish tradition and history.

A democratic society necessitates full equality before the law and each citizen deserves the same treatment as mandated by the state. However, just as each citizen derives its rights and benefits from the state, they also have obligations to the state.

Yisrael Beytenu’s law doesn’t just mandate service; it incentivizes service by connecting benefits with contribution. Those who serve their country the most will receive the most benefits. Yisrael Beytenu’s motto of “Without Loyalty there is no citizenship” is not just a slogan, we have been working hard to imprint the idea that the full benefits of citizenship can only be gained by those who are truly loyal to our society.

This is why, a couple of months ago, my party passed a law providing an extra 20,000 NIS to every combat soldier on the completion of their service.

As a society, we need to demand loyalty from our fellow citizens and sharing the burden will also provide Israelis across the spectrum with a much-needed feeling of solidarity and loyalty to the national cause.

Tomorrow, the country will finally see who only talks about equalizing the national burden and who really wants it. Enough committees, enough talk, enough gimmicks, the law will be laid out before all 120 MK’s. It is time to act.

Tomorrow could become an historic day in the annals of Israeli history or it could just be another day on the path towards a future which will in the future paralyze our nation.

The moment is now and it is in the hands of every Member of Knesset.

The writer is Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign Minister and Chairman of Yisrael Beytenu

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