Jerusalem (dpa) – Israel wants to ban the use of Holocaust imagery and Nazi epithets from public discourse, according to a bill facing parliament on Wednesday. The proposed legislation has already been approved by a ministerial committee, and is expected to pass its preliminary reading, media reported. The bill outlaws use of all forms of the word “Nazi” and similar-sounding words and epithets associated with Nazism, the Third Reich or any of its leaders. It also bans the wearing of striped clothing resembling that worn by prisoners in concentration camps and yellow stars like the ones Jews were forced to wear during the Holocaust, as well as other such symbols. The bill would also ban all photographs, drawings, sculptures and other depictions of a swastika or anything else that makes a definitive reference to Nazism. The penalty is a fine of 100,000 shekels (26,000 dollars) and six months in prison. The law, proposed by a far-right legislator, comes 10 days after ultra-Orthodox Jews caused outrage by demonstrating in striped concentration camp uniforms and with yellow Stars of David on their clothing, to protest at what they considered incitement against their community. The issue is a sensitive one in Israel, where the traumas of the Holocaust are deeply embedded in the national psyche. The bill's sponsor, Uri Ariel, hoped it would act as a deterrent. “In recent years we have been witness to the cynical exploitation of Nazi symbols and epithets in a manner that injures the feelings of Holocaust survivors, their families and many other Israelis,” Ariel was quoted as saying in the Ha'aretz daily. However, the Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI), condemned the proposed legislation, saying in a statement that it “aims to forcibly control public discourse, its content and tone in Israel by way of criminal charges and threats of detention.” “It is precisely because of the importance and gravitas of the Holocaust that this attempt to dictate how and in what contexts it is discussed is particularly egregious,” the statement added. “Freedom of Expression means the right to say difficult things that are sometimes hurtful. It means the right to give bold expression to extremist positions, feelings and thoughts, and means also the right to make rhetorical use of provocative words and images,” the statement said. BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/vKF5F Tags: Freedom of Speech, Israel, Nazi Section: Latest News, Palestine
