A bill has been presented to the Ministerial Law Committee seeking to ban the use of Nazi era symbols such as the yellow star. The bill is sponsored by MK (Likud/Beitenu) Yisrael Ochayon, who feels these symbols are an affront to Holocaust survivors. The bill feels the law should carry a six month prison term and a 100,000 NIS fine.
Other items that would be outlawed are prisoner uniforms and swastikas along with any Nazi related item with the exception of using them for education or historic testimony and display. Ochayon explains such laws already exist in European countries and he feels it is absurd that such a law does not exist in Israel.
He feels that today there must be increased vigilance since symbolism connected to the Nazi era has become accepted in the world of professional sports. He points out that over recent years these symbols have been used too freely, perhaps the result of a lack of education, and he has decided to act.
Members of the Meah Shearim community came under sharp criticism when participants in protests wore yellow stars.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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One Response
The proposed law would violate the US constitution, but Israel is not part of the US, at least not yet. And, yes, some European countries prohibit the display of swastikas or other symbols of Nazism and the Holocaust. That is probably a good idea for Germany, given that those people have a lot of trouble understanding freedom.
And I certainly think that Jews (or others) who use Nazi symbols to protest the Israeli government are dishonoring the memory of the victims – living and dead – of the Holocaust. But I do not know whether or not it is wise to prohibit the use of Nazi symbols in public discourse in Israel and, being an American and Jew, I like the American notion of freedom of speech.