Citizenship Is Not a Military Reward

A new Knesset candidate, Yoaz Hendel, stated that individuals who do not serve in the military will not receive any state funding, a position the author argues attacks the fundamental principles of any democracy. The author contends that a state is not a military barracks, citizenship is not a military rank, and rights are not rewards distributed by the authorities based on compliance. If rights are tied to military service, the author posits, then those who do not serve should not be taxed or expected to contribute, and the state should not claim to be democratic while imposing national and ethnic conditions on basic rights.

The article asserts that Israel, since its establishment, has promised equality among its citizens, as stated in the Declaration of Independence. However, the reality has been different, with the imposition of military rule on Arab citizens since 1948, land confiscation, and the treatment of original inhabitants as security threats rather than citizens whose rights should be respected. This discrimination, the author claims, has evolved from practices to policies, institutional systems, and finally, laws, culminating in the Nation-State Law, which officially declared the state belongs to one nation and not all its citizens.

The author argues that Arab citizens, despite paying taxes, obeying laws, and contributing to the economy, are not truly equal. They are described as indigenous to the land, not immigrants, and their presence predates the state. The current political discourse, the author warns, aims to make Arabs feel like strangers in their own homeland, with conditional rights and limited futures, potentially leading to emigration and societal loss.

Hendel's statement and similar rhetoric from nationalist and religious politicians are framed not as a call for equal duties but as an attempt to legitimize inequality in rights. The author emphasizes that true equality begins with the state's contribution to all its citizens, not with what citizens have given the state. The article calls for an end to the division of citizens into masters and followers, homeowners and guests, and deserving and undeserving individuals.

Finally, the author states that a state that discriminates based on nationality and religion cannot claim to be democratic, and one that bargains over rights creates an ethical crisis. The solution proposed is not softer language but a radical change towards full equality in citizenship and opportunities. Continued policies of national privilege and legal discrimination will only breed anger, alienation, and distrust, the author concludes, asserting that citizenship is a right, not a grant, and true democracy is measured by equality among citizens, an area where Israel still falls short.