Otzma Yehudit Bill Requires Knesset Members and Voters to Pledge Loyalty
Otzma Yehudit MK Yitzhak Kroizer has introduced a bill requiring voters and lawmakers to pledge loyalty to Israel as a Jewish and democratic state, facing disenfranchisement for refusal.
Otzma Yehudit faction chairman MK Yitzhak Kroizer has submitted the party's first bill in the new Knesset, proposing to mandate a loyalty oath to the State of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state for every voting citizen and member of parliament.
Under the proposed legislation, any lawmaker who refuses to take the oath would be barred from participating in Knesset debates and votes, stripped of parliamentary rights and financial compensation, and face termination of office if the refusal persists.
Furthermore, the bill stipulates that every citizen seeking to vote must sign a declaration at the polling station affirming loyalty to Israel as a Jewish and democratic state. This measure amends the existing oath of allegiance for public officials and extends it to the electorate.
National Security Minister and Otzma Yehudit leader Itamar Ben Gvir defended the initiative, stating that individuals who reject Israel's fundamental character should not be allowed to shape its future. "It is time to end the absurdity where people can act against the state and simultaneously demand to influence its destiny," he said.
MK Yitzhak Kroizer echoed these sentiments, emphasizing that lawmakers who act against the nation while utilizing its democratic platform must be stopped. "Israel will not surrender to those who seek to dismantle it from within," Kroizer stated.
