Bill demanding fealty pledge from diplomats advances through Knesset
Legislation, which still needs to pass two more readings, would require envoys to swear ‘loyalty to the State of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state’
Sam Sokol is the Times of Israel's political correspondent. He was previously a reporter for the Jerusalem Post, Jewish Telegraphic Agency and Haaretz. He is the author of "Putin’s Hybrid War and the Jews"
A bill that would require Israeli diplomats posted abroad to swear loyalty oaths to Israel as a Jewish and democratic state was approved by the Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee on Monday, teeing it up for the second and third votes in the plenum necessary for it to be enshrined in law.
Backed by outgoing Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, the bill would amend the law on diplomatic service appointments to require heads of diplomatic missions and consulates to swear allegiance as a precondition to receiving their official appointment.
The text of the oath reads: “I undertake to maintain loyalty to the State of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state.”
“There are over 200 countries in the world, but only one is Jewish and democratic,” Cohen said. “I am happy that the bill will be approved on the last day of my position.”
On Monday evening, the Knesset ratified Energy Minister Israel Katz’s appointment as the nation’s top diplomat, replacing Cohen, who filled the role for a year, in line with an internal Likud party rotation agreement.
Despite leaving the Foreign Ministry, Cohen will continue to serve as a member of the security cabinet and will return as foreign minister in 2026, assuming the current government is still in power.
“Our representatives on the diplomatic front are faced with quite a few challenges. Being a diplomat is not an easy challenge, especially in light of all the challenges facing the country. The question arises why the law is needed after 75 years,” Cohen continued, citing last year’s thwarted appointment of then-Meretz lawmaker Ghaida Rinawie Zoabi as consul in Shanghai.
An Arab Muslim, Rinawie Zoabi has said that she does not connect to Israel’s “Jewish soul,” and before her brief stint as a lawmaker in the last coalition, she co-edited a document that did not recognize Israel as a Jewish state.
Zoabi “did not recognize the state as Jewish and democratic, called IDF soldiers derogatory names, did not respect the symbols of the state,” Cohen said.
“The basic thing is that everyone who goes out to represent Israel must recognize the country as Jewish and democratic. This is a basic thing on which there is agreement on the right and the left,” he added.
Criticizing the committee’s approval of the bill, Labor MK Gilad Kariv characterized it as “a consolation prize” for the outgoing minister so that he could “say that he left a mark on his last day.”
“This bill does not help to anchor the state’s status as Jewish and democratic, but detracts from it, and there is a great deal of hypocrisy in this,” Kariv claimed.
Carrie Keller-Lynn contributed to this report.
