Don’t declaw the law

Regarding “The nadir of politics” (July 9), why is Israel so fearful about its Citizenship Law, which is a vital residence and security issue, that it must waste time renewing it annually, not, say, every five years? Look how strict America is even for friendly Canadians wanting just to visit it. The lowly American border officers can refuse entry even for minor reasons – and the ban is for a minimum of five years.

Similarly, tiny Israel should be proud of its NationState Law that defines it as the only Jewish and democratic country. Every country wants to protect its identity. The 50 Muslim-dominant countries would never allow themselves to become Jewish-dominant ones. Yet Morocco and Iran, with their token numbers of a few thousand Jews each allowed to remain, show a gullible world that they’re tolerant Muslim countries.

The white Christian countries of Europe, even ultra-liberal Scandinavia, would never allow themselves to be overrun by Africans and Muslims. Denmark wants to kick out its peaceful Syrian refugees. It is difficult for a foreigner to become a citizen of Japan. China’s policy is to increase its population of Han Chinese.

I was raised in Montreal, in Quebec, one of the most liberal jurisdictions in the world. Yet the province is uncompromising in guarding its French Christian identity, by enacting language laws and a dress code that Muslim women cannot wear hijabs in public sector jobs. These laws have forced hundreds of thousands of Anglophones to leave Quebec and dissuaded Arabs in the Maghreb from immigrating, even though they speak French.

JACOB MENDLOVIC Toronto, Canada