NAZARETH, May 4, 2011 (WAFA) - Rights groups, including Adalah and the Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI), Wednesday petitioned the Israeli High Court against the Nakba law and demanded its abolition.

The law allows to fine institutions and permits the Israeli minister of finance to impose fines on the Israeli government funded institutions if they organize programs that consider the creation of Israel a day of mourning.

Nakba, or catastrophe, is what the Palestinians refer to May 15, 1948 when Israel was created and Palestinians were forced out of their towns and villages in what has become Israel.

The rights groups asserted that Nakba law violates a set of constitutional rights, especially freedom of political and artistic expression, Freedom of work, right for equality, and right for education.

They said that it is expected that the law will affect in particular the basic rights of Arab citizens in Israel; as the law’s broad wording form concern for many public institutions as it may affect their budgets.

The petitioners asked the high court to issue an injunction to prevent its implementation until its issues its ruling.

Legal experts said the law is basically ideological and it seeks to obliterate Palestinian identity and memory.

Y.Y./M.A.