Update: The source of the wording for the draft Iraqi constitution cited by this release was a translation by Professor Nathan Brown of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Later versions of the draft text of the Iraqi Constitution do not include the language mentioning Israel or Israelis.

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New York, NY, July 29, 2005 … Concerned that the Iraqi national constitution contains, "blatant anti-Israel discrimination in the draft text," the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has urged the U.S. State Department to encourage the drafters to remove the objectionable language.

"We hope the United States will encourage the drafters of the constitution to remove this objectionable, blatant anti-Israel discrimination in the draft text," said Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director.  "We are all hopeful that a democratic Iraq will be protected by a constitution that is free from bias and discrimination and will serve as a model for the entire region."

In a July 27 letter to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, the League noted that Article 1, Section 3 of the draft constitution states that, "Any individual with another nationality (except for Israel) may obtain Iraqi nationality" and Article 4 states that, "Any Iraqi may have more than one nationality as long as the nationality is not Israel."

The Anti-Defamation League, founded in 1913, is the world's leading organization fighting anti-Semitism through programs and services that counteract hatred, prejudice and bigotry.