Israel’s parliament has on Thursday adopted a law which defines the country as the 'nation-state of the Jewish people,' provoking fears it will lead to blatant discrimination against its Palestinian citizens.
The legislation, adopted by 62 votes to 55, makes Hebrew the country’s national language and defines the establishment of Jewish communities as being in the national interest.
The bill also strips Arabic of its designation as an official language, downgrading it to a “special status” that enables its continued use within Israeli institutions.
It stipulates that “Israel is the historic homeland of the Jewish people and they have an exclusive right to national self-determination in it”. It also states that an undivided Jerusalem is the capital of Israel.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the Knesset after the vote “This is a defining moment in the annals of Zionism and the history of the state of Israel,” .
Palestinian members of the Knesset have condemned the bill.
“I announce with shock and sorrow the death of democracy,” Ahmed Tibi, one of the lawmakers, told reporters.
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