Just Earth News | @justearthnews | 19 Jul 2018, 07:59 am Print
Jerusalem: Amid another controversy, the Israeli Parliament (Knesset) have passed the 'Jewish Nation Bill', thus, officially making it an exclusively Jewish state.
The bill, which downgrades Arabic as an official language, incurred the wrath of Israeli Arab MPs, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called it a watershed moment in the country's history.
"Israel is the historic homeland of the Jewish people and they have an exclusive right to national self-determination in it," the bill says.
It was passed with 62 MPs voting for it, while, 55 went against.
Following the event, Arab MP Ahmed Tibi termed it as 'the death of democracy'. It has also come under criticism from Adalah, an NGO which looks after rights of Arab people.
It said that the bill advanced 'ethnic superiority by promoting racist policies'.
Israel's 9 million population consists of about 20 percent Arabs.
Image: Beny Shlevich/Wikipedia
- Ali Khamenei (1939–2026): Iran’s Supreme Leader who ruled with an iron grip
- Trump signs 10% global tariff, says it takes effect ‘almost immediately’
- BJP wins a seat in Bangladesh — But not the one you think!
- Meet Shabana Mahmood: Could she take over as UK’s first Pakistani-origin Muslim PM?
- Dalai Lama's Office breaks silence on Epstein claims
-1763561110.jpg "Image of the day: November 19, 2025")
