Israel’s parliament passes law declaring nation to be Jewish
The law, also making Hebrew the only official language, has garnered criticism in Israel and abroad.
Arab lawmakers stand during a Knesset session on July 19, 2018, to object to controversial legislation defining Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish people. AP Photo/Olivier Fitoussi.
In the wee hours of July 19, Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, approved a law that explicitly defines Israel as the “national home of the Jewish people.”
The law passed 62–55 during a heated session that revealed the deep divisions within Israeli society over the religious and democratic character of what many have long called the Jewish state.
“We engraved in the stone of law our language, our anthem, and our flag,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. “We have enshrined the fact that Israel is the nation-state of the Jewish people. Long live the state of Israel.”
