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Israeli Cabinet Approves Controversial “Nation-State Bill” – Arabic Won’t be an Official Language

The Israeli cabinet on Sunday approved sending a revised version of the so-called “Nation-State” bill to the floor of the plenum. The controversial bill, if passed, will strip Arabic of its designation as an “official language” of Israel and declare that “the right to realize self-determination in the State of Israel is unique to the Jewish people.” The bill is meant to become part of the core legislation known as a “basic law” which taken as a body of law stands in the place of a constitution. Regarding Arabic, while it will no longer be an official language, Arabic speakers will still have the right to “language-accessible state services.” One of bill’s leading proponents, Tourism Minister Yair Levin, declared that “the simple goal of the bill is to protect Israel’s status as the state of the Jewish people.” The bill is receiving a great deal of dissent, including a recommendation to reject the new legislation issued by the Israel Democracy Institute. Unlike a true constitution, the Israeli system allows frequent alteration even of basic laws, evoking fear that while the wording is acceptable today, the new law could be easily manipulated to form the basis of excessive nationalistic fervor. The legislation has re-vitalized Israel’s age-old debate over whether it is able to be both a Jewish state and democracy. Opponents of the bill argue the bill comes down on the side of Jewish identity at the expense of democratic values.