Israel passes law to declare that only Jews have right of self-determination in the country

Israel has passed a law to declare that only Jews have the right of self-determination in the country, something members of the Arab minority called racist and verging on apartheid. The nation-state law, backed by the right-wing government, was passed by a vote of 62 for and 55 against and two abstentions in the 120-member parliament after months of political argument. 

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the Knesset after the vote that this is a defining moment in the annals of Zionism and the history of



the state of Israel.

The law was enacted just after the 70th anniversary of the birth of the state of Israel. It stipulates that Israel is the historic homeland of the Jewish people and they have an exclusive right to national self-determination in it.

The bill also strips Arabic of its designation as an official language alongside Hebrew, downgrading it to a special status that enables its continued use within Israeli institutions.