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Israeli legislators prepare to vote into law ‘Jewish nation state’ bill

July 18, 2018 at 1:23 pm

Israel’s ruling coalition is preparing for key votes in the Knesset today, “designed to pass the controversial nation-state bill that would let the state encourage the establishment of communities for Jews only”, reported Haaretz.

According to the paper, “the bill’s final version is still not ready, but it is not expected to change significantly – if at all – from the current wording”.

The new Basic Law will, as noted by Haaretz, define Israel as “the historical homeland of the Jewish people, who have the sole right to national self-determination in Israel”.

Senior coalition parliamentarians told Haaretz “that as of Tuesday there were no major problems to keep the Knesset from approving the legislation”.

READ: Thousands protest Israel’s ‘racist’ nation-state law 

“In an unusual move”, the paper explained, “the special Knesset committee preparing the final version of the bill, known officially as the Basic Law on Israel as the Nation-State of the Jewish People, will convene at 7 A.M. Wednesday to finish its voting on the bill’s sections”.

“The legislation would then go to the full Knesset for its second and third votes”, with “the final version to be presented to the Knesset at around noon; then would come the expected marathon debate and votes on the opposition’s objections in the evening”.

On Monday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the bill was “very important to guarantee the foundations of our existence, which is Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish people”.