08:36 – Adoption of a controversial law defining Israel as "the Jewish nation-state"

Parliament pbaded a controversial bill on Thursday defining Israel as "the nation-state of the Jewish people," a text accused of making discrimination against Israeli Arabs official.

The law, pbaded by 62 votes against 55, stipulates in particular that Hebrew becomes the only official language of Israel, whereas Arabic previously had an identical status. He declares that "Jewish settlements (on Israeli territory) are in the national interest" and proclaims that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel, including the eastern part of the annexed city.

The most controversial article , which referred to the possibility of creating Jewish-only localities – which excluded Israeli Arab citizens, who make up 17.5% of the total Israeli population – has, however, been amended.

The amended text states that "the State considers that the development of Jewish settlements is in the national interest and that the State will take measures to encourage, advance and serve this interest."

The initial formulation had provoked a wave of criticism, President Reuven Rivlin, Attorney General Avishai Mandelblit and the EU Delegation to Israel because of its discriminatory nature.

However, the vaguest response was also strongly denounced by the opposition, especially by Arab MP Ayman Odeh, who waved a black flag in the tribune during the debate to mark "the death of our democracy".

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed the vote. "This is a decisive moment in the history of the State of Israel which inscribes in our marble our language, our anthem and our flag," he proclaimed.

– "It legalizes apartheid "-

This law is" dangerous and racist par excellence ", denounced the secretary general of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), Saeb Erakat, on his Twitter account.

It" officially legalizes the Apartheid, added Mr. Erakat.

According to him, the text "denies to the Arab citizens their right to self-determination which is determined only by the Jewish population."

It falls into the category fundamental laws which constitute a constitution in Israel

It states that "the State of Israel as the national state of the Jewish people where it applies its natural, cultural, religious, historical right and its right to self-determination. "

The law still provides that the Jewish lunar calendar is the official calendar of the country.

With regard to the official language, no law having been pbaded on this subject since the creation of the State of Israel in 1948, Hebrew and Arabic were until now all both considered as quasi-official languages, used in all state documents.

After the vote of the law, the Arab will have only a "special status", which is not precisely defined. 19659002] Public radio pointed out that out of the 120 deputies, 45 opposition Jewish parliamentarians had voted against the law.

M. Netanyahu, who had made this text his hobbyhorse, wanted at all costs to have it voted before the end of Parliament's summer session on Thursday.