Opposition to challenge Blue and White with bill to amend nation state law

Bill could heighten coalition tensions since Blue and White supports amendment of controversial nation state law to anchor concept of equality of all citizens in law.

By JEREMY SHARON
Blue and White leader Yair Lapid speaking at the Knesset on December 11 2019 (photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)
Blue and White leader Yair Lapid speaking at the Knesset on December 11 2019
(photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)
Yesh Atid – Telem will introduce a bill to the Knesset on Wednesday to amend the controversial nation state law, a move designed to challenge Blue and White to support the measure in the face of what will be strong opposition from the Likud.
The bill will come to a vote in the Knesset plenum, just a week after a severe coalition crisis blew up when Blue and White voted with the opposition on a bill to ban gay conversion therapy, and could further test the cohesiveness of the already deeply troubled government.
The nation-state law, passed by the previous government as a Basic Law, was heavily criticized for delineating Jewish national rights and symbols including the importance of “Jewish settlement,” but without any language guaranteeing the equality of all citizens, especially minorities.
The Druze community in particular objected to the law, which it felt excluded them from being part of the state, with its leaders arguing that it reduced them to second-class citizens.
Advocates of the bill argued, however, that equality for all citizens is legislated in Israel’s Basic Law: human dignity and freedom, while there had been no previous law delineating Israel’s Jewish character.
During the election campaign, the Blue and White party pledged to amend the law to include explicit language guaranteeing the equal rights of non-Jews while preserving the clause asserting the State of Israel’s status as the nation state of the Jewish people where it exercises self-determination.
During the election campaign, Blue and White chairman Benny Gantz told Druze leaders that he would “do everything I can in order to amend the nation state law.”
Yesh Atid – Telem’s bill, advanced by MK Gadeer Kamal Mreeh who is from the Druze community, will add a clause to the nation state law stipulating that “The State of Israel is a home and affords equal rights to all its citizens.”
The bill will also recognize Arabic as Israel’s official second language, due to criticism that the original nation state law negatively impacted Arabic’s formal standing.
Kamal Mreeh has said that it is fitting to bring such a bill to a vote right now amidst the national crisis surrounding the COVID-19 epidemic since the disease affects all strata of Israeli society.
“I very much hope that my friends in Blue and White, led by Benny Gantz and Gabi Ashkenazi, will be able to understand the opportunity to amend the law as they promised to their voters,” said Mreeh.
“This is the time to truly put all of Israel first. This is our opportunity to unite for our common future in the State of Israel and to preserve its character as a Jewish and democratic state in the spirit of the Declaration of Independence.”
A spokesman for Blue and White said in response that the party had not yet decided how to vote on the bill.