The Supreme Court on Tuesday was hearing a case against a contentious law that defines the country as the nation-state of the Jewish people, marking the beginning of a landmark challenge against legislation that opponents say discriminates against minorities.
Critics say the law further downgrades the status of Israel's Arab minority, which makes up around 20% of the country's population. Proponents claim the legislation merely enshrined Israel's existing Jewish character into law.
The 15 petitions filed by Arab rights groups and other civil society organizations seek to have the country's Supreme Court strike down the law. The petitions pose a major challenge to the 2018 law and are being heard by a panel of 11 justices, the court's largest possible configuration.