Netanyahu tasks Amsalem with passing nationality bill
The first task of new coalition chairman David Amsalem is to push a contentious legislation seeking to enshrine as a Basic Law the concept that Israel is the nation-state of the Jewish people; it's 'one of the most important pieces of legislation that will enter Israel's history books,' Netanyahu says.
MK David Amsalem, who was appointed coalition chairman on Wednesday, was tasked by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is to promote the contentious nationality bill.
Amsalem replaces MK David Bitan, who stepped down from the position amid a corruption investigation against him.
"The first mission of the coalition chairman, MK Amsalem, will be to pass the nationality bill, one of the most important pieces of legislation that will enter Israel's history books," Netanyahu said Wednesday.
The bill proposal, first submitted 4 years ago by Likud MK Avi Dichter, seeks to enshrine as a Basic Law the concept that Israel is the nation-state of the Jewish people. The legislation determines that all Israeli law must be interpreted according to this principle.
The legislation, which is considered by its opponents as discriminatory towards Arab Israelis, specifies some of the practical aspects of the State of Israel being the nation-state of the Jewish people. The bill addresses state symbols (national anthem, flag, icons), Jerusalem as the capital, Hebrew as the official language, the right of return for Jews, the ingathering of the exiles, Jewish settlement, relations with the Jewish Diaspora, the Hebrew calendar, and holy sites.
The coalition tried to push the bill in recent months, with not much success. A special committee was formed in the Knesset to handle the legislative process.
The proposal has drawn sharp criticism as a result of the need for the High Court to interpret Knesset legislation according to the definition of the State of Israel as Jewish before democratic.
Netanyahu requested to complete a first reading before the Knesset adjourns for the summer. However, Eyal Yinon, the Knesset's legal advisor, informed Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein that a proposal such as this cannot be advanced on such a short schedule.
