The Knesset Presidium took the unusual step on Monday of rejecting a bill proposed by Joint Arab List MKs Jamal Zahalka, Hanin Zoabi, and Juma Azbarga that rejects the definition of Israel as a Jewish, democratic state and seeks to redefine it as a nation "of all its citizens."
The concept of "a state of all its citizens" negates Israel's character as a Jewish state, advocating for equality for all ethnic groups and denominations in all state symbols, institutions and laws in an ostensible attempt to create a unified national identity. It would also prevent the state from favoring Jewish immigrants. Currently, under Israel's Law of Return, citizenship is automatically granted to anyone of Jewish descent.
This was the first time in five years that the presidium, which comprises the Knesset speaker and his or her deputy and which sets the Knesset's agenda, decided to exclude a bill from the legislative process. Prior to Monday's decision, the presidium has exercised this power in only three instances, to avoid any check on MKs' basic right to have their bills presented to the Knesset plenum for debate.
Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein and Deputy Speaker Hilik Bar adopted the opinion of Knesset counsel Eyal Yinon, who wrote that "it is difficult not to see such a bill as seeking to eradicate the State of Israel as the Jewish state."
The Knesset Presidium is explicitly empowered to reject bills that seek to revoke Israel's Jewish character or that are "racist in nature."
On Sunday, Balad – a member party of the Joint Arab List – said it was considering petitioning the High Court of Justice over Edelstein's plan to block its bill titled "Israel – A State of All Its Citizens."
Zahalka told Israel Hayom his faction "submitted the bill as an answer to the radical nation-state bill the government is promoting. Edelstein said he would try to prevent the bill from being presented to the Knesset, and that he will have [Knesset] Legal Adviser Eyal Yinon prepare a legal opinion on the matter so he can present it to the Knesset Presidium [comprising the speaker and deputy speakers, who approve the tabling of private members' bills]."
The government's controversial nation-state bill defines Israel as a "Jewish state with a democratic regime," requiring the state to preserve the country's Jewish character and protect state symbols and sacred Jewish sites according to Jewish tradition.
