Zionist Union MK Zouheir Bahloul announced his resignation from the Knesset Saturday amid backlash over the controversial nation-state legislation that was voted into law earlier this month.
Bahloul said he would submit his letter of resignation when the Knesset reconvenes for its winter session on Oct. 14.
The nation-state law, included in Israel's de-facto constitution comprising individual basic laws, defines Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish people. The law's provisions, including the downgrading of the Arabic language from an official language of Israel to a "special status" language, and the assertion that only Jews have a right to self determination in Israel, have angered Israel's non-Jewish citizens, who view the law as discriminatory and offensive.
"The drastic move of enacting the nation-state law has excluded the Arab population from the framework of equality in Israel," Bahloul announced Saturday on Channel 13's "Meet the Press." "I cannot continue to sit on the fence. Once the Knesset reconvenes, I will tender my resignation."
"In a few years, the Jews will realize their country is not what they imagined it to be," he continued. "I cannot simply accept the new conditions redefining the state."
"The word 'equality' is absent from the [nation-state] law, and the fact that the Arabic language has been relegated is also disturbing," he said. "It seems this government wants to [ethnically] cleanse itself. When I entered the Knesset I wanted to foster a new type of dialogue, at eye level, in an attempt to bring the two sides closer – but all I found were closed doors."
The Israeli parliament, he lamented, "Has become a rubber stamp for exclusionary, racist legislation. We [Israeli Arabs] are citizens of the State of Israel. We are native to this land. We were here before this state was established and we are rooted here. I'd rather flee this sinking ship [the Knesset] than stay on. I plan to avoid the Knesset the way one avoids a raging fire."
Bahloul further said he was "disappointed" by his faction, the Zionist Union, saying that "while it tries to put up a fight, it is just the mark of an impotent opposition. It is unthinkable that there is no aggressive opposition that can fight this destructive policy."
"The Israeli public is not racist. There is a large gap between the whims of [Prime Minister] Benjamin Netanyahu and the coalition and the Jewish public, which wants coexistence. I only regret that our leaders have lost sight of this. We [Israeli Arabs] are not a threat. We want a partnership and coexistence," the visibly emotional MK concluded.
The Labor party, one of the parties comprising the Zionist Union faction, issued a statement calling Bahloul's move "regrettable."
"We regret MK Bahloul's decision. The [nation-state] law is a kick to the head of over a fifth of the population of Israel, which is a Jewish state with or without it [the law]. Once we are back in power we will amend this law to include what should have been included in the first place – the word 'equality,'" the statement said.
Opposition Leader Tzipi Livni (Zionist Union) issued a statement saying she was "sorry to learn of Zouheir Bahloul's announcement, especially at a time when nationalism has offended so many minorities in Israeli society. This is the time when those who believe in a state that is Jewish, democratic and offers equality for all, should work together."
On Sunday morning, Bahloul told Army Radio that he was sorely disappointed with his party's "weak response" to his resignation. Referring to Zionist Union leader Avi Gabbay, Bahloul said that "he was apparently praying for this moment [the resignation] to come, and I gave it to him on a silver platter."
He added that he wasn't sure whether he would vote for the Zionist Union in the next elections.
Meanwhile, Habayit Hayehudi Chairman Naftali Bennett dismissed Bahloul's resignation, saying, "The Knesset won't cry over Zouheir Bahloul, an MK whose Palestinian identity is clearly stronger than his Israeli one."
According to Bennett, "The uproar over the nation-state law is unjustified. This law is vital given the continued erosion of the national foundation of the State of Israel, as seen in High Court of Justice rulings. This law has nothing to do with the individual rights of Israeli citizens, but rather the national aspect of the state."
Once Bahloul's resignation comes into effect, he will be replaced by Police Brig. Gen. (ret.) Moshe Mizrahi, who served as a Labor MK in the previous Knesset's term.
Also on Saturday, some 180 Israeli authors, poets, artists, screenwriters, playwrights and academics called on Netanyahu and the government to repeal the nation-state law and amend a separate surrogacy law that was passed at around the same time as the nation-state law and similarly stirred powerful backlash.
The latest amendment to the surrogacy law excludes single men from using the services of surrogates to carry their babies. For gay couples, surrogacy is often the only available option to father biological children. The move triggered a wave of protests, with Israel's LGBTQ community vowing to continue the fight until the "discriminatory law" is amended again.
