Joint Arab List MK Wael Younis submitted a letter of resignation from the Knesset in Arabic on Wednesday, in a move aimed at protesting Israel's new nation-state law.
The law, which states that only Jews have a right to self-determination in Israel and downgrades Arabic from an official language to a "special status" language, has angered many of Israel's non-Jewish citizens, who view it as discriminatory and offensive.
Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein initially said he could not accept Younis' resignation because it was written in Arabic.
"The Arab lawmakers tried to pull a stunt when they submitted the letter in a language I do not know. I respect the Arabic language, but I do not have the ability to sign a letter that I cannot read," he said.
Following consultations with Knesset officials, Edelstein was surprised to learn that Israel's Basic Law: The Knesset only requires lawmakers to submit their resignation in person, not necessarily in Hebrew. As a result, Edelstein accepted Younis' resignation and had it translated to Hebrew.
Younis blasted Edelstein for his initial refusal to accept his resignation, saying this was a "practical translation of the clause revoking the official status of Arabic in the nation-state law."
"It is unbelievable that the Knesset speaker would refuse to sign the letter of resignation simply because it was written in Arabic," Younis said.
