The Yisrael Beytenu faction presented the Knesset with its proposal to amend Basic Law: Israel as the Nation-State of the Jewish People, Tuesday.
If adopted by the Knesset, the amendment, promoted by Druze Yisrael Beytenu MK Hamad Amar, would change the original wording that defined Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish people to include the words: "and all those who have tied their fate to the State of Israel."
The bill has also been signed by Yisrael Beytenu MKs Robert Ilatov, Oded Forer and Yulia Malinovsky.
In the bill's abstract, faction members call "to extend the application of national self-determination in the State of Israel as defined in the Basic Law: Israel as the Nation-State of the Jews so as to include the Druze community, which has tied its fate to the State of Israel since before its establishment, was a partner to the founding of the state and is further committed to serving in the IDF [Israel Defense Forces].
It continues, "Members of the Druze community have expressed their loyalty to the state even before its establishment. Their contribution is evident in the building of the country, strengthening security and in shaping the face of Israeli society.
"The Druze fulfill their commitment to serve in the IDF and maintain high enlistment rates in the military in general, and in senior leadership positions in particular. Eighty-six percent of the Druze community enlists in the IDF to date, making them the sector with the highest rate of enlistment in Israel.
According to the abstract, "This lifelong pact was forged between members of the Druze community and the State of Israel, and the community has lost many of its sons in Israel's war and in their military service. This pact has withstood many tests and remained steadfast. It is for this reason that it is imperative the state extend its self-definition to also include the Druze community, as suggested in this proposal."
On Tuesday, Amar told Israel Hayom he would wait for talks between community leaders and representatives of the Prime Minister's Office to conclude before bringing the bill before the Knesset for approval.
He said that "if those talks end successfully, we may not need to advance the bill. But if the talks reach an impasse, I will ask the Knesset committee to … bring it to the Knesset for approval."
