Netanyahu wants to define Israel as Jewish state in law

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday he would seek a new law declaring Israel a Jewish state, striking back against a Palestinian refusal to recognize that status in now-collapsed peace talks. “I will promote a Basic Law that will define Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish people,” Netanyahu said in a speech in Tel Aviv that alluded to Palestinian rejection of his demand to recognize Israel as such in the U.S.-backed negotiations. Palestinians fear this label would lead to discrimination against Israel’s sizeable Arab minority, which makes up a fifth of its population, and negate any right of return of Palestinian refugees from wars since 1948…

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