Israel's parliament has passed into law a controversial bill that defines the country as an exclusively Jewish state.
The "Jewish nation state" bill downgrades Arabic as an official language and says advancing Jewish settlement is a national interest.
It also states that the "whole and united" Jerusalem is its capital.
Israeli Arab MPs condemned the legislation but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised it as a "defining moment".
The bill, backed by the country's right-wing government, says "Israel is the historic homeland of the Jewish people and they have an exclusive right to national self-determination in it".
Last week Mr Netanyahu defended the law, saying: "We will keep ensuring civil rights in Israel's democracy but the majority also has rights and the majority decides."
https://www.bbc.com/news/amp/world-middle-east-44881554
The "Jewish nation state" bill downgrades Arabic as an official language and says advancing Jewish settlement is a national interest.
It also states that the "whole and united" Jerusalem is its capital.
Israeli Arab MPs condemned the legislation but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised it as a "defining moment".
The bill, backed by the country's right-wing government, says "Israel is the historic homeland of the Jewish people and they have an exclusive right to national self-determination in it".
Last week Mr Netanyahu defended the law, saying: "We will keep ensuring civil rights in Israel's democracy but the majority also has rights and the majority decides."
https://www.bbc.com/news/amp/world-middle-east-44881554