Israel’s Nation State Law Up for Review in January

Activists hold the Israeli Declaration of Independence papers as they protest Jewish nation bill, during a Knesset session in Jerusalem, Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. The law, sponsored by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party and passed by parliament last month, endorsed the country’s identity as the nation-state of the Jewish people. But it also downgraded Arabic from an official language to one of “special standing” and emphasized “developing Jewish settlement as a national value.“
Activists hold the Israeli Declaration of Independence papers as they protest Jewish nation bill, during a Knesset session in Jerusalem, Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. The law, sponsored by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party and passed by parliament last month, endorsed the country's identity as the nation-state of the Jewish people. But it also downgraded Arabic from an official language to one of "special standing" and emphasized "developing Jewish settlement as a national value." Oded Balilty / AP Images
Activists hold the Israeli Declaration of Independence papers as they protest Jewish nation bill, during a Knesset session in Jerusalem, Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. The law, sponsored by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party and passed by parliament last month, endorsed the country’s identity as the nation-state of the Jewish people. But it also downgraded Arabic from an official language to one of “special standing” and emphasized “developing Jewish settlement as a national value.“
Activists hold the Israeli Declaration of Independence papers as they protest Jewish nation bill, during a Knesset session in Jerusalem, Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. The law, sponsored by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party and passed by parliament last month, endorsed the country's identity as the nation-state of the Jewish people. But it also downgraded Arabic from an official language to one of "special standing" and emphasized "developing Jewish settlement as a national value." Oded Balilty / AP Images

Israel’s Nation State Law Up for Review in January

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On today’s show:

  • In July, Israel passed a constitutional law that specifies Israel as an exclusive nation-state for the Jewish people. Several challenges to the law are to be heard by the Supreme Court in January. This hour, we talk with three Israeli citizens from opposite sides of the issue.