After a meeting with the chareidi parties: The joint committee of the Knesset Committee and the Constitution, Law and Justice Committee on Tuesday approved the National Law proposal for a first reading. Nine MKs supported the bill and seven opposed it.

Despite the support of chareidi MKs, MK Uri Maklev, a member of the committee, clarified to Bichadre Chareidim that “this law will not go beyond the declarative aspect that was important to the Likud – we do not change our position at the last minute.

“We do not need the law of nationality, we are not interested in promoting agendas as a Basic Law, and in this case, less is better,” he said.

“We also do not see the need to strengthen the nation as they interpret it, and certainly not democracy as their interpretation,” he said.

The bill enshrines the status of the State of Israel as the nation-state of the Jewish people and the right of the Jewish people to self-determination in its homeland as a unique right for the Jewish people, the symbols of the state, Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, the Hebrew language as the official language.

It also anchors the connection with Diaspora Jewry and the right to preserve a heritage for all residents of Israel, regardless of religion or nationality. The bill establishes the Hebrew calendar as the state’s official calendar and Independence Day, the Jewish holidays and the days of remembrance in the Basic Law.

Nine MKs supported the proposal: MK Amir Ochana (Likud) and MKs Avi Dichter, Sharan Haskel, Avraham Neguise (Likud), Roi Folkman (Kulanu), Michael Malchieli (Shas), Oded Forer (Yisrael Beitenu), Bezalel Smotrich (Bayit Yehudi), and Uri Maklev (Yahadut Hatorah).

7 MKs opposed: Michal Biran, Revital Swaid, Salah Saad (Machane Tzioni), Jamal Zahalka, Dov Khenin (Arab List), Yael German (Yesh Atid), and Mossi Raz (Meretz).

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)