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Arab MPs in Israel push UN resolution on ‘apartheid' law

Monday, 27 August 2018 9:23 AM [ Last Update: Monday, 27 August 2018 1:31 PM ]

Israeli members of parliament attend the Knesset Plenary Hall session ahead of the vote on the “Jewish state” law on July 18, 2018. (Photo by AFP)

Arab lawmakers at the Israeli parliament are working with the Palestinian Authority to push for a UN resolution condemning Israel over its controversial “Jewish state” law, a report says.

Several Arab members of the Knesset from the Joint List, Palestinian Ambassador to the UN Riyad Mansour, and other senior Palestinian officials are trying to persuade the UN to pass a resolution that likens the “nation-state” law to apartheid laws.

Arab lawmakers, including Aida Touma-Sliman and Yousef Jabareen, met recently with senior UN officials, including UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo, to discuss the legislation.

Israeli Ambassador Danny Danon cried foul, writing to Knesset speaker Yuli Edelstein in which he slammed Arab lawmakers for the initiative and accused them of “causing great damage” to Israel.

“Over the past two years we have witnessed a close partnership between the MKs and Palestinian representatives in the UN working with the goal of inciting against and defaming" Israel and its military on the UN stage, Danon wrote.

The new law adopted by the Knesset in July declares Israel exclusively for Jews, in what has been denounced as an "apartheid" and "racist" measure by many activists and political leaders around the world.

The legislation defines occupied Jerusalem al-Quds as the “capital” of Israel, downgrades the status of the Arabic language and encourages expansion of Israeli settlements.

A general view shows Rabin Square as Arabs and their supporters protest against the “Jewish state” law in the coastal city of Tel Aviv on August 11, 2018. (Photo by AFP)

Arabs make up roughly a fifth of Israel's population of close to nine million. They have long complained of inequality and discrimination in their former homeland where they are treated as second-class citizens.

The law triggered protest rallies by Israeli Arabs and Druze. Several countries have also denounced the legislation.

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