Israels proposed Jewish nation-state law hits hurdle Israels Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu listens to Cabinet Secretary Avichai Mandelblit (R) during … Police say Israeli man stabbed in Jerusalem Associated Press Israeli ministers approve applying Israel law to West Bank settlers Reuters Israel PM Netanyahu orders Jerusalem terrorists homes razed AFP Netanyahu slams US, EU settlement criticism AFP US disavows sharp criticism of Israeli PM AFP JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Divisions within Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus governing coalition delayed on Sunday a preliminary vote on a proposed law to declare Israel the nation-state of the Jewish people. Justice Minister Tzipi Livni, who heads a centrist party, has expressed concern that the rightist-backed legislation would put preservation of Israels Jewish character above democratic values, and she blocked its discussion in a ministerial committee she chairs. In now-frozen peace talks, Palestinians had rejected Netanyahus demand that they recognize Israel as a Jewish state. Legislators from the countrys Arab minority have described the bill as racist. Netanyahu opened the weekly cabinet meeting on Sunday by promising to move forward on the nationality law proposed by his right-wing Likud party and far-right allies. The Israeli leader said it was time for the countrys courts, which have been attacked by some ultranationalists as supportive of Palestinian land rights, to recognize the aspect of our being the nation state of the Jewish people. With Likuds support, the bill, which Netanyahu said would ensure equal rights for all Israeli citizens, had been expected to receive approval from Livnis ministerial committee. After Livni intervened, Netanyahu effectively side-stepped her, announcing he would move discussion of the legislation from her committee to the full cabinet. No date was announced for the cabinet debate. Underscoring splits in the coalition, Economy Minister Naftali Bennett said he would subsequently withhold his far-right Jewish Home partys support for bills proposed by centrist members. news.yahoo/israels-proposed-jewish-nation-state-law-hits-hurdle-155016924.html
Posted on: Sun, 16 Nov 2014 17:08:20 +0000
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