Likud may alter 'Jewish nation state' bill amidst concerns at global fallout

Responding to concerns that the pending “Jewish nation-state” bill may cause Israel significant damage internationally, Likud legislators are reportedly preparing to dilute aspects of the legislation, according to various media reports.

According to Haaretz, Attorney General Avichai Mendelblit “warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday of possible implications for Israel in the international arena” if the bill is passed “in its current form”.

Meanwhile, Deputy Attorney General Ran Nizri made a similar point in the Knesset yesterday, stating: “We are doing our job in closed rooms where we speak to the relevant political officials and there, more is said about the international implications.”

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President Reuven Rivlin also warned yesterday that the legislation in its current form “could harm the Jewish people worldwide and in Israel, and could even be used as a weapon by our enemies”.

Haaretz noted that “in addition to damage to Israel’s democratic image, the implications might involve agreements and treaties to which Israel is a signatory, as well as international law.”

One clause, in particular, declares that “the state can allow a community composed of people of the same faith or nationality to maintain an exclusive community.”

According to reports, Likud is looking to replace this text with a “mainly declarative” alternative wording, which “refers to international support for Jewish settlement on land ‘under its control’”.