An Israeli Arab lawmaker says he is resigning from parliament for "ideological reasons" to protest the recent passage of a controversial law enshrining the state's Jewish character.

Labor lawmaker Zuhair Bahloul says Sunday he can no longer serve in a country that officially marginalizes the 20 percent Arab minority he represents.

Bahloul, a former popular sports broadcaster, is regarded as a symbol of Jewish and Arab coexistence.

His departure marks further fallout from the explosive bill, which has also seen strong opposition from a Druze minority that serves in the military and feels slighted by the legislation.

Israel's 1948 declaration of independence defined its nature as a Jewish and democratic state. The government says the bill merely enshrines the country's existing character but critics say it undercuts its democratic values. </s> An Israeli-Arab legislator says he is resigning from parliament for “ideological reasons” to protest against the recent passage of a controversial law enshrining the state’s Jewish character.

An Israeli-Arab legislator says he is resigning from parliament for “ideological reasons” to protest against the recent passage of a controversial law enshrining the state’s Jewish character.

Labour lawmaker Zuhair Bahloul said he can no longer serve in a country that officially marginalises the 20% Arab minority he represents.

Mr Bahloul, formerly a popular sports broadcaster, is regarded as a symbol of Jewish-Arab co-existence.

His departure marks further fallout from the explosive bill, which has also seen strong opposition from a Druze minority that serves in the military and feels slighted by the legislation.

Israel’s 1948 declaration of independence defined its nature as a Jewish and democratic state. The government says the bill merely enshrines the country’s existing character but critics say it undercuts its democratic values. </s> Image copyright AFP Image caption Zouheir Bahloul branded Israel's parliament as racist and destructive

An Israeli Arab politician has resigned in opposition to a controversial new law which declares Israel to be the nation state of the Jewish people.

Zouheir Bahloul, 67, branded parliament "racist" and "destructive" for passing the law, which also puts Hebrew above Arabic as the official language.

"[The law] removes the Arab population from the path of equality in Israel," he told Israeli TV network Reshet.

The bill passed on 19 July, provoking anger from Israel's Arab minority.

Arab members of the Knesset tore up copies of the bill and shouted their disgust, before some were thrown out of the chamber.

"I am resigning from the Knesset," Mr Bahloul, a member of the opposition Zionist Union party, said on Saturday.

"Should I sit on the fence? Should I give legitimacy to this destructive, racist, extremist parliament?"

He added that he could not face telling his grandson that he had kept his seat in the Knesset.

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Israeli Arab MPs protest and rip copies of the bill after Knesset passes nation state law

After the bill was passed, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised it as a "defining moment" in the country's history.

"A hundred and twenty-two years after [the founder of modern Zionism Theodore] Herzl made his vision known, with this law we determined the founding principle of our existence," he said.

Called The Basic Law: Israel as the Nation State of the Jewish People, the legislation essentially defines Israel first and foremost as a Jewish state.

Image copyright Reuters Image caption Israeli Arabs have long complained of discrimination

It was created because some Israeli Jewish politicians consider the founding principles of Israel's creation, as a state for Jews in their ancient homeland, to be under threat.

But Israeli Arabs, who comprise about 20% of the country's population, see it as evidence that Israel is downgrading their status.

They have equal rights under the law but have long complained of being treated as second-class citizens and say they face discrimination and worse provisions than Israeli Jews. </s> In protest of Israel's controversial "Jewish nation-state" law, a Israeli Arab lawmaker from opposition Zionist Union lawmaker on Saturday quitted the parliament.

According to Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth, Zouheir Bahloul termed the parliament (the Knesset) "racist" for passing the law, which sparked international criticism of Israel.

Bahloul said the law brushed the Arab citizens aside, both officially and constitutionally.

The Arab lawmaker said his resignation will come into effect in September when the Knesset returns from its summer recess and vowed not to step back from his decision.

The law defines Israel as a Jewish state with a “united Jerusalem” as its capital. It has also promoted Hebrew as the only official language, stripping Arabic as an official language while recognizing its “special status”.

The new legislation risks further alienating the Arab minority who argue they already face discrimination from Israeli Jews and the government and already feel as though they are second-class citizens.

Palestinians, who have Israeli citizenship make up 21 percent of the population, are known as Israeli Arabs and have members in the Israeli parliament, the Knesset. </s> An Israeli Arab lawmaker resigned on Saturday and branded the parliament "racist" after it passed a controversial new law which declares Israel the nation state of the Jewish people.

The new legislation speaks of Israel as the historic homeland of the Jews and says they have a "unique" right to self-determination there. It also revokes the longstanding status of Arabic as an official language alongside Hebrew.

Zouheir Bahloul, of the opposition Zionist Union party, said he could not face telling his grandson that he remained part of the same chamber which passed the law.

"I am resigning from the Knesset," he said on Reshet TV, in reference to Israel's parliament.

"The nation state law officially, constitutionally, removes the Arab population from the path of equality in Israel," he said in Hebrew.

"Should I sit on the fence? Should I give legitimacy to this destructive, racist, extremist parliament?"

Bahloul said that his resignation would officially take effect when parliament returns from its summer recess in September, but he pledged not to reconsider in the meantime.

"I faithfully promise that I shall not go back," he said.

After the law was approved earlier this month Arab members of parliament branded the legislation "racist" and ripped up copies of the bill in the Knesset chamber.

Arab citizens make up some 17.5 percent of Israel's more than eight million population.

The law makes no mention of equality and Israel's democratic character, implying the country's Jewish identity takes precedence.

Leaders of Israel's 130,000-strong Druze Arab community, which unlike Muslims and Christians is subject to the military draft, has filed a challenge to the law with the country's Supreme Court.

On Friday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held talks with Israeli Druze spiritual leader Sheikh Muafak Tarif and a retired Druze general.

"Prime Minister Netanyahu made no commitment and said that he would continue to hold consultations," the premier's office said in a statement.

Also present at the meeting was Communications Minister Ayoob Kara, a member of Netanyahu's right-wing Likud party.

He voted in favour of the law and has since reportedly received death threats. </s> A prominent Israeli Arab lawmaker resigned Saturday from what he described as a "racist" and "extremist" parliament that passed a controversial law declaring Israel to be the nation-state of the Jews.

The law passed in the Knesset earlier this month states that "national self-determination in the State of Israel is unique to the Jewish people." It also downgrades Arabic from an official language alongside Hebrew.

Zouheir Bahloul, of the main opposition Zionist Union alliance, said he was resigning over a "dangerous" law that undermines the democratic nature of the Israeli state.

"The nation state law officially, constitutionally, removes the Arab population from the path of equality in Israel," he said in Hebrew on the television show Meet the Press.

"Should I sit on the fence? Should I give legitimacy to this destructive, racist, extremist parliament?"

"This is a painful moment. If I'm giving up, it means all hope is lost," the Arab lawmaker continued.

Israel has 1.9 million Arab citizens, or about 21 percent of the total population of 9 million. Another 5 percent of the population consists of non-Arab Christians or other groups such as Druze.

Bahloul is considered a moderate political voice who sought understanding and equality between Jews and Arabs. He is a member of the Labor Party, which along side Hatnuah make up the center-left Zionist Union alliance.

Read more: Opinion: Israel's new nation-state law and the politics of superiority

Incoming opposition leader and head of Hatnuah, Tzipi Livni, said in comments translated by Ynet News that she regretted Bahloul's decision, "particularly in days in which the tyranny of the majority and extremist nationalism are hurting minorities in society. This is the time for all of those who believe in the State of Israel being both Jewish and democratic—with equality for all—to join forces."

Labor Party said in a statement that it lamented Bahloul's exit from the Knesset and vowed to fight the nation-state law.

"The nation-state law is a kick in the head of more than a fifth of Israel's population, which would be a Jewish state with or without it. When we return to power we will amend this law as well, and add to it what is supposed to be obvious, the word 'equality.'"

The nation-state law enters Israel's Basic Law, a quasi-constitution. It has drawn widespread criticism from the main opposition, Israeli Arab lawmakers with the Joint List, the international community and liberal Jewish groups abroad.

The 150,000 strong Druze community has come out strongly against the nation-state bill and the absence of references to equality. Unlike Muslims and Christians, Druze are drafted into the military and considered in alliance with Jews.

Druze lawmakers and community leaders have filed a challenge to the nation-state law with the Supreme Court. </s> JERUSALEM (JTA) — An Arab-Israeli lawmaker resigned from Knesset in protest of the nation-state law.

Zouheir Bahloul of the Zionist Union announced his resignation on Saturday during a live appearance on Israel’s “Meet the Press” television show.

“The law oppresses me and oppresses the population that sent me to the Knesset,” he said during his announcement.

“The government submits the Knesset to its whims. The Knesset has become a rubber stamp of exceptional and racist legislation. I will run from it as one runs from raging fire,” he said. “I was burned, I cannot remain silent anymore, and it’s better for me to escape before this ship sinks. It may still remain above water, but I won’t be on it.”

He said he would work for change from outside the government. “I will be one of the founders of the popular movement that is supposed to rise in this country. This will be a popular movement of Arabs and Jews who will prove that eventually, in spite of Netanyahu and his friends’ opposition, we can live here together and direct this ship to other places,”

The Labor Party, one of the two parties that makes up the Zionist Union, said in a statement that it was “sorry to hear” about Bahloul’s decision to resign.

“The Nationality Law is a kick in the head to over one fifth of the population of Israel—which is a Jewish country with or without it. When we return to the government, we will amend this law as well and add what should’ve been obvious—the word ‘equality.'”

Labor Party leader Avi Gabbay also said the party will work to make sure there is appropriate Arab representation in the Knesset.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday met with the Druze local council heads as part of his ongoing talks with Druze community leaders in the wake of the approval of the nationality law.

“There are unending attempts to rescind the definition of the State of Israel as the national state of the Jewish people. We legislated the Nation-State Law in order to ensure that Israel will remain the national state of our people – this is the purpose of the state’s existence. The law does not detract at all from the individual rights of anybody. It is designed to make the necessary legal balance, the time for which has come, in order to ensure the character of the State of Israel,” Netanyahu told them.

“You are describing genuine feelings and we must find a solution. I will continue [holding] consultations,” he also said, and announced the establishment of a team to submit recommendations “for actions that will strengthen the important ties between us.”

Netanyahu also defended the law Sunday morning at the weekly Cabinet meeting.

“The State of Israel is the nation-state of the Jewish people, with full equal rights for all of its citizens. This is the meaning of the words ‘a Jewish and democratic state’,” he said. “Over decades the opposition has preached to us that we must withdraw to the 1967 lines in order to ensure that Israel remains the national state of the Jewish people in which there is a Jewish majority in the state. Then suddenly when we pass a basic law to ensure exactly this, the left cries out in protest? What hypocrisy.”

“The Israeli left must search within itself. It needs to ask itself why the basic term Zionism, ‘a Jewish national state of the Jewish people in its land’, has become a rude term for it, a rude word, a principle that one should be ashamed of. We are not ashamed of Zionism. We are proud of our state, that it is a national home for the Jewish people, which strictly upholds – in a manner that is without peer – the individual rights of all its citizens,” he also said. </s> Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has fired the education minister and justice minister, an official at the Prime Minister's Office said Sunday.

The official declined to give any details about the circumstances under which Education Minister Naftali Bennett and Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked were fired.

The Jerusalem Post cited sources close to Netanyahu saying he fired Bennett and Shaked because they had lost public support in the April 9 election.

Bennett and Shaked's the New Right party did not pass the electoral threshold in the general election. Bennett is a member of the security cabinet.

In a joint statement, Bennett and Shaked thanked the public for the privilege of serving in their roles and said: "Everything we did was for the good of the State of Israel and its citizens."

"We will transfer the ministries we headed to the ministers who will replace us in an orderly manner in order to maintain the continuous and good functioning of the Ministries of Education and Justice, and in order for the next school year to begin as planned. "

Netanyahu's decision comes days after parliament voted to dissolve itself after the premier failed to form a government following his April victory.

The next election is set to be held on Sept. 17. </s> In a fiery parliamentary session held on July 25, following the release of the Israeli Embassy security guard involved in a deadly shooting incident, Jordanian MPs staged a mass walkout in protest and demanded that the Jordanian ambassador to Israel be recalled home. Footage from the session shows MPs Sadah Habashneh and Khaled Fanatseh calling on their colleagues to walk out with them, with Habashneh saying that the Jordanian prime minister had "sold us out." Jordanian MP Sadah Habashneh: (...
Israeli Arab MP Zouheir Bahloul resigns over the "nation-state" law.