Ministerial Committee
Ministerial Committeeצילום: יחצ

Deputy Attorney General Avi Licht participated in a meeting of the Ministerial Legislation Committee held on Sunday and attempted to prevent the ministers from voting in favor of the Nationality Law. The Nationality Law was approved at noon Sunday by the Ministerial Legislation Committee at the initiative of acting committee chairman, Tourism Minister Yariv Levin.

The law anchors the fact that the State of Israel is the nation-state of the Jewish people and states that Hebrew is the official language of the state, while the Arabic language is granted "special status". The city of Jerusalem is affirmed the capital of the State of Israel.

The bill was initiated by MK Avi Dichter (Likud), but due to various disagreements, its advancement has been long stalled in committee.

Arutz Sheva has learned that the Deputy Attorney General told the ministers that a Basic Law like the National Law could not be presented as a private bill, and tried to prevent the ministers from holding the vote on the bill.

Minister Levin explained that the ministerial committee's decision was meant to put an end to delays in enacting the law. "Today I decided to put an end to the committee's foot-dragging and approve the Nationality Law."

"For too long we have attempted to discuss the law and decide whether it should be passed - a basic law regarding which it is difficult to understand how it was not anchored in legislation before now, a law the simple purpose of which is to protect Israel's status as the state of the Jewish People.

"The waiting period is over," declared the Tourism Minister. "The proposal will be promoted and prepared as a government proposal in the current Knesset session."