Joint List chairman Ayman Odeh
Joint List chairman Ayman OdehMiriam Alster/Flash 90

Arab MKs from the Joint List are planning to turn to the European Union (EU) and ask it to denounce Israel over the Nationality Law, Hadashot TV reported on Friday.

According to the report, representatives of the Joint List, headed by its chairman MK Ayman Odeh, will depart for Brussels this week for a series of meetings in the European Union, including a meeting with the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Federica Mogherini, as well as with other foreign ministers and other ambassadors.

HadashotTV further reported that Odeh also intends to appeal to UNESCO, the UN’s cultural agency, to complain about the damage to the status of the Arabic language and to ask for their intervention.

The report comes days after Hadashot TV revealed that the Arab MKs are planning to have Israel condemned by the UN General Assembly.

According to the report from Sunday, a number of MKs from the Joint List met with UN officials alongside Palestinian Authority (PA) representative Riyad Mansour and other senior PA officials in order to arrange the passing of the anti-Israel resolution.

Israeli diplomats have been informed that the MKs have met with senior UN officials, including the UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs. The MKs presented the text of the Nationality Law and claimed that it contains "apartheid" provisions.

The Joint List later claimed that an "incitement campaign" is being waged against its members.

"We represent our electorate and democracy, not the crazy right-wing government ... The evil spirit of national law encourages harm to the Arabs, fascist legislation, the legalization of outposts and the institutionalization of discrimination ... We will continue on our way from every platform until the racist nationality law is abolished," said the party.

Responding to Friday’s report about the Arab MKs’ plan to approach the EU, Israel’s UN ambassador Danny Danon wrote on Facebook, “This is a coordinated cooperation with those who want to harm the State of Israel.”

“At first, the Arab Knesset members denied that they appealed to international bodies, then they slandered, and here we receive further proof that this is a planned and coordinated process in which Israeli Knesset members join forces with those who are acting against the State of Israel,” he added.

The Nationality Law states that Israel is the Jewish people's nation state and establishes as law Israel's flag, symbols, the Hebrew language, and various other items mentioned in the Declaration of Independence.

The law does not affect the rights of minority citizens in Israel, but has been criticized by Arab countries which claimed that it is discriminatory.

Former chief Palestinian Authority negotiator Saeb Erekat claimed the law “aims at destroying the two-state solution and replacing it with an apartheid regime.”

(Arutz Sheva’s North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Arutz Sheva articles, however, is Israeli time.)