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Arab MK quits over law defining Israel as Jewish state

Knesset Member Zouheir Bahloul belatedly resigned from the Israeli parliament in protest over the Nation-State Law.

By Jack Gold, World Israel News

Israeli-Arab Member of Knesset Zouheir Bahloul of the Zionist Union political party, resigned from the Israeli parliament in protest of the recently passed Nation-State Law.

Bahloul, formerly one of Israel’s most popular sports journalists, submitted his letter of resignation to Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein on Tuesday.

The resignation will go into effect Thursday and Bahloul will be replaced in the Knesset by former Labor MK Moshe Mizrahi.

Zionist Union Chairman Avi Gabbay criticized Bahloul’s decision as “extremist.”

The Nation-State Law defines Israel as the Jewish state and enshrines its unique Jewish character.

After the passage of the law in July, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu explained its significance, noting “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.’”

The new law does not rescind previous laws ensuring individual rights. However, Israeli Arabs MKs have criticized the law as racist and said it infringes on their human rights.