Israel’s cabinet approved controversial legislation that officially define the country as the nation-state of the Jewish people.  Critics say that puts Israel’s democracy in second place and fails to protect the rights of the 20 percent of the population that isn’t Jewish.

Passed by a 14-6 majority of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cabinet, the bill would:  Recognize Israel as a Jewish state; institutionalize Jewish law as an inspiration for legislation, and remove Arabic as a second official language.  Arab Muslims and Christians make up 20 percent of Israel’s population.

“There are many who are challenging Israel’s character as the national state of the Jewish people,” said Netanyahu.  “The Palestinians refuse to recognize this and there is also opposition from within.”

Defenders of democracy say the bill leaves out the “equality of social and political rights” for all citizens that is specified in Israel’s Declaration of Independence.  Yohanan Plesner of the Israel Democracy Institute says the omission amounts to “minimizing Israel’s democratic essence”.  And Arab-Israeli member of the Knesset Ahmed Tibi says the proposed legislation “confirms that the Jewish and democratic state is a fiction”.

Zidan Saif was one of those from the 20 percent non-Jewish population.  The Druse Israeli police officer was killed last week protecting Jewish worshipers at a Jerusalem synagogue from two Palestinians armed with butchers knives and a gun.

“What will we say to him?  What will we say to them?  That the deceased is a second-class citizen in the state of Israel because there are primaries in the Likud?” asked Minister of Finance Yair Lapid, who opposes the legislation.  He accuses conservative cabinet member of playing base politics with the very character of Israel.

The full Knesset has to approved Netanyahu’s proposed legislation before it becomes law.