On June 4, 2014, IDI experts Prof. Mordechai Kremnitzer and Attorney Amir Fuchs submitted a legal opinion to the Ministerial Committee on Legislation stating their concerns about the proposed Basic Law: Israel as the Nation State of the Jewish People. A full translation of this legal opinion can be found below.

On Sunday June 8, 2014, the Israelis government's Ministerial Committee on Legislation met to discuss a version of the proposed Basic Law: Israel as the Nation State of the Jewish People, which was submitted by MKs Yariv Levin and Ayelet Shaked. In advance of this meeting, on June 4, 2014, IDI Vice President Prof. Mordechai Kremnitzer and Attorney Amir Fuchs submitted a legal opinion to the Members of the committee voicing their strong opposition to the proposed legislation.

While they agree that Israel is the nation state of the Jewish people, the authors argue that the proposed legislation, which they see as both unnecessary and dangerous, could destroy the delicate balance between the two fundamental characteristics of the State of Israel as a "Jewish and democratic" state. They also argue that the legislation would deny collective rights to minorities in Israel and would send a message of exclusion and alienation to Israel's Arab citizens, causing irreparable damage to the relationship between Arabs and Jews in Israel and to Israel’s image abroad.

Read the full legal opinion (English)

Prof. Mordechai Kremnitzer is Vice President of Research at the Israel Democracy Institute and former Dean of the Law Faculty at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Attorney

Dr. Amir Fuchs

Amir Fuchs is a researcher at the Israel Democracy Institute.

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