The Star Early Edition

New Israeli law inflames Arabs

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TEL AVIV: Thousands of protesters rallied in Tel Aviv on Saturday against Israel’s new law declaring it the nation-state of the Jewish people, legislatio­n that has angered the country’s Arab minority and drawn criticism abroad.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended the law, which says only Jews have the right of self-determinat­ion in the country and downgrades Arabic from an official language, saying it is necessary in order to fend off Palestinia­n challenges to Jewish self-determinat­ion.

The protesters, mostly Israeli Arabs, waved Palestinia­n flags and held up signs that read “equality” in Arabic and Hebrew.

“The law legitimise­s racism,” said Laila al-Sana, 19, from a Bedouin village in Israel’s southern Negev desert.

“It’s very important to show we are here to resist,” she said.

Israel’s Arab population comprises mainly descendant­s of the Palestinia­ns who remained on their land after the 1948 war at the time of the creation of the modern state of Israel.

Many of Israel’s Arab citizens also identify as Palestinia­n. They make up about a fifth of the state’s 9 million people. Israeli law grants them full equal rights, but many say they face discrimina­tion and are treated as second-class citizens.

“When I heard about the law I felt I should defend the land of my ancestors,” said Sheikha Dabbah, 68, at the rally.

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