Israeli panel backs law demoting status of Arabic

By Kaamil Ahmed

JERUSALEM (AA) – Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, is set to vote on a bill which would remove Arabic as a state language, a status it has enjoyed since Israel’s creation, after the proposed law was approved by ministers Sunday.

Israeli daily Haaretz reported that a ministerial committee backed a revised version of the law which asserts Israel is "the national home of the Jewish people."

Aside from Palestinians in the occupied Palestinian territories, there are around 1.4 million Arab citizens of Israel and the language is officially considered a state language alongside Hebrew.

Ayman Odeh, leader of the Joint List coalition of mostly Arab lawmakers, said the law was an example of "the tyranny of the majority" and demoted Arabs to being "second-class citizens."