14. Israel’s Nation-State Law and Its Consequences for Palestinians

I will take this opportunity to discuss Israel’s nation state law, passed in July 2018. Firstly, I will outline what the law says and what its effects are. Secondly, I will suggest that the law establishes Israel an ethnocratic as opposed to a democratic state, that the law is in violation of international law, and that it paves the way for Israel to practice apartheid. Finally, I will examine the political context in which the law was passed and argue that, whilst the law is fundamentally a misguided attempt by Israel to respond to a crisis of legitimacy, it must be resisted as it represents an entrenching of Israel’s discriminatory regime against Palestinians, and contributes to the erosion of Palestinian rights. The nation state law establishes Israel as an ethnocracy as opposed to a democracy, it entrenches Israel’s discriminatory regime, and it supresses the Palestinian right to self-determination. The law will undoubtedly contribute to the further erosion of Palestinian rights. It is important for those who care about the Palestinian cause to understand what the nation state law represents, and help Palestinians resist it by advocating for the international community to take action to bring an end to Israel’s discriminatory policies and practices.