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Israel’s Nation-State Law

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The Palgrave International Handbook of Israel

Abstract

The nation-state law constitutes a necessary addition to Israel’s incomplete set of basic laws because Israel’s quasi-constitution was lacking the equivalent of a preamble and because Israel’s “constitutional revolution” threatened to undermine the laws and symbols that make Israel a nation-state. The law is no different in its scope and content to the constitutional provisions of most European countries. The fact that the law does not include the principle of civic equality can be remedied by adding this principle (already enshrined by Israeli jurisprudence) to the basic law on human dignity and freedom. The purpose of this chapter is to explain the rationale of the nation-state law; to examine its origin, scope, and content; and to discuss the controversy around it.

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Navon, E. (2021). Israel’s Nation-State Law. In: Kumaraswamy, P.R. (eds) The Palgrave International Handbook of Israel. Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-2717-0_18-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-2717-0_18-1

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  • Print ISBN: 978-981-16-2717-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-981-16-2717-0

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