Israel Should Be Compelled to Revoke Nation-State Law

Israel should be obligated to revoke a new law giving Jews the exclusive right to self-determination as it legitimizes racism and apartheid and is in contravention of the UN Charter, an Iranian envoy to the world body said on Tuesday.

"In practice, this means Jewish supremacy over others. It  means that others who have been treated as second-class citizens for far too long are now legally second-class citizens as well," Iran's charge d'affaires to the United Nations, Es'haq Al-e Habib, told a Security Council meeting held to discuss developments in the Middle East.

"It also means racism. It means apartheid, it means the legalization of such racism and apartheid; and ultimately, it means legitimizing exclusion, segregation and systemic inequality," he said, according to a text of his speech published by IRNA.

On July 19, the Knesset passed a "nation-state" law, which declared among other provisions that "Israel is the historical homeland of the Jewish people and they have an exclusive right to national self-determination in it."

The bill also removes Arabic as an official language alongside Hebrew, downgrading it to a "special status" that enables its continued use in Israeli institutions, stirring anger from members of the Arab minority.

  Unjust and Dangerous  

Al-e Habib said the law is against the 1963 Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, according to which "any doctrine of racial differentiation or superiority is scientifically false, morally condemnable, socially unjust and dangerous."

"The adoption of this racist law has to be condemned in the strongest possible terms. Israel should be compelled to revoke it as it runs counter to the UN Charter, international law and the basic principles of international human rights law."

  Occupation of Palestine

He added that the occupation of Palestine has been the root cause of the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East.

"Israel must be compelled to end the occupation, to stop its expansionist strategies and to put an end to all its aggressive policies and criminal practices," the official said, noting that it is the only way to bring lasting peace to the volatile region.

  Israel's Capital

Al-e Habib called on all countries to reject the US recognition of Beit-ul-Moqaddas (Jerusalem) as Israel's capital, saying that it blatantly contravenes international law and relevant resolutions of the Security Council.

"The international community should fulfill its responsibility in rejecting it as its aim is to legalize the occupation and to deprive the Palestinians of their inalienable rights, including their inherent right to self-determination and return to their homeland and to establish their own independent Palestinian state with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital."