Benjamin Netanyahu: 'Israel Is Not a Country of All Its Citizens'

Striking back at criticism from Israeli actress Rotem Sela, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said "Israel is not a country of all its citizens," drawing a rebuke from many, The Guardian reported.

The context of Netanyahu's statement was directing Sela to a law passed in Israel last year declaring it a Jewish nation, as The Jerusalem Post reported.

"First of all, an important correction: Israel is not a country of all its citizens," Netanyahu wrote on Facebook, per TJP. "According to the Nation-State Law that we passed, Israel is the nation-state of the Jewish nation – and its alone. As you wrote, there is no problem with Arab citizens – they have equal rights like everybody and the Likud government has invested in the Arab sector more than any other government."

Netanyahu is facing a difficult re-election campaign, particularly amid untimely anti-corruption investigations, and is doubling down on his Jewish base before April 9 in order to avoid the Israel electorate choosing his opponents, who will make significant concessions to the Palestinians in Middle East peace talks, Netanyahu says.

Netanyahu's opponents include Benny Gantz, a former military chief of staff, and Yair Lapid, an ex-finance minister.

"It's either a strong right-wing government led by me, or a weak left-wing government led by Yair Lapid and [Benny] Gantz, with the support of the Arab parties," Netanyahu said, per TJP.

Arabs make up about 17 percent of Israel, according to The Guardian.

"This anti-Arab rhetoric is a deeply troubling trend that, if it continues, could undermine Israel's vibrant democracy," the Anti-Defamation League's Israel office Director Carole Nuriel told TJP. "The representation of Israeli Arabs in the Knesset has historically been a source of pride for Israel, highlighting its democratic character, despite the enduring conflict with its Arab neighbors, and attesting to its genuine efforts to include the Arab community as equal citizens.

"If the very exclusion of Arab parties becomes a litmus test for a legitimate coalition in the Knesset, Israel's democracy undoubtedly will suffer."

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