Abstract
In July 2019, Israel’s legislature, the Knesset, passed a Basic Law called “Israel—The Nation-State Law of the Jewish People.” For some, the law was the most consequential piece of legislation in recent memory. For others, it was an insignificant confirmation of the status quo. Some saw it as an intensification of discrimination against Israel’s non-Jewish citizens, particularly Palestinians of Israeli citizenship, while others saw it as a long-overdue affirmation of Israel’s Jewish character. The debates surrounding the legislation are a window into some of the most complex aspects of contemporary Israel.