JERUSALEM: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday defended a new law declaring Israel the Jewish people’s nation state, saying it did not harm minority rights despite it lacking references to equality and democracy, reports AFP.

The new legislation speaks of Israel as the historic homeland of the Jews and says they have a “unique” right to self-determination there. Netanyahu said other laws are already on the books guaranteeing equality for non-Jews and defining Israel as democratic.

“However, we have never determined the national rights of the Jewish people in its land in a basic law—until now, when we passed the nation state law,” Netanyahu said at a weekly cabinet meeting.

The law was passed in the middle of the night on July 19 and is part of Israel’s so-called basic laws, a de facto constitution.

It has been subject to harsh criticism in parliament and elsewhere. Arab lawmaker Zouheir Bahloul of the opposition Zionist Union party resigned on Saturday over it.

Hundreds of Israeli writers and artists have signed a petition calling on Netanyahu to “stop your government and coalition members from scourging minorities” and repeal the law.

Arab citizens make up some 17.5 percent of Israel’s more than eight million population.