Egypt rejects Israel’s Jewish state law

CAIRO – 21 July 2018: Egypt rejects the Israeli ‘Jewish state law’ which states that Israel is a nation-state for Jewish people and only Jews have the right of self-determination, according to an official statement issued by Egypt’s Foreign Ministry on Saturday.

The statement stressed that Egypt's rejection is based on “the law's implications as it consolidates the notion of occupation and racial segregation, and undermines the chances of achieving peace and reaching a just and comprehensive resolution to the Palestinian issue.”

This law, according to the statement, can potentially impact Palestinian refugees' right of return.

“The Jewish state law which recognizes Jerusalem as the united capital of Israel is categorically rejected because of its dangerous implications on the just and comprehensive resolution to the Palestinian issue; especially, on the efforts exerted to encourage all parties to resume negotiations,” the statement read.

Egypt affirms its solid position toward supporting “the Palestinian people's legitimate rights, at the forefront of which is establishing an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.”

Furthermore, the statement called on the international community to undertake its role in maintaining the Palestinian people's historical and legal rights, and to work on resuming negotiations and advancing the peace process on the basis of a two-state solution according to the related UN resolutions.