Washington: 'We expect Israel to stick to its democratic principles'
Israeli PM Netanyahu may fire key ministers over their refusal to vote in favor of 'nationality law'
Washington responded Monday to Israel's newly proposed "nationality law," which aims to define Israel as the "nation-state of the Jewish people", saying that "Israel is a Jewish and democratic country and all of its citizens deserve equal rights."
"We expect Israel to adhere to its democratic principles," the State Department's spokesman Jeff Rathke added.

Israel's political arena was seething earlier in the day ahead of the possible firing of two central members of the cabinet by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Efforts were made to calm tensions and stave off such a scenario.
In interviews they gave Sunday night, Justice Minister Tzipi Livni and Finance Minister Yair Lapid made clear they would not vote for a bill approved earlier in the day enshrining Israel as the nation state of the Jewish people. If they indeed fail to support the proposed legislation when it comes up for a preliminary Knesset vote on Wednesday, Netanyahu is likely to fire them.
"I am determined to pass the law," Netanyahu said today at a session of his party, Likud, "whether (the ministers) agree or not. The law is crucial to assure to future of the Jewish people in the Jewish land and the state of Israel," he said.
When asked whether Israel is headed towards new parliamentary elections, Netanyahu replied only that "time will tell."
At a stormy four-hour cabinet session on Sunday, Livni and Lapid, who head two centrist coalition parties, voted against the measure proposed by right-wing Knesset members. Netanyahu intends to propose a softer, compromise version later this week, after the initial Knesset vote.
The three proposed versions of Basic Law: Israel as the Nation-State of the Jewish People – which were eventually approved by the cabinet with 15 in favor and six opposed – declare Israel to be the site of self-determination exclusively for the Jewish people. All three versions of the bill reinforce “Hatikva” as the national anthem, the use of the Hebrew calendar and the Law of Return which provides automatic citizenship for all Jews, and call for freedom of access and protection of holy places.
But two of the three do not describe Israel's character as democratic, in addition to Jewish, merely mentioning that the state's “form of government” is democratic.

"I will not lend a hand to this bill. I will not vote for it," Livni told Channel 2 News on Sunday. "I am thinking of voting against. I certainly won't let the proposal pass as long as it depends on me," she added. "I won't allow the bill to pass while I am in the bathroom."
The chairwoman of the left-wing Meretz party, MK Zahava Gal-On, accused Netanyahu and his right-wing coalition partners of committing a “crime against Israeli democracy.”
Gal-On said that even the tamer version of the bill being proposed by Netanyahu undermines the principle of equality and turns Israel's Arab population into second-class citizens.
The Israel Democracy Institute, a think tank, issued an opinion saying “the version of the nation-state bill approved today is bad for everyone who holds the State of Israel dear. The MKs must come to their senses and scrap this bill even before it comes to the Knesset next week. "This is a bill that tramples on the [state’s] democratic component, doesn’t allow true equal rights for the minorities who live among us and its real purpose is to dictate to the courts how to rule," read a statement issued by the IDI.
“The State of Israel is already the nation-state of the Jewish people, and the guiding principles for achieving this declaration are written in the declaration of independence.”
But analysts cast doubt on the prospects of Netanyahu firing his two ministers, as well as on the approval of the proposed legislation by the Knesset.
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