Jerusalem (CNN) -- In a move likely to fuel tensions with its minority Arab population, Israel moved a step closer to passing a law that would require new citizens of the country to declare their loyalty to a "Jewish state".
In a statement released Wednesday night, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced his support for adding language to Israel's citizenship and entry law that would declare a new citizen's allegiance to "a Jewish and democratic state".
"The State of Israel is the national state of the Jewish people. This principle guides government policy, both foreign and domestic, and is a foundation of Israeli law," Netanyahu declared in the statement.
"This principle finds expression in the phrase 'a Jewish and democratic state.' It is fitting that this principle should also appear in the loyalty oath taken by those seeking to become naturalized Israeli citizens".
Arab Knesset member Ahmed Tibi from the Ra'am-Ta'al party criticized the move, saying that " the values of Jewish and Democratic cannot be in the same definition because democracy is the equality of all the citizens.
CNN
