Israel's President Reuven Rivlin a member of Netanyahu's Likud Party blasted Bibi's proposed new law that proclaims that only Israel's Jewish citizens possess "national rights".
Israeli president criticizes divisive Jewish nation-state bill
"The formulators of the (Israeli) Declaration of Independence, with much wisdom, insisted the Arab communities in Israel, as well as other groups, should not feel as the Jews had felt in exile," President Reuven Rivlin said in a speech on Tuesday.
The 1948 declaration, while proclaiming the creation of a Jewish state, also emphasized its democratic nature and promised "complete equality" of social, religious and cultural rights for all, said Rivlin, whose office is mainly ceremonial.
The new bill won cabinet approval on Sunday, despite the opposition of centrist ministers, but several versions must still be merged and parliamentary ratification is not imminent.
Netanyahu's draft pledges to "uphold the individual rights of all of Israel's citizens". But it also says only the Jewish people have "national rights" - the right to self-determination in Israel and to a flag, an anthem and free immigration.
Critics say the bill is anti-democratic and legislators from the Arab community, which makes up 20 percent of Israel's population of 8.2 million, have described the bill as racist.
The prospect that America's closest ally in the region is moving toward becoming an openly racist state is a profoundly disturbing one.