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Abbas condemns Jewish Nation-State law, says Jerusalem is the capital of Palestine and “there will be no peace, security, or stability for anyone without it”

Headline: "Palestinian, Arab, and international condemnations of the ratification of the racist 'nation-state law' in the Israeli Parliament"

"[PA] President Mahmoud Abbas emphasized that Jerusalem is the eternal capital of the State of Palestine, that there will be no peace, security, or stability for anyone without it, and that no one can abandon it or ignore it.
These statements were made in a statement published by the [PA] presidential office, in which it condemned the fact that the Israeli Parliament ratified what is called 'the Jewish nation-state law' (see note below –Ed.), and 'its consideration of Jerusalem as the united capital of Israel.'

The presidential office also emphasized that the Palestinian people’s right to return to its country is a sacred and firm right that is anchored in international decisions, and primarily [UN] Resolution 194, which established the Palestinian refugees’ right to return to the lands and property from which they were expelled and to receive compensation. The presidential office added that this racist law will not nullify this sacred right."

Jewish Nation-State Law – law passed by the Israeli Parliament on July 19, 2018, which codifies in Israel's Basic Law that Israel is the home of the Jewish nation with Jerusalem its capital, and the Hebrew calendar its official calendar. It establishes Hebrew as the sole official language and grants Arabic a special status, and it recognizes Jewish and Israeli holidays, memorial days, and the Jewish Sabbath as national holidays and days of rest - while guaranteeing the right of all Israeli citizens and residents to celebrate their holidays and days of rest.

UN Resolution 194 (Chapter 11, Dec. 11, 1948) states that "the refugees wishing to return to their homes and live at peace with their neighbors should be permitted to do so at the earliest practicable date, and that compensation should be paid for the property of those choosing not to return." Palestinian leaders argue this means that all Arabs who left Israel during the war (hundreds of thousands) and their descendants (a few million) have a "right of return" to Israel. Israel argues that the resolution only calls for a limited return and only under certain conditions, especially focusing on the words "wishing to return... and live at peace with their neighbors."

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