Chief among those affected would be Palestinians living in the West Bank, he said; the changes could unleash "unlimited'' Jewish settlements in the area .
Settlements refer to Israeli communities operating in territories not under the nation’s sovereignty, like the West Bank, according to the Israel Policy Forum. Some 127 settlements in the West Bank have legal status under Israeli law, though much of the world considers settlements to be illegal under international law, IPF says.
The land is significant in Jewish and Biblical history, with part of Jerusalem – the capital of the Kingdom of Israel during King David’s reign – encapsulated in the area. Some view the settlements as restoration of Israel’s biblical land before the Messiah’s return, according to the Washington Institute’s Fikra Forum. The settlements are built on land claimed by Palestinians and by religious Jews as well.
Members of the LGBTQ community could also be affected. In recent years, a series of landmark rulings in Israel’s Supreme Court and parliament — from the right to parent children through surrogacy to the prohibition of conversion therapy and employment discrimination — have strengthened rights for the LGBTQ community in the country. Israel has emerged as a safe haven for the LGBTQ community in the Middle East, and critics of the proposal say the legislation is a significant setback.
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