JERUSALEM, July 12 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that EU Ambassador to Israel Emanuele Giaufret will be summoned for reportedly criticizing the Jewish Nation-State bill.
The controversial bill defines Israel as a "Jewish State" and allows the establishment of Jewish-only communities where no Arabs, Israel's largest minority, would be allowed to live.
Netanyahu instructed Director-General of the Foreign Ministry Yuval Rotem to reprimand Giaufret, said the Prime Minister's office in a statement.
Earlier, Channel 2 TV news reported that Giaufret told lawmakers of the ruling Likud party that the controversial legislation will "discriminate against groups, especially against Arabs, and harms the values that Israel is trying to uphold."
The bill was endorsed by the government but it still needs to undergo two full rounds of votes in the 120-seat parliament, where it will need a 61-member majority before it becomes law.
Netanyahu expressed support to the bill, while Israeli President Reuven Rivlin warned the bill is "discriminatory" and might trigger international criticism against Israel.
