GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — The European Union expressed concern over the national law that was approved by the Israeli Knesset July 19. EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini clarified that the law grants Jews alone the right to self-determination in the country and will hinder a two-state solution.

“We’ve been very clear when it comes to the two-state solution, we believe it is the only way forward and any step that would further complicate or prevent this solution of becoming a reality should be avoided,” stated Mogherini July 19.

The Jewish nation-state law reads: “Israel is the historic homeland of the Jewish people and they have an exclusive right to national self-determination in it.” It demotes Arabic from an official language to a secondary language. There are 1.8 million Arabs in Israel, 20% of the total Israeli population of 9 million people.

Maja Kocijancic, Mogherini’s spokesperson, asserted in a July 13 press conference that the EU does not recognize Israel’s sovereignty over the areas it occupied in 1967 and does not consider them Israeli territories. The conference came against the background of a diplomatic dispute between Ireland (an EU member) and Israel over a bill banning the importation of products from Israeli settlements to Ireland.