Knesset members from Israel's Joint List are asking the United Nations to condemn Israel over its new and controversial nationality law. Hadashot TV news reported Aug. 27 that the Arab Knesset members, Yousef Jabareen and Aida Touma-Suleiman, are working in conjunction with the Palestinian Ambassador to the United Nations Riyad Mansour to get the General Assembly to condemn Israel this September. They want the international body to declare that the nationality law passed in July is reminiscent of apartheid-era legislation in South Africa.

In an interview the next day, Tourism Minister Yariv Levin called the move “treason” and said he hopes and expects the judicial system "to finally put them on trial for the most severe offense in the law book.”

As a trained jurist, Levin certainly knows that these Knesset members will not be indicted for their actions. He is fully aware that they already enjoy parliamentary immunity. As such, his statement raises a question: By exactly what legal standards has he determined that what they did constitutes treason?

Levin wasn’t the only minister to react to the news with extreme vitriol. Minister of Housing and Construction Yoav Galant said that their actions crossed a red line and stated, “There is no room in the Knesset for those who act against Israel's interests.” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded through his confidants, who said, “The cat is out of the bag.”