On July 19, Israel’s Knesset passed the “Jewish Nation-State Law.” It is a simple and blunt instrument that has one purpose: to declare Israel a Jewish state and relegate all non-Jews to second-class citizenship.

There are two ways to look at this event. In one respect, it simply enshrines long-standing Israeli practices in law. Yet it also signals the abandonment of any pretense that Israel is, as it has long claimed, a democracy.

The Nation-State Law defines Israel as the national homeland of the Jewish people and asserts that “the realization of the right to national self-determination in Israel is unique to the Jewish people.” Similarly, it promises that “Israel will ensure the safety of the Jewish people” but mentions the protection of no other group.