Israeli Cabinet ministers have approved a controversial proposal in its Citizenship Law by a majority vote, which would require every non-Jew wishing to become a citizen of Israel to vow loyalty to the State of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state.According to Israeli media Haaretz, twenty-two ministers voted in favour of the proposal, while eight ministers opposed the amendment. After the cabinet's approval of the bill, the bill will go to the Knesset's legislative committee before being put to a full parliamentary vote. Measure has been widely condemned as racist by Israel's Arab minority but media reports quoting some commentators have suggested that the proposed bill is designed to persuade Israel's ultra-nationalist foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman to agree to an extension of a moratorium on new settlement building in the occupied West Bank. Direct peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority are currently at an impasse due to Israel's refusal to extend the 10-month freeze.