ANKARA – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday branded Israelthe “most fascist, racist state” in the world after Israel’s parliamentpassed a new law defining the country as the nation state of the Jewishpeople.

“This measure has shown without leaving the slightest room for doubt thatIsrael is the world’s most Zionist, fascist and racist state,” Erdogan saidin a speech to his ruling party.

In one of his toughest recent onslaughts against Israel, Erdogan claimedthere was “no difference between Hitler’s obsession with the Aryan race andIsrael’s understanding that these ancient lands are meant only for Jews.”

“The spirit of Hitler, which led the world to a great catastrophe, hasfound its resurgence among some of Israel’s leaders,” he added.

Around six million Jews were killed in the Holocaust by the Nazis duringWorld War II.

The legislation, adopted after a tumultuous Knesset session, makes Hebrewthe national language and defines the establishment of Jewish communitiesas being in the national interest.

Arabic, previously considered an official language, was granted onlyspecial status.

The issue is the latest source of tension between Israel and Turkey, one ofthe Jewish state’s few key Muslim partners.

Ankara ordered out Israel’s ambassador in May over the killing ofprotestors along the border with the Gaza Strip.

The strains have threatened a 2016 deal on normalising ties after thecrisis sparked by the May 2010 deadly storming of a Turkish ship by Israelicommandos.

Erdogan regards himself as a champion of the Palestinians and has twicerecently held summits of Muslim states to denounce the recognition by theUnited States of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

But analysts note that behind the rhetoric economic ties remain strong,with trade robust and both sides interested in the export of Israeli energyresources to Turkey.

Arab citizens account for 17.5 percent of Israel’s more than eight millionpopulation. They have long complained of discrimination.