Throughout the [so far] short history of modern Israel there have always been objections to the lyrics of the anthem, and attempts to change them.
Hatikvah expresses the 2000 year old hope of the Jewish people to return to the Land of Israel and Jerusalem.
Some object to it on religious grounds: it makes no mention of God or the Torah.
Others object to it on national grounds: it explicitly expresses the hope of the Jews, and leaves no room for non-Jewish citizens to identify with the anthem.
Occasionally there are proposals to make changes to the Hatikvah anthem to make it more acceptable to non-Jews. I would note that I don't remember ever hearing of an attempt to change the lyrics to make it more acceptable to religious Jews (besides for the original debate as to which anthem should be made the official anthem). I guess this too is a symbol of Israel being an apartheid state - the citizens attempt to change the national anthem so non-Jews can feel more comfortable with it, while not worrying about the Jews who have had a problem with it.
MK Ruth Calderon of Yesh Atid was disturbed by the scene of the Arab MKs leaving the Knesset plenum so they would not have to listen, or sing along with, the national anthem of Hatikvah. The situation was nothing new, but it bothered Calderon. She posted to her Facebook page that it bothered her to see the Arab MKs leaving the room, and she then asked her friends if anyone knows of an attempt to make some change to the lyrics to make it more inclusive.
From Calderon's perspective that is where it ended. Her friends and followers debated the issue in the comments of the status update, but Calderon did not make any specific proposals.
Minister of Interior Eli Yishai jumped all over that. He attacked the attempt to remove the word "Jew", thus making it more inclusive, from Hatikvah as an attempt to change the national identity of the nation. Yishai wrote on his Facebook page "I was shocked to hear that there is an idea coming from Yesh Atid to remove the word "Jew" from the anthem, Hatikvah, so that the Arab MKs won't have to leave when it is sung. There are differences between us and Yesh Atid, but I thought that some issues were not under dispute - that the State of Israel is a Jewish state.
I want to update those who need it - we are a Jewish state! not with a lowered head, but with a raised head!..."
Calderon responded by saying that she never had mentioned or even hinted at removing the word "jew" from the national anthem, and Yishai's commentary on what she said is just a political exercise and a chilul hashem (a concept which I believe is abused and misused, as much as the concept of kiddush hashem is).
Calderon did not say she is planning to propose the official removal of the word "Jew" from the anthem. Yishai's response, turning it into this issue and debate, claiming she wants to remove the "Jew", was probably another way of highlighting and exacerbating differences between Shas and Yesh Atid as a maneuver for the benefit of coalition negotiations.
I must say though, whatever Calderon's position actually is, an Yesh Atid's by extension, I was proud to see at least one MK stand up to defend it from a Jewish perspective. The fact that the only MK to do so was a haredi MK from a haredi political party just made it all the more ironic and all the more interesting, and pride-generating. He may have made an issue out of nothing (or maybe not), but I am proud of him that he did.
Religion Magazine
