New Israeli government to renew controversial law banning Palestinians from uniting with families in Israel
The Israeli government is expected to renew the law on citizenship and family reunification, which prohibits Israelis from passing on citizenship or residency to their Palestinian spouses residing in the West Bank or Gaza Strip for family reunification purposes.
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — The new Israeli government is expected to renew in early July the Citizenship and Entry into Israel Law, which prohibits Israelis married to Palestinians residing in the Gaza Strip or in the West Bank from passing on the Israeli citizenship or residency to their spouses for family reunification purposes.
In a surprising move, Mansour Abbas, leader of the United Arab List (Raam) and member of the Israeli government coalition, agreed in a June 21 meeting with Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked to maintain the law, provided that Shaked publicly commits to excluding humanitarian cases, the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation reported on June 22.
The law also prohibits the entry of Arabs from countries hostile to Israel, such as Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Iran, for family reunification purposes.
The law is limited to family reunification cases and does not touch on the entry to the Israeli territory for business purposes or medical treatment.
