Israeli government does not extend controversial citizenship law | Israeli-Palestinian conflict News

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Israel’s new government suffered its first major defeat in parliament, failing to renew a controversial law which prevents Palestinians living in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip who marry Palestinian citizens of Israel from obtaining citizenship and residency rights themselves.

It was the first major political test for Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, who has led for nearly a month a narrow and diverse coalition which includes left, centrist and Palestinian parties, as well as its own ultranationalist party.

The eight-party coalition in parliament failed to secure a majority in the early hours of Tuesday after an all-night marathon session to extend the so-called citizenship and entry law, underlining the government’s fragility.

Sami Abu Shahadeh, member of the Palestinian United Arab List in the Knesset, said the failure to extend the law is “a victory for thousands of people. [Palestinian] families “.

The coalition is only united in their common enmity towards opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu, whom she ousted from prime minister last month after a record 12 consecutive years in power.

Of the 120 legislators, 59 voted for and 59 against. Two abstained. A vote of no confidence in the new government also failed.

The law prevents Palestinians living in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip who marry Palestinian citizens of Israel from automatically gaining Israeli residency and citizenship, causing endless complications for Palestinians living across Israel and the United States. territories it has occupied since 1967.

“Prison continues”

Woman holds up sign against controversial citizenship and entry law to Israel outside Knesset building in Jerusalem [Menahem Kahana/AFP]

The ban was first enacted during the Second Palestinian Intifada, or uprising, and justified by supporters on security grounds, but critics have ridiculed it as a discriminatory measure tantamount to apartheid targeting the Palestinian minority from Israel.

On Monday, Foreign Minister Yair Lapid said the law was more about population engineering, adding that it “is of security importance.”

“[There’s] no need to hide from the purpose of the [citizenship] law ”, he posted on twitter. “It is one of the tools for securing a Jewish majority in Israel. Israel is the nation-state of the Jewish people, and our goal is to have a Jewish majority. “

During a protest against the measure in front of parliament on Monday, some spoke of the difficulties of applying for permits to join their spouses, or the risks of entering Israeli territory without permission.

Ali Meteb told AFP news agency that his wife, who does not have Israeli residency rights, had confined her family to a “continuous prison”.

“I ask for the rights that the state owes us … so that my wife has an Israeli identity card, residency rights and freedom of movement,” he said.

Jessica Montell, director of Hamoked, an Israeli human rights group that provides legal services to Palestinians, said “tens of thousands of families are harmed by this law.”

According to an amendment to the law of 2005, women over 25 and men over 35 are allowed to apply for a temporary residence permit.

compromise discussed

The law was enacted for a year and, since 2003, has been extended every year, including by Netanyahu, who now heads the opposition.

Netanyahu, who calls Bennett’s government a threat to Israel’s security, refused to give him a lifeline and voted against it.

Bennett struck a power-sharing deal with centrist Yair Lapid last month to topple Netanyahu. Together, they formed a party coalition with 62 of the 120 seats in parliament. Under the deal, Lapid will take over as prime minister after two years.

Israeli media reported that the bill was amended as a compromise to coalition parties that opposed the law. The amended law would have allowed a six-month extension, in addition to granting residency rights to 1,600 Palestinians living in Israel.

A few members of the coalition party did not vote in favor of extending the law, including a member of Bennett’s own party.



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