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16-year-old Diana Cusaspud, originally from Ecuador, will receive permanent residency status and eventually be eligible for citizenship after the government's decision on Sunday. (Alon Ron) Last update - 22:22 18/06/2006 Gov't okays permanent residency for migrant workers' children By Relly Sa'ar, Haaretz Correspondent The government on Sunday approved a plan by Interior Minister Roni Bar-On to grant permanent residency status to the children of migrant workers. The plan, which passed by a majority of 18 votes to five, grants permanent residency to children who have been living in Israel for at least six years and who arrived in the country aged 14 or younger. The children will be eligible for full citizenship upon the completion of military service. Advertisement In response to the government's decision, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Labor and Social Welfare, Eli Yishai, said that the "decision was the beginning of the end of the Jewish State." "The decision is a financial, social and religious bombshell. We are at the end of a slippery slope which will lead to a loss of identity," Yishai warned. National Religious party head, Zevulun Orlev, said "the decision to facilitate the naturalization of foreign workers' children is a populist step that will be regretted for generations." In order to win support for his proposal, Bar-On succumbed to pressure to change the original bill, which was to include the children of workers who had arrived in Israel illegally. But another clause, which dropped the age threshhold from 10 to six years, remained part of the bill. The exclusion of the first clause rules out permanent residency status for some 3,500 Palestinians whose parents entered Israel illegally. This number (taken from a position paper presented to the government by the head of the Population Administration) includes more than half of the illegal migrant workers who stood to receive residency under the original plan. The move comes almost exactly one year after cabinet decision 3807 was passed, setting criteria for naturalizing the children of foreign workers, as a one-time arrangement. This decision stated that a child born in Israel, who was 10 by last December and whose parents initially entered Israel legally, would be entitled to citizenship following military service. The child's parents and younger siblings would gradually become permanent residents. Those who did not meet the criteria set by the previous cabinet could expect to be deported. To prevent this, the High Court issued an interim injunction six months ago, in a petition by the Association for Civil Rights in Israel and Moked - Hotline for Migrant Workers, banning the deportation of foreign workers' children who were not born here, if they have spent at least 10 years in Israel. The lengthy struggle by these foreign workers' children, who attend state schools, speak Hebrew and try to integrate into Israeli society, was also mentioned in Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's speech last month. In presenting his cabinet to the Knesset, Olmert announced that Israel would lose its moral bearing if it evaded its responsibility to the weaker segments of society, including "the children of the foreign workers who live in our midst, love our country and want to be part of it." 'The government has guaranteed me a future' "The government law approved on Sunday makes me and my friends really happy," said 16-year-old Diana Cuasapud, an 11th grader at Rogozin High School in Tel Aviv and a counselor at the Eitan scouts branch for foreign workers' children. "My parents and I will be able to realize a dream - to fly to Ecuador to visit our family," Diana added. Diana emigrated to Israel from Ecuador with her parents, Lu and Lejilla, when she was four years old. Thanks to the government decision, Diana will receive permanent residence status after 12 years in Israel. Her 8-year-old sister, Sarit, was born in Israel. The Cuasapud family has not been able to visit Ecuador since coming to Israel to work because their illegal status would have made reentry impossible. "The government has guaranteed me a future," said Diana. "I'll be able to enlist in the army, become a citizen like all the sabras [native Israelis] and afterwards study in university and make a living." "Without legal status in Israel, almost nobody will hire the children of foreign workers, and the lucky ones who find work earn very little. Bookmark to del.icio.us   My three homelands French Vogue chose Lizzie Doron as one of Israel's influential authors. President Barghouti Jailed Tanzim leader says he's considering running in next PA presidential elections.   1.   Palestinians?! Are you kidding me? 18:19  |  McQueen 18/06/06   2.   I guess lefities don`t give up untill they destroy israel totaly 18:42  |  shlomi 18/06/06   3.   Nextb step should be right of return 19:00  |  Muhammad-Ali 18/06/06   4.   Roni Bar-On must "have a screw loose" 19:13  |  Judah 18/06/06   5.   Let`s start prosthletizing non-Jews 19:34  |  Robert 18/06/06   6.   I Am Confused-Israel Is A Jewish State, Right? 20:46  |  Ben Israel 18/06/06   7.   To Ben Israel 21:53  |  Michael 18/06/06   8.   Bravo Israel! 22:23  |  El_Justiciero 18/06/06   9.   Look how hypocritical ZIonism is 22:35  |  Absolute Norwegian 18/06/06   10.   Robert, staert with Shulhan Aruch and Chesronot Shas 22:37  |  Dany 18/06/06   11.   to robert!!! 22:39  |  yishay banatz 18/06/06   12.   Bravo, Israel 22:44  |  Jeff Gold 18/06/06   13.   THIS GOVERMNET HAS LOST IT`S MARBULS 22:46  |  Michael Iosif 18/06/06   14.   BUNCH OF IDIOTS, LOOK AT ISLAND and JAPAN 22:55  |  James Kirk 18/06/06   15.   Lest we forget 22:59  |  Adam 18/06/06   16.   9.Absolute Norwegian: pals, fifth column 23:04  |  Red Feather 18/06/06   17.   GRANTING LEGAL STATUS FOR FOREIGHN CHILDREN 00:04  |  ROSE 19/06/06   18.   Welcome, Diana! :-) 00:25  |  Michael 19/06/06   19.   Jeff Gold # 12 00:40  |  ChanahS 19/06/06   20.   Gorgeous multicolored Israel 00:52  |  Paul 19/06/06   21.   Residency 00:59  |  Joe 19/06/06   22.   BUENA SUELTA, BUT FIRST CONVERT 01:11  |  GABRIEL 19/06/06   23.   WHAT`S NEXT? JEWS FOR JESUS? 01:15  |  Mr Landaw 19/06/06   24.   Secular Israel has lost the demographic war 01:33  |  Nili 19/06/06   25.   NOT JEWISH STATE,NOT MOSHIACH! JEWS UNITE UNDER ORTHODOX LUBAVICH 01:42  |  -VOICE of MOSHIACH)) 19/06/06   26.   welcome Diana 01:47  |  andi 19/06/06   27.   Terribly Sad 01:59  |  Avi 19/06/06   28.   IS REBBE KING MOSHIACH MENAHEM SHNIRSON? 02:05  |  Michael Iosif 19/06/06   29.   voice of Mossiach 02:09  |  Joe 19/06/06   30.   Joe, you are right and wrong all at once. 02:55  |  Michael Iosif 19/06/06   31.   # 9 Absolute idiot. 14:19  |  petra 19/03/08

Today Online Tom Segev: Merkel slams Qassams, but ignores Israel's actions Responses: 138 Egypt brokering Hamas-Israel deal for long-term Gaza truce Responses: 51 High Court closes off use of major highway to Palestinians Responses: 92 Study finds Israeli Jews increasingly racist toward Arabs Responses: 88 Security forces fear double Hezbollah attack in Israel, abroad Responses: 56 Rosner's Domain McCain rep to Jewish crowd: Christian right 'serious problem' Were Shakespeare's Plays Written By A Jewish Woman? (WTR) Rosner's Mailbox: I used to believe that you just hated Hillary Poll: Is the "road map" still relevant? Did Iraq have ties to Al Qaeda? (WTR) More Headlines 12:04 J'lem police chief: Cop on duty should have stopped yeshiva attacker 12:31 Egypt brokering Hamas-Israel deal on long-term Gaza tuce 14:07 McCain to FM: Abbas rejects Gaza violence, wants peace deal 10:07 Security forces fear double Hezbollah revenge attack in Israel, abroad 10:53 High Court closes off use of major highway to Palestinians 10:09 Study: Israeli Jews becoming increasingly racist toward Arabs 10:09 New Meretz chair: We won't join Olmert's government 10:00 U.S. slams Switzerland for signing huge gas deal with Iran 11:51 Multi-denominational rabbinical school to graduate its first class 11:08 Jerusalem's first Palestinian Latin Patriarch to retire this year 14:19 Hamas refuses Fatah demand it cede Gaza control for reconciliation 11:00 Stocks rise after Wall Street recovery, dollar continues to drop 12:41 Senior Abbas adviser suspected of smuggling phones to Jordan 14:08 Knesset bill: Buying alcohol for minors will be criminal offense Previous Editions Select Day 18 mar 17 mar 16 mar 14 mar 13 mar 12 mar 11 mar 10 mar 09 mar 07 mar 06 mar 05 mar

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