Israel’s High Court rejects petitions against ‘Citizenship Law’
Law prevents Palestinians married to Israeli Arabs from receiving Israeli citizenship or residency.
By Tomer Zarchin Tags: Palestinians Israel Supreme CourtIsrael’s High Court rejected on Wednesday petitions against the Citizenship Law, which prevents Palestinians married to Israeli Arabs from receiving Israeli citizenship or residency. Six judges voted to reject the petitions, while five voted to accept them.
Israel generally grants citizenship to spouses of Israelis in a gradual process. In the spirit of this process, a similar process was instituted for the naturalization of spouses of permanent residents, though the process is a little longer. A 2002 temporary order excluded Palestinian spouses from these processes and barred them from becoming Israeli citizens.
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Deliberations at High Court of Justice, Dec. 29, 2010. |
| Photo by: Emil Salman |
In May 2006, the High Court rejected numerous petitions asking to overturn the citizenship law. However, most of the justices wrote that the law constitutes a violation of basic rights, mainly the right to a family life.
In March 2007, in a hearing surrounding later petitions against the law, the state said that an amended version of the temporary order was expected to be approved by the Knesset, and the court consequently ruled that the petitioners would have to revise their petitions in accordance with the amended orders after they were made public. After the hearing, the amended law was made public, and the petitioners maintained that the new version not only extended the validity of the law until July 2008, it also expanded the geographic jurisdiction of the law, making it applicable to spouses from Iran, Lebanon, Syria and Iraq as well as other areas on which the government was free to decide.
Arabs make up about 20 percent of Israel's population of 7 million. About 3 million Palestinians live in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Many families were divided by cease-fire lines after wars, and over the years, marriage between the two groups has been common.
Since 1993, more than 100,000 Palestinians have obtained Israeli permits in this manner and some Israelis see this as a security threat.
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If everyone including Jews, are required to pledge allegiance to the Jewish State and, (as Britain, for example, requires of foreign residents applying for citizenship - knowledge of the nation’s history besides a pledge of allegiance), hopefully the new Israelis would be loyal citizens, understanding the rebirth of the Jewish nation, and, doubtless like thousands of other Muslim Israelis, appreciative and supportive of Israel's social and political ideals. A recent Jerusalem Post online article showed that there is a degree of Palestinian support for Israel's borders extending to the Western shores of the River Jordan - as was originally envisaged for the division of the region into Jewish and Muslim states. The problem is: Would the ultimate aim of some or many new Muslim Israelis be to eventually take over the whole of Israel and turn it into yet another Muslim nation? 99% of the Middle East comprises Muslim nations ruled by Muslims. The vast Muslim nations surrounding Israel have a total population of approximately 150 million Muslims. Tiny Israel in their midst has a population of approximately 7.5 million, comprising approximately a mere 6 million Jews and 1.5 million minorities (Muslims, Christians, Druze, etc.). Just as there are plentiful Muslim nations, and a British nation, a French nation, a German nation, an Italian nation, etc., so also the Jewish people have the same right to self-determination as a people in their Jewish nation, as do all the other nations’ peoples. In fact, Israel probably has far greater historic, legal, political, and moral legitimacy than any other nation.
why did not you write who file the pettition here it is "The petitions were filed by The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel , (Adalah), and Meretz MK Zehava Gal-On." i wonder how many vote meretz will get next election since happily dorit enemy of israel in court is out?
This is one of the most depressing opinions in recent times. The Court decided that, when an Israeli marries a Palestinian, the couple has no right to live in Israel; if they wish to realize their recognized right to family life, they must move elsewhere. Of course, they cannot move to the West Bank or anywhere under Palestinian control, as it is criminal under Israeli law for the Israeli spouse to enter those areas. So, the Court is telling us that if an Israeli marries a Palestinian, they must leave the lands of both of their births and seek asylum elsewhere. Pathetic.