The Citizenship Law submitted by MK Simcha Rotman of the Religious Zionist Faction passed today (Sunday) in the Ministerial Committee for Legislative Affairs.
As you may recall, the law was passed last July and fell in the Knesset after the Likud refused to support it and the coalition has parties, from the left side of the map, who opposed it.
The law seeks to prevent permanent status from Palestinians who have married Israeli citizens so that they will not use their ID cards to carry out terrorist attacks.
The move, which was revealed in "Israel Today" last week, is in fact an attempt to reach an agreement between the opposition and the coalition, so that the two laws should pass in the Knesset and be united later with the support of parties from the coalition and the opposition. Nine ministers supported the law, with Environment Minister Tamar Zandberg of Meretz voting against it and Diaspora Minister Nachman Shai (Labor) abstaining.
Minister Zandberg // Photo: The Israel Democracy Institute,
The law was raised by the Minister of the Interior, Ayelet Shaked, who reminded the ministers during the debate that this is a law "that has been in place for 18 years." Minister Shaked added that since its validity has not been extended, she has received no less than 1,500 individual applications for citizenship for family reunification. "This is a critical law both democratically and demographically," Shaked explained.
Minister Zandberg said that the law is controversial in the coalition and that Meretz has opposed the law since it was enacted 18 years earlier and was even a partner in petitions against it in the High Court. Communications Minister Yoaz Handel You have to know how to deal with it. "
The explanatory memorandum to the law states that "in accordance with the current position of the General Security Service, the population group seeking family reunification among the residents of Judea, Samaria and Gaza continues to be at increased risk. The main threat posed by these populations is The height inherent in them as individual hazards.
Minister Ayelet Shaked // Photo: Yossi Zeliger,
MK Rotman responded to the decision: "I thank the members of the Ministerial Committee for Legislation for their support of the amended Citizenship Law that I laid down.
The amended law seeks to establish quotas and transparency to maintain the status quo and state security.
I call on all Knesset members from the national camp to vote in favor of the law when it goes to the Knesset plenum. "
Following the non-renewal of the temporary provision in the Citizenship and Entry into Israel Law, we reported here that HaMoked has launched an extensive campaign with the aim of submitting thousands of applications for family reunification in the near future.
If the Minister of the Interior refuses, the center is expected to submit petitions to the High Court, which will find it difficult to defend the decision without an appropriate valid law.
The campaign reported that there are currently about 3,500 families in which one spouse holds only temporary residency.
The implication according to the campaigners is that thousands of people are likely to be eligible for permanent residency or citizenship.
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