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A Palestinian uses a ladder to climb the wall that separates Israel and the Palestinian territories
Photo: MOHAMAD TOROKMAN/ REUTERS
Israel's parliament has reinstated a controversial system for granting Israeli citizenship.
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's national conservative Jamina party pushed through the decision on Thursday against the coalition partners and together with right-wing opposition parties.
The Knesset passed the law by a vote of 45 to 15.
Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza Strip and residents of "enemy countries" can no longer obtain Israeli citizenship by marrying an Israeli citizen.
The so-called citizenship law was first enacted in 2003 during the second Palestinian intifada and was repeatedly extended until last July.
Jamina coalition breakup
Bennett's then newly formed governing coalition, made up of parties with very different political leanings, did not support the law.
However, the Jamina party now backed down.
The law not only refers to security concerns, but also to maintaining a Jewish majority in Israel, an Israeli radio station reported.
According to opposition Arab MP Ahmad Tibi, the law is racist.
Under the citizenship law, which is initially valid for one year, Palestinian spouses of Israelis can obtain a temporary two-year residency permit, which can be revoked for security reasons.
Particularly affected is the Arab minority in Israel, which makes up around 20 percent of the population and has close linguistic, family and cultural ties with the Palestinians in the territories occupied by Israel since 1967.
mrc/AFP
