From the Liveblog of
Monday, March 9, 2026
Knesset committees extend law barring residency for Palestinians who marry Israelis
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleSam Sokol is a former political correspondent at The Times of Israel. He was previously a reporter for the Jerusalem Post, Jewish Telegraphic Agency and Haaretz. He is the author of "Putin’s Hybrid War and the Jews"
In a joint session, the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense and Interior committees jointly approve the one-year extension of a longstanding law that largely bars Palestinians who marry Israelis from receiving residency in Israel.
The so-called Citizenship Law was first passed in 2003, at the height of the Second Intifada, as a temporary security order meant to prevent terror attacks. It had been renewed on an annual basis until July 2021, when Israel’s previous coalition — a fragile alliance that included a left-wing and an Arab party — failed to marshal the votes to pass it. But it won approval in March 2022 and has since been extended on an annual basis.
The legislation has been wildly controversial since its inception, as rights groups charge it discriminates against Palestinians and Arab Israelis. The Supreme Court upheld the law in a 6-5 decision in 2012 after a protracted legal battle.
Lawmakers on the joint committee vote 2-1 to extend the legislation until March 14, 2027. The extension will go to the Knesset plenum for final legislative approval this afternoon.
The Times of Israel Community.