MKs extend law barring Palestinians who marry Israelis from receiving residency

Lawmakers vote 8-3 to approve a one-year extension of a longstanding law that largely bars Palestinians who marry Israelis from receiving residency in Israel. The law will now remain in effect until March 14, 2027.

Most votes today had few participants, with low turnout due to the war. For large stretches of the day, the Knesset’s various committees and plenum have been largely empty due to the decision to scale back parliamentary activity.

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.