Subversive Pessimist
27th July 2004, 13:19
Israel extends its anti-Arab law
7/19/2004 7:55:00 AM GMT
Source: Reuters
Human rights groups has criticized this law and described it as anti-Arab.
Israel on Sunday has extended a controversial law denying residency to Palestinians who marry Israelis, a move to give the cabinet time to water down the bill which has been condemned by human rights groups.
Adopted last year and requiring annual renewal by the government, the law denies citizenship or permanent residency to all Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza Strip who are married to Israeli citizens, usually Arabs.
It has put a lot of pressure on Israelis married to Palestinians and made their life difficult since their spouses are barred from entering Israel or face deportation for being in the Jewish state illegally.
Attorney General Menachem Mazuz urged the government to modify this law to allow Palestinian spouses over the age of 35 to be naturalized and to generally ease restrictions wherever Palestinians in question have no link with attacks.
Human rights groups has criticized this law and described it as anti-Arab.
Amnesty International urged the Israeli government recently not to extend the bill when it expires at the end of July.
It said the law explicitly discriminates against Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza Strip and completely discriminates against Israeli-Arabs.
Amnesty said the law left thousands of Palestinian citizens of Israel with two options -- "having their spouses live with them illegally or moving to the West Bank and Gaza".
http://www.aljazeera.com/cgi-bin/news_serv...service_id=2765 (http://www.aljazeera.com/cgi-bin/news_service/middle_east_full_story.asp?service_id=2765)
What do you think?
7/19/2004 7:55:00 AM GMT
Source: Reuters
Human rights groups has criticized this law and described it as anti-Arab.
Israel on Sunday has extended a controversial law denying residency to Palestinians who marry Israelis, a move to give the cabinet time to water down the bill which has been condemned by human rights groups.
Adopted last year and requiring annual renewal by the government, the law denies citizenship or permanent residency to all Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza Strip who are married to Israeli citizens, usually Arabs.
It has put a lot of pressure on Israelis married to Palestinians and made their life difficult since their spouses are barred from entering Israel or face deportation for being in the Jewish state illegally.
Attorney General Menachem Mazuz urged the government to modify this law to allow Palestinian spouses over the age of 35 to be naturalized and to generally ease restrictions wherever Palestinians in question have no link with attacks.
Human rights groups has criticized this law and described it as anti-Arab.
Amnesty International urged the Israeli government recently not to extend the bill when it expires at the end of July.
It said the law explicitly discriminates against Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza Strip and completely discriminates against Israeli-Arabs.
Amnesty said the law left thousands of Palestinian citizens of Israel with two options -- "having their spouses live with them illegally or moving to the West Bank and Gaza".
http://www.aljazeera.com/cgi-bin/news_serv...service_id=2765 (http://www.aljazeera.com/cgi-bin/news_service/middle_east_full_story.asp?service_id=2765)
What do you think?