The Israeli government is poised to pass the annual extension of a law barring Palestinian Authority residents from seeking Israeli citizenship, despite opposition from the Likud and the Religious Zionist Party.
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett met Monday night with Ministers Ayelet Shaked and Ze'ev Elkin and with United Arab List (Ra’am) chairman MK Mansour Abbas in an attempt to reach a compromise that will allow the approval of the extension of the Family Reunification Law.
During the meeting, Abbas agreed that the UAL will not vote against the law’s extension, enabling it to narrowly pass in the Knesset, Kan reported Tuesday morning.
In exchange, Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked agreed to make a public statement committing the government to improving the ‘humanitarian conditions’ in Israel’s Arab sector.
The law was first passed as a temporary measure during the Second Intifada, barring residents of the Palestinian Authority from receiving Israeli citizenship via marriage to Israeli citizens. The law has been extended every year, and has typically received support across the aisle.
This week, however, passage of the bill appeared uncertain, as several left-wing lawmakers and the United Arab List (Ra’am) – all members of the coalition – vowed to vote against the law’s extension.
At the same time, the Likud and other Opposition parties also announced their plans to vote against the law’s extension, despite the bill having been supported by the Likud earlier this month, prior to the formation of the new government.
Opposition MK Simcha Rotman (Religious Zionist Party) submitted an alternate bill which would permanently ban family reunifications for Palestinian Authority residents.