Egyptian men married to Jewish Israeli women stand to lose their citizenship under a ruling issued by the Supreme Administrative Court in Cairo. Children of mixed Egyptian-Israeli couples may be stripped of their Egyptian citizenship as well.
Over the past two decades, thousands of Egyptian men have met and married both Jewish and Arab Israeli women while working in Israel. The ruling is expected to affect tens of thousands of people, although the court stated that each case would be considered individually.
Egyptian men married to Arab Israeli women will be allowed to keep their citizenship.
"The case for [Egyptian] men married to Israeli Arab women is different from those married to Israeli women of Jewish origin because [Israeli Arabs] have lived under Israeli occupation,” Judge Mohammed al-Husseini explained.
Husseini said the ruling aimed to guarantee Egyptian national security. A lawyer involved in the case, Nabil al-Wahsh, said the ruling would prevent the creation of a “disloyal” segment of Egyptian society, and suggested that the children of Israeli women be prohibited from serving in the Egyptian army as well.
The ruling upheld a similar ruling given by a lower court last year. Egypt's Interior Ministry protested last year's ruling, saying that Parliament should be allowed to make decisions regarding citizenship.
Egypt and Israel made peace more than 30 years ago, but relations between the countries remain tense, and Israeli citizens living in Egypt sometimes bear the brunt of the discord. Two years ago, an Egyptian attorney suggested that Egyptian men sexually harass Israeli women living in Egypt in order to force them out of the country.
Over the past two decades, thousands of Egyptian men have met and married both Jewish and Arab Israeli women while working in Israel. The ruling is expected to affect tens of thousands of people, although the court stated that each case would be considered individually.
Egyptian men married to Arab Israeli women will be allowed to keep their citizenship.
"The case for [Egyptian] men married to Israeli Arab women is different from those married to Israeli women of Jewish origin because [Israeli Arabs] have lived under Israeli occupation,” Judge Mohammed al-Husseini explained.
Husseini said the ruling aimed to guarantee Egyptian national security. A lawyer involved in the case, Nabil al-Wahsh, said the ruling would prevent the creation of a “disloyal” segment of Egyptian society, and suggested that the children of Israeli women be prohibited from serving in the Egyptian army as well.
The ruling upheld a similar ruling given by a lower court last year. Egypt's Interior Ministry protested last year's ruling, saying that Parliament should be allowed to make decisions regarding citizenship.
Egypt and Israel made peace more than 30 years ago, but relations between the countries remain tense, and Israeli citizens living in Egypt sometimes bear the brunt of the discord. Two years ago, an Egyptian attorney suggested that Egyptian men sexually harass Israeli women living in Egypt in order to force them out of the country.