Opposition Knesset members today (Thursday) submitted a draft bill aimed at regulating Israeli immigration policy and, moreover, the law prohibiting the unification of Palestinian Arab families in Israel.
The Likud has announced that the opposition will advance a 'right-wing' law on curbing Arab immigration to Israel: the Basic Law on Immigration to Israel.
The bill is sponsored by MKs Simcha Rotman and Bezalel Smotrich (Religious Zionism), Amir Ohana (Likud), Amichai Chikli (Yamina), Uriel Bosso (Shas), Yitzhak Pindros (United Torah Judaism) and Yinon Azoulay (Shas).
The bill will, for the first time in a Basic Law, lay down the general rules regarding entry into Israel, who will have the powers to prohibit entry into Israel, the manner in which entry into Israel may be prohibited, and the manner in which the citizenship of an Israeli citizen may be revoked.
Among the sections of the proposed Basic Bill, it is stipulated that there is no eligibility for temporary residency status, permanent residency or citizenship in Israel, except by virtue of law. The Interior Minister shall prescribe in regulations, with the approval of the Interior Committee, the rules for entry into Israel; A person who is not a citizen or resident of Israel will not be able to apply to the courts in order to obtain a permit to enter Israel; The State of Israel will remove from Israel anyone who enters the country illegally or who stays in Israel illegally, the state will encourage the departure of illegal residents, even if for various reasons there is no ability to remove them.
In addition, it is proposed that the State of Israel be authorized to stipulate that funds, from any source, that accrue to an illegal resident will be held, in whole or in part, in trust by the State of Israel and given to the illegal resident only after he leaves the State of Israel, and that the Knesset of Israel may prescribe in law cases in which Israeli residency or citizenship will be revoked.
The chairman of the "Religious Zionism" party, MK Bezalel Smotrich, said that "the current temporary order to prevent family unification rests on chicken legs and has perforated over the years like Swiss cheese. Under its auspices, thousands of Palestinians are naturalized each year through a series of exceptions. For the first time in years, there is a solid right-wing majority in the Knesset that allows the enactment of the Basic Law on Immigration by a large majority that will preserve the Jewish majority and Israel's security."
"We call on all right-wing parties in the Knesset to unite around the bill submitted today by MK Simcha Rotman and representatives of the right-wing factions, thus showing responsibility for the future of the State of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state and maintaining its security. The Basic Immigration Law can be enacted soon, before the existing temporary order expires," added MK Smotrich.
The initiators of the proposal said: "The right-wing party and Ayelet Shaked have pledged to promote the Basic Law on Immigration in the election campaign. It is not possible to allow that in order to maintain a coalition with anti-Zionist elements, the government will promote a temporary provision in a patchwork manner instead of ensuring that Israeli immigration policy is Zionist."