The Knesset passed two controversial laws today, during a session packed with tension and yelling. First to pass was an amendment to the Citizenship Law, such that Israeli citizenship will not be automatically granted to Palestinian Authority Arabs who marry Israeli-Arabs. The amendment is designed to stop the gradual implementation of what the Arabs call the "right of return" and the penetration of terror elements to the Israeli-Arab sector. Four Shinui MKs violated coalition discipline and did not vote in favor of the change; they simply did not show up for the vote.
Next to pass was a very abbreviated form of the Unification of Municipalities Law. The original Interior Ministry plan was to combine over 260 localities into 130 municipalities - thus saving two billion shekels a year, according to Finance Ministry statistics. The plan that was voted into law today, however, calls for only 34 localities to be combined into 12 new municipalities. Interior Minister Avraham Poraz of Shinui managed to obtain Knesset approval for a clause stating that he will be able to initiate the unification of further localities in three years' time.