Israel upholds citizenship bar for Palestinian spouses

[Forsakia]

Israel's Supreme Court has upheld a law banning Palestinians who marry Israelis from gaining Israeli citizenship.

Civil rights groups had petitioned the court to overturn the law, saying it was unconstitutional.

"Human rights do not prescribe national suicide," Judge Asher Grunis wrote in the judgement.

The law was introduced in 2003, with its backers citing security concerns and the need to ensure Israel remains a Jewish-majority state.

Human rights activists and Arab politicians condemned the court's decision.

The court "had failed the test of justice", said Arab-Israeli MP Jamal Zahalka of the Balad party.

"It is a dark day for the protection of human rights and for the Israeli High Court," lawyers from the Association for Civil Rights in Israel told AFP.

"The ruling proves how much the situation regarding the civil rights of the Arab minority in Israel is declining into a highly dangerous and unprecedented situation", Arab-Israeli civil rights group Adalah, one of those that brought the petition, said in a statement.

The Citizenship and Entry Law was passed in 2003, during the second Palestinian intifada (uprising), as waves of suicide bombings targeted Israel.

Many were launched from the West Bank, some with the help of Israeli Arabs.

Initially, the law was emergency legislation which has since been extended periodically.

It was amended in 2005, allowing women over 25 and men over 35 to apply for temporary permits to live in Israel, but still ruling out citizenship for all but a handful of cases.

In 2007, it was expanded to apply to citizens of Iran, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-16526469

This just frustrates me really, marriage conveying citizenship (in my very limited knowledge) is quite common generally, and I also have a generally dislike social engineering to try and keep a state a particular ethnicity.

[Ourfgenstan (Ancient)]

Well Israelis aren't a particular ethnicity, most of them are Europeans. Though there are many Mizrahi Jews who are native to the Middle East/North Africa.

[Southern Patriots]

"Human rights do not prescribe national suicide," Judge Asher Grunis wrote in the judgement.

The law was introduced in 2003, with its backers citing security concerns and the need to ensure Israel remains a Jewish-majority state.

Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East. Yep, not a racist/theocratic state at all.

[Ghiscari Empire]

Israel's Supreme Court has upheld a law banning Palestinians who marry Israelis from gaining Israeli citizenship.

Civil rights groups had petitioned the court to overturn the law, saying it was unconstitutional.

"Human rights do not prescribe national suicide," Judge Asher Grunis wrote in the judgement.

The law was introduced in 2003, with its backers citing security concerns and the need to ensure Israel remains a Jewish-majority state.

Human rights activists and Arab politicians condemned the court's decision.

The court "had failed the test of justice", said Arab-Israeli MP Jamal Zahalka of the Balad party.

"It is a dark day for the protection of human rights and for the Israeli High Court," lawyers from the Association for Civil Rights in Israel told AFP.

"The ruling proves how much the situation regarding the civil rights of the Arab minority in Israel is declining into a highly dangerous and unprecedented situation", Arab-Israeli civil rights group Adalah, one of those that brought the petition, said in a statement.

The Citizenship and Entry Law was passed in 2003, during the second Palestinian intifada (uprising), as waves of suicide bombings targeted Israel.

Many were launched from the West Bank, some with the help of Israeli Arabs.

Initially, the law was emergency legislation which has since been extended periodically.

It was amended in 2005, allowing women over 25 and men over 35 to apply for temporary permits to live in Israel, but still ruling out citizenship for all but a handful of cases.

In 2007, it was expanded to apply to citizens of Iran, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-16526469

This just frustrates me really, marriage conveying citizenship (in my very limited knowledge) is quite common generally, and I also have a generally dislike social engineering to try and keep a state a particular ethnicity.

This is sickening and frustrating. This proves Israel is transitioning into a racist state.

[Fnordgasm 5]

Well that's a bit dickish..

[Gauthier]

Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East. Yep, not a racist/theocratic state at all.

Next thing you know marrying a Palestinian will be punishable by stripping of citizenship and deportation to the West Bank.

Only in the Sole Democracy of the Middle East.

[Cromarty]

Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East. Yep, not a racist/theocratic state at all.

Next thing you know marrying a Palestinian will be punishable by stripping of citizenship and deportation to the West Bank.

Only in the Sole Democracy of the Middle East.

you need a ^TM in there btw

[Forsakia]

Well Israelis aren't a particular ethnicity, most of them are Europeans. Though there are many Mizrahi Jews who are native to the Middle East/North Africa.

Well I meant Jewishness, which I think counts as an ethnicity.

[Allrule]

Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East. Yep, not a racist/theocratic state at all.

Silly SP, don't you know that any US-friendly state is automatically a Total Democracy^TM?

[Disserbia]

This is what discrimination looks like.

[Keronians]

Dicks.

[Southern Patriots]

Next thing you know marrying a Palestinian will be punishable by stripping of citizenship and deportation to the West Bank.

Only in the Sole Democracy of the Middle East.

you need a ^TM in there btw

Silly SP, don't you know that any US-friendly state is automatically a Total Democracy^TM?

I <3 you guys.

[Red zephie]

This is what discrimination looks like.

wow

seriously

[New Chalcedon]

*snips news article*

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-16526469

This just frustrates me really, marriage conveying citizenship (in my very limited knowledge) is quite common generally, and I also have a generally dislike social engineering to try and keep a state a particular ethnicity.

Gee, I wonder if that law may not have had a little something to do with the waves of fucking suicide bombers using every expedient available to cosy up to large groups of Israeli civilians at the time?

Face the facts: if a nation is forced to live under siege by 60 years of "neighbours" wanting to kill it, then it will develop a siege mentality. Can't say I especially blame them, either. Is it hard on the Palestinians who do fall in love with Jewish men/women? Sure it is, and probably unfair too, but their own neighbours and coreligionists - on both sides of the relationship - will be even harder on them, given the state of Islamic-Jewish relations generally, and especially in the Holy Land.

I have some sympathy for the lovelorn couples, but not all that much. Given the state of Israel's relations with the Palestinian people and its neighbours, such a relationship is bound to become, to a greater or lesser degree, a Romeo and Juliet story. And R&J stories, whilst entertaining in the abstract, are tragedies, so I'd rather they be kept to a minimum in real life.

Finally, any nation - any nation! - has the right to determine who is, and is not, a citizen, and on what terms - if any - it grants citizenship to people not of its nation. Every nation imposes, or has imposed in the past, at least one requirement which seems at least a bit odd (in quite a few cases, outright-offensive) to other nations. Consider the Jewish former citizens of Egypt, deported from the land of their birth after the 1948 pogroms or later after the Six Day War. Indeed, these same Muslims who are crying "Foul!" may well wish to consider the history of Jews in Islamic lands, especially since the creation of Israel. Sauce for the goose....

As to marriage granting citizenship: In Germany, marrying a German does not automatically make one eligible for German citizenship. Russian nationality law, to my knowledge, makes no mention of spousal eligibility. Nor does Indian nationality law. And while it is an aid in French naturalisation to be married to a French citizen (reducing the other requirements), it does not automatically confer citizenship upon application. Even in the USA, where marriage to a US citizen does grant pretty-much automatic green cards (although only if the marriage is valid throughout the entire USA - hence the many stories of same-sex partners being told to leave the country when their visas expire, due to DOMA's pernicious effects), the waiting time is hardly shortened.

This:

marriage conveying citizenship (in my very limited knowledge) is quite common generally

is perhaps not so true as you believe. As such, Israel's refusal to abide by it - when so many other nations do not - is not so remarkable as you are claiming, for the purpose of triggering (yet another) avalanche of knee-jerk Israel-bashing by the usual suspects here on NSG.

[Southern Patriots]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-16526469

This just frustrates me really, marriage conveying citizenship (in my very limited knowledge) is quite common generally, and I also have a generally dislike social engineering to try and keep a state a particular ethnicity.

Gee, I wonder if that law may not have had a little something to do with the waves of fucking suicide bombers using every expedient available to cosy up to large groups of Israeli civilians at the time?

Probably has something to do with being illegally occupied and raided, and having no conventional military to respond with. Regardless, trading rights for security won't win anything in the end.

and the need to ensure Israel remains a Jewish-majority state.

Yup, knee-jerk Israel-bashing. Totally baseless. No concerns of bigotry, be it racial or theocratic, at all. Go ahead and dismiss all protests as knee-jerk reactions.

[Disserbia]

This is what discrimination looks like.

wow

seriously

Sorry that was pretty dorky of me. Its a spin off of a popular protest chant.

[Alyakia]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-16526469

This just frustrates me really, marriage conveying citizenship (in my very limited knowledge) is quite common generally, and I also have a generally dislike social engineering to try and keep a state a particular ethnicity.

Gee, I wonder if that law may not have had a little something to do with the waves of fucking suicide bombers using every expedient available to cosy up to large groups of Israeli civilians at the time?

Face the facts: if a nation is forced to live under siege by 60 years of "neighbours" wanting to kill it, then it will develop a siege mentality. Can't say I especially blame them, either. Is it hard on the Palestinians who do fall in love with Jewish men/women? Sure it is, and probably unfair too, but their own neighbours and coreligionists - on both sides of the relationship - will be even harder on them, given the state of Islamic-Jewish relations generally, and especially in the Holy Land.

I have some sympathy for the lovelorn couples, but not all that much. Given the state of Israel's relations with the Palestinian people and its neighbours, such a relationship is bound to become, to a greater or lesser degree, a Romeo and Juliet story. And R&J stories, whilst entertaining in the abstract, are tragedies, so I'd rather they be kept to a minimum in real life.

Finally, any nation - any nation! - has the right to determine who is, and is not, a citizen, and on what terms - if any - it grants citizenship to people not of its nation. Every nation imposes, or has imposed in the past, at least one requirement which seems at least a bit odd (in quite a few cases, outright-offensive) to other nations. Consider the Jewish former citizens of Egypt, deported from the land of their birth after the 1948 pogroms or later after the Six Day War. Indeed, these same Muslims who are crying "Foul!" may well wish to consider the history of Jews in Islamic lands, especially since the creation of Israel. Sauce for the goose....

As to marriage granting citizenship: In Germany, marrying a German does not automatically make one eligible for German citizenship. Russian nationality law, to my knowledge, makes no mention of spousal eligibility. Nor does Indian nationality law. And while it is an aid in French naturalisation to be married to a French citizen (reducing the other requirements), it does not automatically confer citizenship upon application. Even in the USA, where marriage to a US citizen does grant pretty-much automatic green cards (although only if the marriage is valid throughout the entire USA - hence the many stories of same-sex partners being told to leave the country when their visas expire, due to DOMA's pernicious effects), the waiting time is hardly shortened.

This:

marriage conveying citizenship (in my very limited knowledge) is quite common generally

is perhaps not so true as you believe. As such, Israel's refusal to abide by it - when so many other nations do not - is not so remarkable as you are claiming, for the purpose of triggering (yet another) avalanche of knee-jerk Israel-bashing by the usual suspects here on NSG.

thank you for all those links to other nations that are not israel. they're not really relevant but they are nice. maybe if you linked to israels nationality law we could see if marrying an israeli grants/helps with citizenship in israel and see if they are making a special exemption based on the race/nationality of a few groups. or really, something related to uh, israel and not germany. unless germany has also said "you'll get citizenship/more likely to get if you marry unless you come from X" in which case your links would actually be relevant.

[Volnotova]

Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East. Yep, not a racist/theocratic state at all.

Silly SP, don't you know that any US-friendly state is automatically a Total Democracy^TM?

Inb4 Hippostania doing his whole act about Israel supposedly being the only true democracy in the middle east while the rest are, unconditionally(with possibly the exception of Turkey) totalitarian absolute dictatorial police states.

But hey, we all know Chilli under Pinochet was 100% free, just like the US.

Venezuela, Russia, China, and any other non-US cronies/puppet states on the other hand, are vile oppressive depraved degenerate utterly backwards totalitarian absolute dictatorial socialist police states with no freedom, no rights and no civil liberties were everyone is being watched 24/7 and were any act of speaking out against the regime is punishable by public execution(Also note that they are all socialist too).

The US on the other hand, and it's cronies, puppet states and vassals allies are absolutely 100%(Except for those dirty socialists and commies in Europe) free, all have 100% laissez-faire systems, all have MAXIMUM civil liberties and political freedoms, no one is oppressed, there is no authoritarianism whatsoever in any aspect of the lives of their citizens and their fully aristocratic/oligarchic democratic totally representative governments represent all of the thoughts, feelings, interests, life styles, opinions and social, economic, political, educational, religious and ethnic backgrounds of their people.

If you do not believe these undebatable and absolute lies truths you are either a troll, severely mentally challenged, delusional, a communist, a socialist, a fascist, a terrorist, a hippie and/or a foreign spy/agent/saboteur.

In which case the absolutely free, not authoritarian and fully democratic governments of the cronies, puppet states and vassals of the Untied States west should arrest you, detain you, strip you of your rights and throw you into prison or send you to rot, die, be tortured and suffer in a re-concentraeducation camp.

[Allrule]

Gee, I wonder if that law may not have had a little something to do with the waves of fucking suicide bombers using every expedient available to cosy up to large groups of Israeli civilians at the time?

Probably has something to do with being illegally occupied and raided, and having no conventional military to respond with. Regardless, trading rights for security won't win anything in the end.

Yup, knee-jerk Israel-bashing. Totally baseless. No concerns of bigotry, be it racial or theocratic, at all. Go ahead and dismiss all protests as knee-jerk reactions.

Again, silly SP. Don't you know? When Muslim countries attempt to ensure their countries remain Muslim-majority via discrimination against non-Muslims, they're bigoted and oppressive, but when Israel attempts to ensure it remains Jewish-majority via discrimination against non-Jews, well, it's just defending Its National Sovereignty^TM.

[Ourfgenstan (Ancient)]

Preach it brother, preach the truth.

Israel, founded on peace and democracy.

[Cosmopoles]

Gee, I wonder if that law may not have had a little something to do with the waves of fucking suicide bombers using every expedient available to cosy up to large groups of Israeli civilians at the time?

Face the facts: if a nation is forced to live under siege by 60 years of "neighbours" wanting to kill it, then it will develop a siege mentality. Can't say I especially blame them, either. Is it hard on the Palestinians who do fall in love with Jewish men/women? Sure it is, and probably unfair too, but their own neighbours and coreligionists - on both sides of the relationship - will be even harder on them, given the state of Islamic-Jewish relations generally, and especially in the Holy Land.

I have some sympathy for the lovelorn couples, but not all that much. Given the state of Israel's relations with the Palestinian people and its neighbours, such a relationship is bound to become, to a greater or lesser degree, a Romeo and Juliet story. And R&J stories, whilst entertaining in the abstract, are tragedies, so I'd rather they be kept to a minimum in real life.

Finally, any nation - any nation! - has the right to determine who is, and is not, a citizen, and on what terms - if any - it grants citizenship to people not of its nation. Every nation imposes, or has imposed in the past, at least one requirement which seems at least a bit odd (in quite a few cases, outright-offensive) to other nations. Consider the Jewish former citizens of Egypt, deported from the land of their birth after the 1948 pogroms or later after the Six Day War. Indeed, these same Muslims who are crying "Foul!" may well wish to consider the history of Jews in Islamic lands, especially since the creation of Israel. Sauce for the goose....

As to marriage granting citizenship: In Germany, marrying a German does not automatically make one eligible for German citizenship. Russian nationality law, to my knowledge, makes no mention of spousal eligibility. Nor does Indian nationality law. And while it is an aid in French naturalisation to be married to a French citizen (reducing the other requirements), it does not automatically confer citizenship upon application. Even in the USA, where marriage to a US citizen does grant pretty-much automatic green cards (although only if the marriage is valid throughout the entire USA - hence the many stories of same-sex partners being told to leave the country when their visas expire, due to DOMA's pernicious effects), the waiting time is hardly shortened.

This:

marriage conveying citizenship (in my very limited knowledge) is quite common generally

is perhaps not so true as you believe. As such, Israel's refusal to abide by it - when so many other nations do not - is not so remarkable as you are claiming, for the purpose of triggering (yet another) avalanche of knee-jerk Israel-bashing by the usual suspects here on NSG.

I'm not seeing the link between Palestinians becoming Israeli citizens and suicide bombers. Do you have to become a citizen to get a suicide bombing permit?

Oh, those countries you mentioned? Every single one allows for naturalisation of spouses. Israel doesn't if they come from specific countries. That's the issue.

[Dyakovo]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-16526469

This just frustrates me really, marriage conveying citizenship (in my very limited knowledge) is quite common generally, and I also have a generally dislike social engineering to try and keep a state a particular ethnicity.

This is sickening and frustrating. This proves Israel is transitioning into a racist state.

Transitioning?

[Alyakia]

is perhaps not so true as you believe. As such, Israel's refusal to abide by it - when so many other nations do not - is not so remarkable as you are claiming, for the purpose of triggering (yet another) avalanche of knee-jerk Israel-bashing by the usual suspects here on NSG.

If they refuse to abide by it, why did they have to make a specific law applying only to certain groups?

In fact, is the law "palestinians who marry israelis do not automatically quality of citizenship in the way others do" or "palestinans who marry israels cannot become citizens. perdiod."?

[Genivaria]

This doesn't surprise me. I was never under and illusions that Israel is somehow more moral then other middle-eastern countries.

[Risottia]

Israel's Supreme Court has upheld a law banning Palestinians who marry Israelis from gaining Israeli citizenship.
"Human rights do not prescribe national suicide," Judge Asher Grunis wrote in the judgement.

Wir werden keine Rassenschande erlauben! Unser Volkes Blut muss rein bleiben!