Enshrining Racism in Law

The law is to be applied retroactively.

Striking Similarties
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http://www.btselem.org/
Enshrining Racism in Law

"The State of Israel.
will ensure complete equality of social and
political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective
of religion, race or sex."

Israeli Declaration of Independence

On 18 June 2003, the Knesset passed the
first reading of a bill that would rescind the
right of Israeli citizens and residents who
are married to Palestinian residents of the
Occupied Territories to establish their home
in Israel.

Since 1967,
residents of the Occupied Territories who
married Israelis were granted the right to
live in Israel with their spouses.

In May 2002,

the government decided to freeze all requests
for family unification filed by residents of the
Occupied Territories.

The government now seeks
to enshrine its decision in law.

The proposed bill states that the Ministry
of the Interior will no longer grant citizenship
or resident status to Palestinian residents
of the Occupied Territories who are married
to Israelis.

The non-Israeli spouses will also not be granted
entry permits that would allow them to remain in Israel.

The law will remain in effect for one year.

However, it can be extended indefinitely by the government.

The law is to be applied retroactively.

Thus,

not only will it harm couples
who have not yet married,

it will also affect thousands of married couples
who have established their residence in Israel.

As a result of the Ministry of the Interior's painfully
slow handling of their requests for family unification,
these couples, whose requests for family unification
have not yet been approved, will now have to
separate or leave Israel.

Israeli authorities have manipulatively used
security arguments in an attempt to justify the
extensive human rights violations inherent in the bill.

The bill's explanatory notes do not
provide any statistics to support this claim.

The drafters simply state that the law is
necessary because persons who obtained
Israeli nationality through family unification
have been "increasingly involved" in planning
and carrying out attacks on Israelis.

However, if such a phenomenon exists,
only a small number of individuals are involved,
yet the proposed policy would potentially affect
tens of thousands of families.

The policy enshrined in the proposed bill
thus constitutes collective punishment and
gross violation of the fundamental rights of
a broad segment of the Palestinian population
that has not acted improperly or illegally.

As such,

the proposed bill,

which is also racist and discriminatory,
is unlawful and should be rejected by the
Knesset.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.btselem.org/English/Legal...enship_Law.rtf
To download the proposed law in english (translated by B'Tselem)

Striking Similarties
http://www.iap.org/jewspal.htm

	#1
torresD	Enshrining Racism in Law The law is to be applied retroactively. Striking Similarties http://www.iap.org/jewspal.htm http://www.btselem.org/ Enshrining Racism in Law "The State of Israel. will ensure complete equality of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion, race or sex." Israeli Declaration of Independence On 18 June 2003, the Knesset passed the first reading of a bill that would rescind the right of Israeli citizens and residents who are married to Palestinian residents of the Occupied Territories to establish their home in Israel. Since 1967, residents of the Occupied Territories who married Israelis were granted the right to live in Israel with their spouses. In May 2002, the government decided to freeze all requests for family unification filed by residents of the Occupied Territories. The government now seeks to enshrine its decision in law. The proposed bill states that the Ministry of the Interior will no longer grant citizenship or resident status to Palestinian residents of the Occupied Territories who are married to Israelis. The non-Israeli spouses will also not be granted entry permits that would allow them to remain in Israel. The law will remain in effect for one year. However, it can be extended indefinitely by the government. The law is to be applied retroactively. Thus, not only will it harm couples who have not yet married, it will also affect thousands of married couples who have established their residence in Israel. As a result of the Ministry of the Interior's painfully slow handling of their requests for family unification, these couples, whose requests for family unification have not yet been approved, will now have to separate or leave Israel. Israeli authorities have manipulatively used security arguments in an attempt to justify the extensive human rights violations inherent in the bill. The bill's explanatory notes do not provide any statistics to support this claim. The drafters simply state that the law is necessary because persons who obtained Israeli nationality through family unification have been "increasingly involved" in planning and carrying out attacks on Israelis. However, if such a phenomenon exists, only a small number of individuals are involved, yet the proposed policy would potentially affect tens of thousands of families. The policy enshrined in the proposed bill thus constitutes collective punishment and gross violation of the fundamental rights of a broad segment of the Palestinian population that has not acted improperly or illegally. As such, the proposed bill, which is also racist and discriminatory, is unlawful and should be rejected by the Knesset. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.btselem.org/English/Legal...enship_Law.rtf To download the proposed law in english (translated by B'Tselem) Striking Similarties http://www.iap.org/jewspal.htm