GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — The new Israeli government is expected to renew in early July the Citizenship and Entry into Israel Law, which prohibits Israelis married to Palestinians residing in the Gaza Strip or in the West Bank from passing on the Israeli citizenship or residency to their spouses for family reunification purposes.
In a surprising move, Mansour Abbas, leader of the United Arab List (Raam) and member of the Israeli government coalition, agreed in a June 21 meeting with Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked to maintain the law, provided that Shaked publicly commits to excluding humanitarian cases, the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation reported on June 22.