RAMALLAH, West Bank — The Israel Knesset approved Israel's controversial citizenship law in a 45-15 vote on March 10. The law denies West Bank and Gaza Palestinians married to Palestinians in the 1948 territory (Arabs of Israel) the right to gain citizenship or residency status.
The law affects thousands of Palestinian families, as it prohibits any man or woman from the West Bank and Gaza married to an Israeli citizen from living in Israel and requires them to obtain temporary residence permits issued by the Israeli Ministry of Interior.