CAMERA’s Israel office today prompted Agence France Presse to correct its mischaracterization of an Israeli law that prevents West Bank and Gaza Strip Palestinians married to Israeli citizens from gaining Israeli citizenship. Today’s initial story (“Israel ban on Arab family unifications lapses after PM loses vote,” 5:50 am GMT) had erred:
A ban in force since 2003 on Arab citizens and residents of Israel extending their right to their Palestinian spouses came to an end on Tuesday after lawmakers failed to extend the controversial measure.
The citizenship law prevents Palestinians living in the West Bank or Gaza who marry Israeli citizens from living permanently in Israel with their spouses and denies them a path to citizenship.
Israel’s new government faced its first big defeat in parliament on Tuesday, failing to renew a controversial law that prevents Palestinians living in the West Bank and Gaza Strip who marry Israeli citizens from gaining citizenship themselves. (Emphases added.)
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett suffered defeat Tuesday as lawmakers failed to extend a law that denies Israeli citizenship and residency rights to Palestinian spouses from the West Bank and Gaza.
Israel’s parliament early on Tuesday failed to renew a law that bars Arab citizens from extending citizenship or residency rights to spouses from the occupied West Bank and Gaza, in a tight vote that raised doubts about the viability of the country’s new coalition government.
The citizenship law also applies to Jewish Israelis who marry Palestinians from the territories, but such unions are extremely rare.

Israeli Arab women gather for a protest ahead of a vote by Israel’s parliament on renewing a law that bars Arab citizens of Israel from extending citizenship or even residency to spouses from the occupied West Bank and Gaza, outside the parliament building in Jerusalem, Monday, July 5, 2021. Israel’s new government faces an early challenge in deciding whether to renew the temporary law first enacted in 2003. Critics say it’s a racist measure aimed at limiting the growth of the Arab minority, while supporters say it’s needed for security reasons and to preserve Israel’s Jewish character. (AP Photo/Tsafrir Abayov)

Israeli Arab women hold a sign during a protest ahead of a vote by Israel’s parliament on renewing a law that bars Arab citizens of Israel from extending citizenship or even residency to spouses from the occupied West Bank and Gaza, outside the parliament building in Jerusalem, Monday, July 5, 2021. Israel’s new government faces an early challenge in deciding whether to renew the temporary law first enacted in 2003. Critics say it’s a racist measure aimed at limiting the growth of the Arab minority, while supporters say it’s needed for security reasons and to preserve Israel’s Jewish character. (AP Photo/Tsafrir Abayov)