The leaders of the parties that make up the new government coalition in Israel, including the United Arab List, have agreed to extend the validity of the law banning family unification for Palestinian families.
This came after the leader of the United Arab List, Mansour Abbas, confirmed support for the extension, provided that cases described as humanitarian are excluded from it.
Mansour had met with the new Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked, and Israeli sources said that they agreed, with the support of Mansour and his colleagues, to support the continuation of the law, provided that the Minister of Interior announced the exception of humanitarian cases from it.
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This law, in force since 2003, provides for the suspension of Palestinian family unification operations, in which one spouse holds an Israeli identity, while the other holds a Palestinian identity, to live together within the Green Line areas and occupied Jerusalem.
Within the framework of this law, Arabs from countries that Israel considers hostile to it, namely Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Iran, are also prohibited from entering for the sake of family unification.
Legal authorities describe this law as “unjust and racist”, and it has separated thousands of Palestinian families and prevented them from being reunited in one house within the Green Line areas.