Israel's Knesset Advance Bill To Renew 'Citizenship Law'

The Israeli government gave initial approval Sunday to a bill that would ban Palestinians who marry Israelis from obtaining permits to live with their spouses in Israel, several months after an earlier ban expired following a dramatic coalition fight.

The bill, known as the "Citizenship Law," was passed by the Ministerial Committee on Legislation, allowing it to move quickly through the legislative process. The bill will now be submitted to Israel's parliament, the Knesset, where it must pass three more votes before becoming law.

Sunday's bill was submitted by opposition Knesset member Simcha Rothman (Religious Zionism) and was almost identical to the text sponsored by the government last week.

However, the cabinet's version is unlikely to pass in the Knesset, as right-wing opposition Knesset members voted against the coalition's proposals, even though they are aligned with their policies.

Seven ministers voted in favor of the bill on Sunday, while Environmental Protection Minister Tamar Zandberg, Energy Minister Karin Elharrar, and Social Equality Minister Meirav Cohen voted against it.  Diaspora Affairs Minister Nachman Shai abstained.

Last July, the coalition failed to muster enough votes to renew the law, causing it to expire, in part because of the Arab Ra'am party, two of whose members abstained.