The Israeli Parliament has just passed a law preventing Palestinians from the occupied territories and married to Israelis from gaining Israeli citizenship.
It may come as a surprise that Palestinians would want to marry Israelis, let alone become Israeli citizens. In fact, in the last ten years, 16,000 did precisely that. But to be astonished is to forget that 20 percent of Israelis are Arabs or that Israeli Arabs are Palestinians by another name.
Some see Israeli Arabs as the salvation of the Palestinians, and believe that, with their higher birth rate, they could become a majority in the future, thus ending Israel’s position as a uniquely Jewish state. But that is not what the Israelis are afraid of at the moment or why Ariel Sharon has pushed for this law. It is part and parcel of his plans to segregate Palestinians from Israelis. Designed to trick the Israeli electorate into believing, yet again, that he has a policy that will stop attacks by Palestinian militants, they include the controversial wall he is building as well as a further amendment to the citizenship law that would prevent children with mixed Palestinian-Israeli parents from automatically gaining citizenship.
They are a gimmick, but a vicious one. Even by Israeli standards, the new law is a landmark in bigotry. Palestinians alone are targeted; Americans or Russians, even Indians and Pakistanis wanting to marry an Israeli — Jewish or Arab — will not be denied Israeli citizenship or residence. Only people from the occupied territories. But Arab Israelis will also be the victims. The law discriminates against them too because it effectively says that they cannot marry Palestinians. Technically, of course, they can, but since the Palestinian partner will not be able to take Israeli citizenship and will be barred from entering Israel, they cannot live together there. That is not only unjust, it is vindictive. Israeli Arabs are being told that if they want to marry someone from the occupied territories, they have to get out.
Ironically it may be the US that forces this law off the statute book. The State Department has decided to see whether it violates human rights and so contravenes US law. That could have serious ramifications as regards US aid to Israel. Even many Israelis think it unjust. The law was only passed after a stormy session in the Knesset and two members now plan to petition the courts to invalidate it.
As for the idea that this will stop attacks on Israelis, it will not. Sharon forgets that Israelis Arabs are Palestinians and identify with them; attacks on Israeli targets have begun to be carried out by them in the name of Palestinian freedom. Targeting them with an unjust, discriminatory law can only alienate them further.
