Defense Minister Benny Gantz instructed the chairman of the Blue and White faction, Eitan Ginzburg, to work with the chairman of the coalition, Idit Silman, to ensure that there is a majority in the Knesset to extend the Family Reunification Law.

At the same time, Gantz turned to opposition chairman and former prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and asked him to act to pass the law.

Gantz said today that “this is a necessary law to preserve the security of the state and its Jewish and democratic character, and security considerations must be put above all political considerations. Even in difficult political moments, we put Israel first.”

Ganz said that he also “expects the coalition to act responsibly to pass the bill.”

The Citizenship Law has existed for decades and has been extended every year since the outbreak of the Second Intifada.

According to the law, a foreign citizen who marries an Israeli can undergo a procedure for obtaining citizenship.

But there is an exception to the law – if an Israeli citizen (usually an Arab) marries a Palestinian Authority resident, citizenship cannot be transferred and family reunification inside Israel is not possible for security reasons.

The Likud and right-wing parties in the opposition have opposed the renewal of the law despite supporting it in principle. The United Arab List party, which is part of the coalition, also opposes the law, putting its passage at risk.

Source: Arutz Sheva