The coalition approved an amendment to the Citizenship and Entry into Israel Law which would allow it to be extended by six months instead of one year, by a telephone poll early on Tuesday morning.The amended law was presented by Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked who clarified that she wished to withdraw her original proposal, and Knesset Speaker Mickey Levy reopened the debate around the subject ahead of the vote.The compromise that would allow the Citizenship Law to be extended for six months instead of a year was agreed upon by Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Shaked after a meeting with the Meretz faction on Monday night. The amended bill would allow for a six month extension in which time a panel would be set up in order to examine more long-term humanitarian solutions. Additionally, 1,600 Palestinians living in Israel would be granted residency rights as a part of the compromise, and Meretz MKs would vote in favor of this version of the law.Although negotiations with Ra’am are reported to still be ongoing, speaking to a KAN News reporter, Meretz MK Esawi Frej said that “the law will pass. We and Ra’am will vote the same way.”
— יערה שפירא (@yaara_shapira) July 5, 2021
if(window.location.pathname.indexOf(“656089”) != -1){console.log(“hedva connatix”);document.getElementsByClassName(“divConnatix”)[0].style.display =”none”;} Members of the opposition demanded that the debate around the subject be stopped after the amended bill was presented, and Likud MK Yariv Levin said that the announcements had been “born of coalition agreements” which had been “hidden from the public.”Religious Zionist Party leader Bezalel Smotrich rebuked Shaked’s decision from the Knesset podium, saying “how did your hand not shake when you signed the agreement? Where is your shame?”
Ahead of the vote, Bennett met with all members of the Meretz faction in order to attempt to reach an agreement with them which would allow the vote to pass.
The meeting reportedly ended with Meretz demanding an extension of the law for six months, automatic residency for adults, and an individual examination for each person who wishes to gain citizenship, although no confirmation of an agreement to these conditions by Bennett was reported.
An estimated 45 MKs are currently speaking in the Knesset plenum after which the law will go to a vote. The discussion ahead of the vote began earlier than expected, and opened with speeches from various members of the opposition including MK Itamar Ben-Gvir from the Religious Zionist Party, Shas MK Yoav Ben-Tzur, and MK Keti Shitrit from Likud.A short while after the session began, however, members of the opposition withdrew from speaking in the plenum, in a reported attempt to put more pressure on the coalition, according to Army Radio.Shortly after the opposition members withdrew their speeches, over 30 members of the coalition registered to speak in their places ahead of the vote, among them Yesh Atid MKs Idan Roll, Ron Katz, and Nira Shpak.Speaking to a reporter as he entered the Knesset plenum, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said that he is “always optimistic,” about the success he will have in passing the contested law on Monday night.Both Ra’am and Meretz MKs have stated that they will not support the law, meaning that the coalition must rely on opposition members from Likud, United Torah Judaism, Shas, the Religious Zionist Party to support it in their place in order to ensure that it passes.Members of Likud have not revealed whether or not they will vote in support of the law, leaving the outcome uncertain. Source
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