Jerusalem: Israel’s new government faces the first major defeat in parliament on Tuesday, failed to renew the controversial law that prevents Palestinians from living in the West Bank and Gaza Strip who marry Israeli citizens to get their own citizenship.
It was the first major political test for Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, who for almost a month has now headed for a narrow and diverse coalition which includes left, centric and Arabic wings, along with its own ultranationalist party.
And he appeared short in the morning election, failing to secure a simple majority in parliament to extend the citizenship which was called and entered into Israeli law, and underlined his government fragility.
Voting is bound 59-59.
The law prevents Palestinians live in the West Bank and the occupied Gaza Strip that marry Israeli citizens automatically get Israeli residencies and citizenship, although exceptions are carried out based on cases per case.
Israel first graduated law in 2003, during the peak of the Palestinian rebellion, said Palestinians who married Israeli citizens used their legal status to help carry out attacks on Israel.
It applies for one year and has been extended every year, including former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who now leads the opposition.
Netanyahu, who called the Bennett government a threat to Israel’s security, refused to give him a savior and chose it.
Bennett last month reached a power sharing agreement with Centrist Yair Lapid to shift Netanyahu.
Together they compiled a party coalition with 62 out of 120 seats in parliament.
Under Lapid agreement, now the Minister of Foreign Affairs, will take over as prime minister after two years.
Some members of the coalition party did not choose to extend the law, including Bennett’s own party members.