Muslim Brotherhood protest in Egypt (Archive)
Photo: Reuters
Egypt to revoke citizenship from men married to Israelis
Court explains that children of these couples join IDF, therefore posing threat to national security
A Cairo court has ruled that Egypt's Interior Ministry must revoke citizenship privileges from any male resident of the country who has married an Israeli woman, the daily al-Quds al-Arabi reported Wednesday.
The report says the court accepted an appeal by a controversial lawyer and a number of opposition organizations rejecting normalized relations with Israel.
Attorney Nabiya al-Wahash's appeal said many Egyptians were infiltrating Israeli cities, where they marry Israeli women, and that this phenomenon must be stopped.
Al-Wahash says the offspring produced by these couples later become a security hazard to Egypt by enlisting in the IDF. He claims these cases must be dealt with swiftly as the phenomenon was spreading.
The court's ruling says, "Egyptian citizenship is a precious and respected title that awards its owner the right to participate in the management of public affairs in the homeland, but in addition requires full loyalty to that homeland."
The judge stressed in the ruling that a security risk to Israel exists because "children born to an Israeli mother receive the benefits of Israeli citizenship in accordance with citizenship laws in Israel, and on the other hand they are considered Egyptian citizens because they were born to an Egyptian father".
He added, "Israeli law permits a person to hold dual citizenship and enlist in the occupying army, and this has dangerous ramifications on national security. Therefore the court and the interior minister must act swiftly to revoke the citizenship of these people."
