State: Terror groups recruit Israelis
In response to petition filed against Citizenship Law, State Prosecutor's Office claims terrorist groups employ services of Palestinians who settle in Israel in order to carry out attacks
Israel's Citizenship Law, which denies legal status from Palestinians who marry Arab-Israelis, should not be revoked as terror groups try to employ such individuals in order to carry out attacks, the State warned Tuesday.
The State Prosecutor's Office made the comments in response to a High Court of Justice petition.
According to data held by security officials, 54 Palestinians who were granted Israeli citizenship were directly involved in terrorist attacks or attacks that were foiled in the last minute.
The State claimed that terrorist groups need the cooperation of Palestinians who reside in Israel for the purpose of carrying out attacks and that the use of an "insider" was critical for mass attacks.
In its response, based on Shin Bet assessments, the State Prosecution claimed that since Operation Cast Lead Hamas has continued to build up its military power in the Gaza Strip in preparation for another round of battles. It added that other terrorist groups are active alongside Hamas, particularly the Islamic Jihad, and that such groups' motivation to carry out attacks is extremely high.
"We maintain that contrary to the impression of a relative state of calm, Palestinian terrorist organizations, including those operating in Judea and Samaria, continuously try to carry out painful attacks in the heart of Israel," the State's document said.
The State also noted that since Hamas seized the Gaza Strip in June 2007, the organization has been working to consolidate its control of the area and that security officials estimated that radical attitudes in Fatah and Hamas are on the rise. This increases the chances of violent escalation in the West Bank in the coming year.
Citizenship Law
In July 2003, the Knesset passed the Citizenship Law, which is aimed at limiting the reunion of Palestinian and Arab-Israeli families.
According to the law, the interior minister has authority to grant citizenship only after it verifying that the person was a resident of the territories who identifies with the State of Israel, and that either he or a member of his family has cooperated with Israel and contributed to state security.
Shortly after the bill passed petitions were filed with the High Court of Justice and were denied in 2005.
A year later, a panel of 11 High Court judges discussed the matter again and rejected the petition. Several other motions were filed in May 2007 claiming that the law gravely violates the rights of Israeli citizens.
