MK Tibi: State stabbed Arabs in the back

Knesset Member Ran Cohen (Meretz) said in response to the High Court of Justice's rejection of an appeal against the Citizenship Law on Sunday that "it is unbelievable that Israeli and Jewish judges accept a law based solely on racism."

"It turns out that the High Court is not the answer for human rights issues, and that the ball is back in the Knesset's court," Cohen said, adding he is hopeful the current parliament will be more accommodating to legislation that ensures basic human rights.

Justice Minister Haim Ramon said he will work with the interior minister to anchor the rules of entry into Israel in a basic law.

Ramon said that the basic law must apply identical laws on the entire population and not focus on sectoral groups. 

Arab parties harshly criticized the High Court ruling.

MK Mohammad Barakeh (Hadash) said: "The High Court's ruling provides racism with a doubtful alibi. The fact that the decision was made with such a great opposition among the judges constitutes a ray of light, which cannot illuminate the darkness in the Knesset legislation and High Court decisions."

"The Israeli book of laws, approved by the High Court, is becoming a guide for every racist legislation in the world after World War II," he added.

United Arab List-Ta’al MK Ahmad Tibi said in response to the ruling “the State has stabbed its Arab citizens in the back with the High Court knife and has proven that we are citizens without citizenship.”

MK Dov Khenin (Hadash), a legal expert, expressed his regret over the court ruling.

"One cannot expect the High Court to stand alone and defend the Israeli society from the infiltration of racist norms. The Knesset must regain its composure and promote legislation which will remove the constitutional discrimination stain from our book of laws," Khenin said.

MK Azmi Bishara (National Democratic Assembly Chairman) said that the High Court's ruling proves that the Israeli political and Judicial culture in Israel is nationalistic and not civic.

"Disguised under the cloak of security considerations, this law is in effect demographically motivated and discriminative," he said.

Knesset Member Ibrahim Sarsur (United Arab List-Ta'al) said that the ruling represents an injustice and prolongs the suffering of many families.

Former Minister Shulamit Aloni said that the High Court's decision "proves that Lieberman is not the only racist among us."

"The ruling that all the Palestinians are a security threat gives a free hand to the IDF and the settlers to kill, demolish, uproot and steal, because according to another law the Palestinians don’t have to be compensated," she said.

'Judges return security sanity'

Immigration Absorption Minister Ze'ev Boim welcomed the court ruling, saying that "the Citizenship Law is an appropriate law."

"We have to maintain the State's democratic nature, but also its Jewish nature. The extent of entry of in-laws into Israel's territories is intolerable," he added.

MK Israel Hasson (Israel Our Home) said that "the High Court proved that it is still able to identify the State's of Israel's existential threats. But I have to say that I am annoyed by the fact that such a basic decision was not made unanimously."

MK Yitzhak Levy (National Union-National Religious Party) also praised the judges, who he said returned the State's security sanity.

"I call on any Israeli married to a Palestinian and prevented from reuniting with him or her to immigrate to the Palestinian's place of residence," he said.

MK Yoel Hasson (Kadima) noted: "This morning the High Court understood the Israeli democracy's need to defend itself. This is a victory to those who believe in Israel as a Jewish state, and the decision will have dramatic ramifications for Israel's demographic composition."

Ronny Sofer and Roee Nahmias contributed to the report