Law Rescinding Citizenship for Terrorists Ready to Pass

Jerusalem, Monday, July 14 — The Knesset Interior Committee approved for final vote a draft law that would allow the Interior Minister, with the approval of a district court, to rescind the citizenship, and expel from the country, anyone engaged in terror or assisting terror.

A controversial clause in the law would allow the Minister and the court to deny citizenship to and expel a person on the strength of secret information gathered by the General Security Services and not presentable in open court. This would make it difficult or impossible for the target of the law to defend himself in court against an expulsion order. The victim of such an order frequently will be denied access to the information on which the decision to expel him and/or to rescind his citizenship allegedly is based.

The law is expected to be applied to Arab citizens of Israel who engage in or assist terror. It could equally be applied however to Jewish Israelis who engage in terror against Arabs.

The law now goes to the full Knesset. It is expected to pass its second and third readings and become law.