Israel: Information on whether a Palestinian from Bethlehem can be granted Israeli nationality and whether this person can lose it if she/he lives outside of Israel for more than three years
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 March 1993 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | ISR13575 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Israel: Information on whether a Palestinian from Bethlehem can be granted Israeli nationality and whether this person can lose it if she/he lives outside of Israel for more than three years, 1 March 1993, ISR13575, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ac3d8.html [accessed 11 October 2022] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
According to a representative of the Consulate General of Israel in New York, it is technically possible for a Palestinian to be a naturalized Israeli national or to receive a residency permit (17 March 1993). The representative added that Palestinians from Bethlehem have to apply to the Ministry of the Interior in Israel for Israeli nationality (Ibid.). The Ministry will examine the application on the basis of security and health risks (Ibid.). Once the person has been granted Israeli nationality, it is possible to reside outside the country for three years without losing it (Ibid.). If the person left the West Bank before 1967, did not receive an identification document number and became a national or a permanent resident of another country, or if the family did not register the person or made an application for return to the Israeli military administration of the Occupied Territories, he/she will have to apply for immigration to Israel (Ibid.). If the application is accepted, the Ministry of the Interior will examine it for nationality after a certain period of time (Ibid.).
According to an Israeli lawyer specializing in Palestinian affairs in Jerusalem, in theory it is possible for a Palestinian from Bethlehem to have access to Israeli nationality, however in practice it is almost impossible (18 March 1993). The lawyer added that Palestinians do not have a right to Israeli nationality; it is difficult even for a Palestinian from the Occupied Territories to obtain permanent resident status in Israel (Ibid.). If the Palestinian is a woman who is married to an Israeli national, she may be granted permanent resident status in Israel (Ibid.). However, if the Palestinian woman is married to a person holding a permanent resident status, it will be more difficult for her to acquire permanent resident status in Israel (Ibid.). Similarly, if the applicant is a man married to an Israeli national, he may be granted permanent resident status in Israel (Ibid.). However, if the Palestinian man is married to a person holding permanent resident status, his chance of being granted permanent resident status is almost non-existent (Ibid.). If a Palestinian is granted permanent resident status in Israel, she/he can live abroad no longer than seven years without losing his/her this status (Ibid.). Palestinians holding permanent resident status in Israel can also lose their status by being granted the same status or nationality in another country (Ibid.). The lawyer mentioned that a Palestinian from Bethlehem would have almost no chance of being granted Israeli nationality, but if such a case did occur, the Palestinian would be allowed to reside outside Israel for more than three years without losing her/his Israeli nationality (Ibid.). The lawyer added that if a Palestinian was granted Israeli nationality, she/he would have to renounce his/her Jordanian nationality (Ibid.). He stated that all of these steps are taken under the authority of the Israeli Ministry of the Interior, which has discretionary decision-making power in these cases (Ibid.).
According to a representative of an Israeli human rights organization that monitors the Occupied Territories, in practice the government of Israel does not want to grant Israeli nationality to Palestinians from the West Bank, from the Gaza Strip or from elsewhere (17 March 1993). The representative added that it is technically possible, although very difficult, to apply for Israeli nationality or a residence permit on the basis of a first degree relation (marriage or close family) with an Israeli national (Ibid.).
A representative of the Palestinian Human Rights Information Centre in East Jerusalem stated that it is technically possible for a Palestinian from Bethlehem to acquire Israeli nationality, however in practice it is very unlikely (17 March 1993). In order to be granted Israeli nationality, a Palestinian would have to renounce his/her Jordanian nationality and convert to Judaism (Ibid.).
Additional and/or corroborating information on this subject is currently unavailable to the DIRB in Ottawa.
References
Consulate General of Israel, New York. 17 March 1993. Telephone Interview with Representative.
Hotline, Jerusalem. 17 March 1993. Telephone Interview with a Representative.
Israeli Lawyer, Jerusalem. 18 March 1993. Telephone Interview.
Palestine Human Rights Information Centre, Jerusalem. 17 March 1993. Telephone Interview with Representative.
