JERUSALEM, The Israeli High Court today ordered the Minister of Interior to implement the family reunification law adopted by the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, in July, according to reports.
The Interior Minister, Ayelet Shaked, a right-wing hardliner, is strongly opposed to Palestinian family reunification and has ordered her staff not to implement the new law and to keep working as if the law was not changed, that is not to consider any family reunification application.
Israel suspended the family reunification policy for Palestinians whose spouse is an Israeli citizen, or resident as the case in East Jerusalem, in 2003 and has since then refused to accept any application forcing family members to live apart even though they are only kilometers away from each other.
The Knesset used to uphold the law every year but last year with the change in government the law was passed when the former supporters of the law, members of the ousted Likud Party, voted to support ending it.
The High Court was hearing a petition by 27 Palestinian families demanding that the Minister of Interior uphold the new law and start considering family reunification applications.
Source: Palestinian News & Info Agency