The Israeli cabinet yesterday voted to extend by six months a controversial law that bars Palestinians married to Israelis from getting Israeli citizenship and which has been criticised as discriminatory by civil rights groups.
In the wake of international criticism of the law - Amnesty International has termed it racist - Attorney General Mr Menachem Mazuz suggested that it be extended by six months and not a year. The cabinet has also agreed to set up a ministerial committee to produce a revised version of the law.
The law, which was passed last year by the centre-right government of Prime Minister Mr Ariel Sharon, prevents Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza Strip who have married Israelis - the vast majority of them Israeli Arabs - from being afforded citizenship or residency status in Israel.
That leaves these "mixed" couples with the option of living in Israel illegally, moving to the occupied territories, or separating.
The government has argued that there are sound security reasons for enacting the law. A number of Palestinians who have been afforded residency status, it says, have exploited this to help carry out terror attacks inside Israel. The revised law proposed by the attorney general would relax the security clause.
Parents from these families with children who have been living in Israel for several years, but have not settled their citizenship status, will be treated less strictly.