MPs urge denouncing Israeli law allowing revoking residency of Jerusalem’s Palestinians

AMMAN — A group of MPs on Tuesday called for a “strong” denouncement of the Israeli law to strip residency from Jerusalem’s Palestinians, saying the bill “accelerates” the relocation of the US embassy to the occupied holy city.

In a memorandum they submitted to the Lower House’s permanent office, a total of 50 lawmakers said that the Israeli law seeks to empty Jerusalem of its Palestinian residents and change the holy city’s Arab identity.

Calling for a “strongly worded” rejection of the bill, which they described as “racist”, signatories said the Israeli move is part of the “Zionist” plot to relocate the American embassy from Tel Aviv to occupied Jerusalem.

In their memo, a copy of which was seen by The Jordan Times, lawmakers urged joint coordination with Arab, Islamic and European parliaments to reject the law and safeguard Jerusalem’s Arab identity.

The Israeli parliament has passed a law that allows the minister of interior to revoke the residency rights of any Palestinian in occupied Jerusalem on grounds of a “breach of loyalty” to Israel. 

Under the new bill, ratified last Wednesday, Israel’s interior minister will be able to strip the residency documents of any Palestinian deemed a threat to the Jewish entity.

Palestinian officials have described the law as “racist piece of legislation”.