14 August 2003 - The UN Committee on Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD) in Geneva accepted to examine the urgent action petition submitted on 8 August 2003 by the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), together with its members and partner organizations in Israel, ACRI- The Association for Civil Rights in Israel, Adalah- The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel, B'Tselem- The Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories, the Mossawa Center- the Advocacy Center for the Arab Palestinian Citizens in Israel and HaMoked- the Center for the Rights of the Individual, requesting that CERD consider the new Isareli law adopted on 31 July 2003 and entitled “Nationality and Entry into Israel Law (Temporary Order)- 2003.

The UN Committee issued a decision on 14 August 2003 enjoining Israel to revoke the “Family unification law” considering its discriminatory nature, in violation of basic provisions of the International Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination ratified by Israel.

As a matter of fact, the purpose of the new law is to prohibit Palestinians from the Occupied Territories from obtaining citizenship, permanent residency, and/or temporary residency status in Israel by marriage to an Israeli citizen(“family unification”). It will also discriminate the arab minorities citizens of Israel, who want to marrry Palestinians from the Occupied Territories. Thousands of families will be affected, forcing them to separate or to leave the country, if the law remains in force.

The FIDH and its partners are very pleased that the CERD decided, in an exceptional procedure, to consider their legitimate concerns about the new law.

The CERD decision follows the recent decision of UN Human Rights Committee of 6 August 2003, which also states that Israel “should revoke the Nationality and Entry into Israel law...and should reconsider its policy with a view to facilitating family reunification of all citizens and permanent residents”.

The FIDH and its partners urge Israel to comply with CERD and the Human Rights Committee’s recommendations and abrogate the law without any further ado.