A bill seeking to regulate the status and residency of Palestinian spouses of Arab Israelis passed its first reading in the Knesset on Monday night.
The “family reunification law” was first approved as a temporary measure in 2003 and continued to be renewed annually by the Knesset until last July, when it failed to pass after a deadlock over the opposition’s rejection of a last-minute compromise.
However, on Monday, just five lawmakers opposed Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked’s version of the bill, which won 44 votes in a rare sign of collaboration between the government and opposition parties.
The Arab Joint List and Meretz Party both strongly opposed the legislation, but did not vote against the bill. Instead, members abstained and walked out.
The legislation must now pass a second and third reading before it can become law.