Palestinians Prefer Israel
Israel reports jump in Jerusalem Arabs seeking Israeli citizenship
ByThe number of East Jerusalem residents seeking Israeli citizenship has risen sharply in recent months, an Israeli official said Wednesday, as talk of a possible re-division of the city gains momentum.
The Interior Ministry has received hundreds of applications for citizenship from Arab residents of East Jerusalem over the past few months, instead of the average of several dozen, said ministry spokeswoman Sabine Hadad.
Hadad was unable to provide specific figures but said there has been an increase of hundreds.
The trend appears to stem from Palestinian fears that they could lose Israeli social benefits, such as health care or welfare payments, if their neighborhoods are shifted to Palestinian control in the future.When Israel captured East Jerusalem from Jordan in 1967, the city’s Arabs were given the opportunity to become citizens, yet they rejected it because they refused to acknowledge Israeli control over the city.
Instead, they were given the status of permanent residents, holding Israeli ID cards and making them eligible for many benefits enjoyed by Israelis. In contrast to West Bank Palestinians, permanent residents also enjoy freedom of movement in Israel.
The rise in citizenship applications comes as Israeli and Palestinian officials prepare for a U.S.-sponsored peace conference at the end of this month in Annapolis, Maryland.
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Israel captured East Jerusalem from Jordan in the 1967 Mideast war and annexed it, a move never recognized by the international community. Today, around a third of Jerusalem’s 750,000 residents are Palestinian.
Actions speak louder than words.
When given the choice, most people choose freedom over terrorism.
