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Citizenship stripped from Israeli Bedouin

When the Bedouin go to the Interior Ministry, they are informed that citizenship was given to them in error and are immediately downgraded to residents

August 27, 2017 10:43
Aryeh Deri.JPG
1 min read

The Israeli government has been revoking the citizenship of hundreds of Bedouin living in the south of the country, including those who have served in the IDF.

When the Bedouin go to the Interior Ministry to renew their identity cards, get a birth certificate, or register a name change, they are informed that citizenship was given to them in error and are immediately downgraded to residents, according to a report published by Ha’aretz.

They then have to spend years and a considerable amount of money navigating Israeli bureaucracy in an attempt to regain their citizenship – often unsuccessfully.

As opposed to citizens, residents of Israel are unable to vote in National elections or run for office. They do not receive Israeli passports, and cannot automatically pass on their status as residents to their children.