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| By Israel Insider staff and partners November 7, 2007 |
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| Jerusalem's mosaic of ethnicity (Arab areas in brown, Beit Safafa in the southwest). Copyright Israeli Insider. |
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In recent months, talk of a future division of Jerusalem has prompted a sharp increase in nationalization requests by Arab residents seeking to escape the prospect of life under the Palestinian Authority, ynetnews reported.
Of the quarter million Arabs currently residing in Jerusalem, only about 5% have sought to obtain Israeli citizenship in the past 40 years, an average of about 300 new citizens a year.
But in the past four months, according to Ynet, the Interior Ministry has registered an unprecedented 3,000 applications -- 25% of the 40 year total -- mostly from residents of Arab neighborhoods unlikely to remain under Israeli sovereignty according to the statements of member of the Olmert government.
The 240,000 non-naturalized Arabs in the city hold the status of permanent residents. As such, they were also eligible to participate in the elections held by the Palestinian Authority.
Most Palestinians opted to remain permanent residents and enjoy the many advantages of Israeli sovereignty - full welfare benefits, municipal voting rights and unrestricted movement. The average Palestinian family in East Jerusalem get a $770 welfare check, courtesy of Israeli taxpayers
One wannabe Israeli is 33-year-old Samar Qassam, who moved out of the Old City before landing in the suburb of Beit Safafa on the southern fringes of Jerusalem. Qassam said that he was motivated to apply for Israeli citizenship by the desire to find a better future for his family.
"I was born in Jerusalem, this is where I grew up and this is where I make my living. My entire life is here. My wife comes from the West Bank, so I do fear she may be deported and therefore filed a naturalization request for her as well. I want to keep living here with my wife and child without having to worry about our future. That's why I want an Israeli citizenship,"
Qassam said. |
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