REGULATORY · ISRAEL
Israel tests law to revoke citizenship and deport Palestinian citizens convicted of violent crimes
Change
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu filed court documents on Feb. 12, 2026 seeking to revoke the Israeli citizenship of two Palestinian citizens convicted of terrorism offences, marking an apparent first court test of a law enabling citizenship revocation and deportation tied to certain violent crimes and alleged Palestinian Authority payments.
Why it matters
By asking a court to revoke citizenship and expel two convicted individuals, the government has moved the policy from statute to enforcement, raising near-term legal exposure for Palestinian citizens convicted of covered offences. The government’s argument links the remedy (revocation/deportation) to both crime severity and alleged receipt of payments from a Palestinian Authority fund, which may function as a gating criterion for application. If the court grants the request, the decision would operationalize a mechanism that removes nationality as the basis for rights and residency, not just liberty through imprisonment. The case also sets a precedent for how Israel’s courts interpret differential impact claims raised by critics and rights groups regarding the law’s practical scope.
Implications
- • Court ruling could establish precedent for citizenship revocation tied to convictions
- • Convictions may carry added consequence of expulsion beyond prison terms
- • Eligibility criteria linked to PA payments may narrow or define enforcement scope
- • Heightened legal uncertainty for Palestinian citizens facing covered charges/convictions
Who is affected
- • Palestinian citizens of Israel convicted of covered violent/terrorism offences
- • Israeli courts and justice system handling citizenship revocation petitions
- • Israeli Interior/immigration enforcement authorities executing deportations
- • Human rights and civil liberties organizations litigating/monitoring the law
Source
Topics
World & Politics Policy & Regulation Human Rights Law & Public Safety Court Rulings