The Israeli Knesset approved Monday, March 6, the extension of a racial law of “Ban on Family Unification”, which deprives thousands of Palestinian families inside 1948-occupied Palestinian territories of family unification if one of the spouses is from the West, BankGaza, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq or Iran.

The Israeli occupation enacted the law for the first time in 2003. The Knesset has extended the law annually since its promulgation, claiming that it is a “temporary law” since it was rejected by the High Court of Justice, and considered illegal.

According to the law, about 45,000 Palestinian family reunification applications are still pending in addition to other unannounced cases.

The law has been deliberated by the judiciary and Supreme Court sessions since its enactment several times, with petitions filed against it by those affected, and human rights institutions and associations.

In response to the last petition on December 3, the Israeli Supreme Court ordered clarification from the Israeli government regarding the amendments and procedures to the law, after submitting nine petitions against the law.

The Supreme Court gave the government 90 days to respond. Today, the Israeli prosecution submitted a request to the court again to extend it for an additional 90 days.

This means that the over 45,000 Palestinian will not meet their families until additional 90 days, which is extendable.