Impact on daily life This law negatively affects almost all aspects of our family’s life. It’s very difficult, especially for my wife. Sometimes she is very tired and desperate. Although we try not to speak about this issue and let it control our life, it’s impossible to avoid. She feels as if she’s a prisoner. Her whole life revolves around the house and the children. She is denied work, social security and health insurance, and prevented from driving a car. She does not leave the house often, and stays at home for long periods and this makes her feel very limited and, thus, frustrated. She also became very nervous, especially when we pass by any kind of authority personnel or vehicle. Once, while we were on our way to Haifa to have coffee with friends, we were stopped by traffic police officers. They just wanted to check my driving license and other documents, but my wife was absolutely terrified. When the officers were gone she started crying because she was very nervous and afraid of being caught and deported, so we went back home as we didn’t feel like going out anymore. The Future Israel managed to design this law in a masterful way that succeeded to create instability for a family’s quality of life and make it unbearable in various aspects, mainly on the psychological level. The effect can lead spouses to thinking of leaving the country or even to divorce. I do not see any good prospective for the future. What Israel is doing to me and to my family is one part of their policy to create circumstances which eventually will lead to our deportation. Despite this, we have never thought to move to Jenin or to live overseas. I will never give in to these Israeli policies. We will move from ‘Akka in one single situation: if they forcibly and physically deport us. In my opinion, it’s not only a personal cause but a national one. Whilst Israeli policy takes an entirely discriminatory line towards Palestinians seeking unification with their family members within Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory, the stance towards those who can demonstrate Jewish heritage – no matter how tenuous – is altogether more sympathetic. Dedicated systems and organizations provide a global reach, positively seeking the recruitment of individuals whom Israel deems desirable to have within its borders; namely those who can be broadly described as Jewish, and this loose interpretation significantly widens the catchment population from which Israel can draw upon to satisfy its own demographic objectives. Interview with Querido, Jerusalem93 I was born in Monte Caseros, Argentina. My father’s parents are originally from Poland but emigrated to Argentina in the early 1900s, while my mother is an Argentinean of many generations. As such, I do not have any ties to Israel/Palestine at all. My father is Jewish and my mother is Christian, therefore, according to Jewish law I cannot be Jewish, but instead merely a son of a Jewish man. 93 Querido Gonzales (32), Jerusalem, interview by BADIL, September 2013. 38