Israel’s nature as a Jewish and democratic state in the long run”.85 Following the implementation of the law, human rights organizations petitioned the Israel High Court to have the legislation overturned. In rejecting this petition, Justice Asher Grunis commented that “human rights are not a prescription for national suicide”. This reasoning is instructive, demonstrating that the driving force behind this ethnicity-focused policy is rooted not in security concerns, but in demographic sensitivities. Tragically, family unification has become yet another tool deployed by the State of Israel to protect the Jewish majority within its borders, with the result that thousands of Palestinians face a deeply troubled and uncertain future. Prevented from acquiring permanent residency status with their families in Israel or East Jerusalem, Palestinians from Gaza and the West Bank must make impossible choices between living separately from their spouses and children, living illegally with their spouse in Israel or East Jerusalem – in constant fear of arrest and deportation – or to have their spouse move to live with them, which is also illegal on account of a military order prohibiting Israelis from entering the occupied Palestinian territory.86 This latter option is also likely to result in the revocation of the individual’s Jerusalem residency status and the numerous social benefits which accompany it. Moreover, the provision acts retroactively, applying also to couples who had submitted applications prior to the bill’s ratification by the Knesset. Those applications approved, but not yet authorized for permanent residency status, remain frozen. This has left those applicants hanging in limbo, at the stage of short-term temporary residency permits but with little prospect of attaining residency despite Israel already deeming them suitable candidates. According to Ha’aretz, between 16,000 and 21,000 Palestinian families are affected in this way.87 As it currently stands, the only way in which Palestinians of the occupied Palestinian territory can acquire Israeli citizenship or permanent residency status in Israel or East Jerusalem is through collaboration with the State.88 At the discretion of the Minister of the Interior, temporary-stay permits can be issued to Palestinians, affording short-term visitation rights, though these permits do not entitle the holder to any social right or health insurance, and are conditional on their ability to satisfy both “center of life” and security 85 B’Tselem, “Family Separation in East Jerusalem” (B’Tselem- The Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories, May 6, 2010), http://www.btselem.org/printpdf/51840. 86 Commander of IDF forces, Order 378 - Regarding Defense Regulations (Judea and Samaria), 5730 Proclamation Regarding Closure of Area (Prohibition on Entry and Stay) (Israelis) (Area A), 5 October 2000. 87 Gideon Alon and Yair Ettinger, “Cabinet Extends ‘Unsoftened’ Nationality Law by Six Months,” Haaretz, July 19, 2004, http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/cabinet-extends-unsoftened-citizenshiplaw-by-six-months-1.128828. 88 The State of Israel, The Citizenship and Entry Law (Temporary Provision) 5763-2003 Section 1. 36