Netanyahu Orders Revocation of Israeli Citizenship For Palestinian Convicts

• Netanyahu signed orders to strip Israeli citizenship from two Palestinian citizens convicted of terrorism-related violent crimes.

• The government argues the measure is warranted due to the severity of the offenses and alleged rewards from the Palestinian Authority's fund for prisoners and families, positioning the revocations as a response to “terrorism”.

• Opponents warn the policy sets an alarming precedent, could lead to widespread targeting of Palestinian Israelis, contravenes fundamental rights and international norms.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has signed orders revoking the Israeli citizenship of two Palestinian citizens convicted of terrorism offenses, in the first implementation of a controversial 2023 law that allows such measures for those involved in serious security crimes. The move, announced by Netanyahu on social media, targets individuals who carried out stabbing and shooting attacks against Israeli civilians and allegedly received financial compensation from the Palestinian Authority's prisoner support fund.

Court proceedings were initiated Thursday to formalize the revocations and deportations, with reports indicating the men—one from East Jerusalem who served over two decades in prison before release in 2024—could be expelled to the Gaza Strip or West Bank areas under Palestinian control. Netanyahu described the action as a necessary step against those who “breach loyalty to the State of Israel,” vowing that “many more like them are on the way” and crediting coalition partners for advancing the legislation.

The 2023 amendment to Israel's Citizenship Law permits the interior minister (or, in this case, Netanyahu acting in relevant capacity) to revoke citizenship or residency from convicted terrorists, particularly those benefiting from PA stipends, following a hearing. Critics, including Palestinian advocacy groups like Adalah and human rights organizations, have condemned the policy as discriminatory, arguing it disproportionately targets Arab and Palestinian citizens of Israel, risks creating statelessness, violates international law, and sets a dangerous precedent for collective punishment or ethnic-based expulsions. Supporters frame it as a vital deterrent to terrorism and disloyalty.