Israeli High Court Temporarily Blocks Citizenship Law Targeting Terrorists' Relatives

The Israeli High Court of Justice issued a temporary injunction halting the implementation of Section 11a of the Citizenship and Entry into Israel Law, which restricts granting residency or citizenship to relatives of terrorists. The order, issued by Judge Daphne Barak-Erez just before the law was set to take effect on August 1, 2026, prevents applying the section solely based on family ties to individuals involved in terrorism. However, the law can still be enforced against those convicted or active in terrorism themselves, and security-based denials remain intact.

The law, promoted by Likud MK Amichai Chikli along with bereaved parents Hertzel and Merav Hajaj, aims to prevent terrorists' family members from obtaining legal status in Israel, closing a loophole that allegedly allowed such individuals to enter or remain in Israel through family reunification. The state announced readiness to partially implement the law on August 1, but the injunction came following a petition filed by the Association for Civil Rights in Israel, The Hotline for Refugees and Migrants, and Physicians for Human Rights.

Judge Barak-Erez clarified that the injunction is temporary, issued due to pending preliminary responses to the petition and to avoid irreversible consequences. The petition was filed in August 2025, but responses were delayed multiple times until July 2026, when the state signaled readiness to begin enforcement and requested to postpone its response until November 1, 2026.

MK Chikli harshly criticized the court's decision, calling it "a tragic, disconnected ruling that severely harms a primary security deterrent." He accused the court of interfering with security policy and warned that freezing the law would cause irreversible harm to Israeli citizens' rights and security. Chikli emphasized that the law closes "major terror gates" into Israel, citing former Shin Bet chief support and noting that most convicted terrorists entered Israel through family reunification with Palestinian Authority residents. He vowed to continue fighting for full implementation of the law.