After the Knesset passed the law denying Israeli citizenship to terrorists on Wednesday, the Palestinian Authority condemned the move, despite not actually supporting the Jewish state’s existence. The law, approved by a huge majority of 94 Knesset Members, will allow the Minister of the Interior to revoke citizenship or residency from a person "convicted of a terrorist crime", who received allowances from the Palestinian Authority and deport him to the territories of the Palestinian Authority or the Gaza Strip.

The head of the Palestinian National Council, Ruhi Open, said that the law "indicates the policy of hatred, extremism and the dictatorship of the criminal government whose racist goals are aimed at eliminating the Palestinian presence, especially in Jerusalem." The policy itself revokes the citizenship of Israeli citizens who are convicted of committing terror-related offenses and who receive stipends, salaries, and gifts from the Palestinian Authority under the ongoing 'Pay-To-Slay' program.

A diverse Knesset majority passed a bill to strip the Israeli citizenship or residency of prisoners convicted of terrorism who receive stipends from the Palestinian Authority https://t.co/JwWtlgpkXg by @RinaBassist

— Al-Monitor (@AlMonitor) February 16, 2023

In a statement given to the Palestinian press, another authority official said that "the law will lead to mass deportations with vague claims and threats to anyone who is not Jewish. The state will become a racist Jewish state that does not recognize others, especially the original inhabitants of the state - the Muslims and the Christians." The PA official seemed to deny the Jewish connection to the land of Israel, even ignoring that Christianity was born from Judeo values in the Land of Israel.

The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued its own separate statement stating that "the citizenship cancellation law demonstrates the worst form of racism and a large-scale crime of ethnic cleansing." In the ministry's statement, they attacked what they call 'the global silence and hypocrisy' that enables Israel's actions. "The immunity enjoyed by the occupation, the double international standards in dealing with international law and international treaties encourage the Israeli government to continue deepening its colonial occupation of the Palestinian lands and to continue abusing the Palestinians."

.@muhammadshehad2 Just because @haaretzcom puts it in a headline doesn't make it true.
The bill doesn't mention "Arabs" anywhere. Those who are CONVICTED of terrorism AND paid a stipend by the Palestinian Authority will lose Israeli citizenship and be deported to PA territories. https://t.co/WvofMH0vhU

— Israel War Room (@IsraelWarRoom) February 15, 2023

The ministry added, "The enactment of this law is considered a dangerous escalation of the situation and is dragging us towards a mass explosion, and ignoring all efforts and positions aimed at achieving calm."

The bill was brought up amid the two recent murderous attacks that took place in Jerusalem, and after Prime Minister Netanyahu's announcement at the cabinet meeting that this week the proposal to deny citizenship to terrorists and deport them will be brought up in the Knesset. "The appropriate answer to terrorism is to hit it hard - and deepen our roots in our country even more," Netanyahu said in his statement. 

אישרנו עכשיו בכנסת את הצעת החוק של יו״ר הקואליציה אופיר כץ לשלילת אזרחות וגירוש מחבלים. התשובה שלנו לטרור היא להלום בו בעוצמה @OfirKatzMK

— Benjamin Netanyahu - בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) February 15, 2023

Hamas also condemned the adoption of the law and considered it "a violation of the rights of the Palestinian people in their country and in their historical homeland and an open policy of occupation of the Jews of the land and the expulsion of the Palestinian people by force." The organization called on the international community to take action to reject the law and take punitive measures against Israel "for its repeated violations of the most basic standards of human rights."