Ignoring a joint plea from Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, the Israeli parliament has voted 53 to 25 to adopt a law forbidding Palestinians married to Israelis from living in Israel. In such cases, the couple will either have to move elsewhere or live apart. Their children can stay, but only until they reach the age of 12. Then they must leave.

One cabinet minister claimed the law was needed for security reasons, citing "a significant connection" between suicide attacks and Palestinians who gained Israeli citizenship through marriage. Israeli human rights group B'Tselem says that's just a way of hiding "the real reason, the racist reason," pointing out that, of 100,000 Palestinian/Israeli marriages, only 20 people have been accused of militant activities.

Speaking to Reuters, an Israeli Arab commented that, he's "lost all hope." Wed to a Palestinian woman, he's been hiding his wife from police for the past year, and thinks it best to continue doing so.

» Scott Saxon