The Knesset approved in the first reading a bill to grant posthumous citizenship to fallen soldiers who were not citizens at the time of their death.
Submitted by Interior Minister Moshe Arbel on the recommendation of the defense minister, the bill will grant honorary citizenship of the State of Israel to fallen IDF soldiers who were not citizens. This is in order to "honor the memory of martyrs in Israel's systems, who enlisted in the army or the security forces in order to protect the people and the homeland even though they were not citizens of the state," the bill reads.
It is also proposed to stipulate that if a parent, spouse, child or sibling of a person who has been granted honorary citizenship submits a request to the Minister of the Interior to revoke it, the Minister will act to do so.
29 members of the Knesset supported the proposal without opposition. It will now be forwarded to the Interior Committee.