More eastern Jerusalem Arabs are applying for Israeli citizenship, according to an AP report Wednesday, fearing what a future peace deal brokered by the Trump Administration might mean regarding their right to continue living in the city. An Israeli citizenship would also make travel in and out of greenline Israel easier for these Arab residents, who have been eligible for a “blue card” since the annexation of the city in 1968.
The AP report suggests that Israel, which has made its offer of citizenship to these Arabs part of its message of equality within its border, is dragging its feet now, as the locals, after 50 years, have begun flocking to the Interior Ministry offices. Israeli officials, for their part, are denying the accusation, explaining that the slow processing of these Israeli wannabes has to do with the unexpected flood of requests