JERUSALEM - Israel's supreme court on Tuesday gave the government five days to justify a controversial law that separates families and prevents Palestinians married to Israelis from obtaining Israeli citizenship.
The court delivered the order after left-wing Yahad opposition MP Zehava Gal-On filed a suit against the law, which the Israeli parliament voted to extend for three months by a majority vote Monday.
"It is a racist and unconstitutional law that denies people the basic right of having a family over their ethnic origin," said Gal-On, demanding the law be scrapped in the high court hearing.
Lawyers for the state will have to submit their defence of the legislation before the court by Sunday, court sources said.
Israeli ministers have tweaked the legislation to allow around 300 Palestinians citizenship rights, by exempting Palestinian men over 35 and women over 25.
But rights groups have slammed the bill for contravening international law and branded the amendment "insufficient".
Israel's government has defended the legislation -- first adopted in July 2003 -- on the grounds that dozens of Israelis have been killed by Palestinians who gained citizenship and residency rights through marriage.
05/31/2005 11:47 GMT