However, Poraz said that the "step has become necessary" in view of the wave of terrorism and the fact that many of those who carried out attacks have Israeli identity cards. He said Palestinians with the cards exploited their freedom of movement to carry out attacks.

Poraz expressed hope that the law could be scrapped once the peace process advances and terrorism stops.

The B'Tselem human rights organization said the legislation is "racist" and in effect forces Israelis who want to marry Palestinians to either cancel their marriage plans or to leave Israel and move to the Palestinian areas.

The group said that the government is "using the cynical excuse of security considerations" to discriminate among citizens.

Hadash leader Mohammed Barakei said the legislation is "brutal," and would keep children from seeing their parents.

He said that the government reference to persons from "Judea, Samaria and the Gaza Strip," in the legislation, changes the fact that it is trying to "interfere with a person's choice of a spouse."

Balad leader Azmi Bishara said the legislation is racist and is aimed at preventing an increase in the number of Israeli Arabs at the cost of civil rights.