Israeli minister wants annulment rights

JERUSALEM, June 4 (UPI) -- Israeli Interior Minister Eli Yishai has asked the Ministerial Legislation Committee to grant him the power to revoke citizenship.

Under existing law, a request to strip someone of their Israeli citizenship must be lodged with the nation's attorney general and discussed in a court of law. Yishai wants to amend the law to grant him the power.

The daily Maáriv newspaper Thursday said Yishai's request stems from a letter recently received from Attorney General Menachem Mazuz, who pointed out to the minister that attempts to strip former Knesset member Azmi Bishara of his Israeli citizenship is a complicated process.

Bishara, a former Israeli Arab Knesset member, fled the country after Israel's Security Service accused him of treason and espionage. Bishara's parliamentary immunity was revoked, and he has chosen to remain abroad aware that he faces arrest if he returns to Israel.

In the past, Israeli interior ministers were empowered to revoke citizenship, but former Interior Minister Ofir Pines changed the law when he was in office.

Yishai noted that if the bill is passed, a citizen would still have the right to appeal the decision.