The Jaffa District Court here has ruled that “a British subject who voluntarily acquires Palestinian citizenship does not thereby lose his British nationality, nor should a different rule apply when Palestinian citizenship is acquired automatically on marriage by a woman.”
Some time ago the Department of Immigration brought an action against Mrs. Esther Danon, of Tel Aviv, who was born in England but married subsequently to a Palestinian here whom she divorced on the ground that she had wrongly given her status as “single” when filling in the query “married or single” on an application form for a British passport. Mrs. Danon had also given her maiden instead of her married name.
The case was defended by M. Seligman before the Tel Aviv Magistrate, and his client was acquitted on both charges.
The Department then prosecuted the woman for making in the same application a declaration that she had not since birth lost her British nationality. At this second hearing, Mr. Seligman argued that it was doubtful whether a British woman on marrying a Palestinian did lose her British nationality, and in support of his argument brought evidence to prove that a British subject who naturalizes as a Palestinian citizen retains his British nationality.
The Attorney General, acting on behalf of the Director of Immigration, appealed against the acquittal, and the Jaffa District Court, sitting as a Court of Appeal, has now delivered judgment, dismissing the appeal and upholding the Magistrate’s decision.
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