Up to 90% of Palestinian Village Residents Are US Citizens – Report

A report by Regavim reveals that up to 90% of residents of the Palestinian village of Turmus Ayya hold US citizenship. In 1967, the village had 1,500 residents; today it numbers about 8,000. The authors attribute this to four legal mechanisms in American legislation. The report also mentions two activists linked to the village and calls for a review of their status.

The Israeli public organization Regavim has released a report stating that up to 90% of permanent residents of the Palestinian village of Turmus Ayya, located north of Ramallah and south of Ariel, hold US citizenship. The report was aired on Israel's Channel 14. In 1967, the village had about 1,500 residents; at standard growth rates, today's population would be expected around 1,800, but it has actually reached approximately 8,000. The authors link the mass acquisition of American passports to four legal instruments: naturalization, birth on US soil, transmission of citizenship to children, and family-based immigration programs. The uniqueness lies in the concentration of these mechanisms in one village over 40 years. The report also mentions two activists connected to the village and residing in the US: one is a Fatah representative, the other allegedly endorsed Hamas and Hezbollah activities on social media. Regavim ties their activity to letters from US senators and a bill supported by over a hundred members of Congress. The organization calls for checking the activists' immigration status, banning them from entering Israel, and examining their activities under FARA. The publication coincides with US debates on immigration legislation, including Trump's executive orders and Ted Cruz's hearings.