Israel's State Attorney's Office has filed its first-ever request to revoke the citizenship of two Arab Israeli citizens convicted of conspiring to aid the enemy during wartime and transmitting information to the enemy intended to damage state security.
Rani Ouf and Shadi Eidi, both former Cellcom telecommunications employees, were convicted in 2024 of planning to disable the company's systems to assist Hamas during a future military conflict. They were arrested and charged in 2022 following years of contact with Hamas operatives and multiple attempts to disable Cellcom networks during wartime.
Ouf was sentenced to 11 years in prison, and Eidi to five-and-a-half years.
The State Attorney's Office based the citizenship revocation request on a 2023 amendment to Israel's Citizenship Law that allows citizenship revocation for security prisoners convicted of aiding the enemy during wartime. Officials described the offenses as "effective treason" And characterized the terror plot as "an extreme and exceptional case of violating the duty of loyalty owed by citizens to the state."
The request was submitted at the direction of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who also serves as interim interior minister, and was approved by outgoing Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara.
Practically, the consequences may be limited. An individual whose Israeli citizenship is revoked who holds no other nationality retains entitlement to permanent residency and may continue residing in the country. Still, citizenship revocation carries significant symbolic and civic consequences, including loss of voting rights and likely lasting public stigma.