Israel’s Defense Minister Benny Gantz asked Thursday Opposition Leader Benjamin Netanyahu to help extend the law prohibiting Palestinians who marry Israelis from receiving citizenship.

“The security consideration should be placed above all political considerations,” Gantz said.

The former military chief further instructed Blue and White chair, Eitan Ginzburg, to collaborate with coalition chairwoman Idit Silman to make sure there would be a majority within zionist parties to pass the law.

On Wednesday, the new coalition leaders realized they did not have the required majority to approve the bill, as the Likud refused to back the coalition even though they proclaimed their ideological support of the law.

The Lapid-Bennett coalition is comprised of the Islamist party Ra’am, led by lawmaker Mansour Abbas, who said he would not vote in favor of the extension, which puts this issue as the first obstacle facing the new coalition.