I’ve been writing articles for the last few years about the unjust burden placed on the many Jewish people who have tried to immigrate to their homeland – something that should be a fairly simple process, but is instead forced upon them by bureaucrats. nightmare, who did everything they could to discourage him.
The title of the article is “thoughts of a new expatwhich appeared in jerusalem post On April 2, takes it to a whole new level. The author’s first paragraph speaks about the one year it took her to complete the process and the many bureaucratic hoops through which she had to jump to obtain her citizenship.
Naturally, I immediately went to the end of the article that contained his bio to see who he was. And here’s the shocker. The author is said to have held several Jewish communal leadership positions in America, including a synagogue president, founder and president of Frankel Jewish Academy High School in West Bloomfield, MI, and member of the AIPAC National Council.
If those credentials aren’t enough to grant him instant citizenship, I don’t know what is. Yet, even with such impeccable credentials, Robert Roth says he waited a year to finally be honored with the award of citizenship.
Fortunately, he says, “the troubles mentioned above failed to dampen my pride and excitement at the prospect of being an Israeli citizen.” Thank God for their persistence and determination despite the political crisis we are facing.
Unfortunately, this isn’t everyone’s experience. I’ve heard quite a few horror stories from individuals whose applications were slow-moving or completely shelved for months or years. it was not long ago jerusalem post ran the story of a woman with Israeli citizenship whose parents were being asked to hand over paperwork from obscure relatives, whom they could not reach at all in the name of removing undesirables, being given the third degree.
And who are those unwanted?
They are those who are eligible for citizenship but according to citizenship law of return – meaning at least one of their parents is Jewish or at least one grandparent was Jewish – are seen as not having a sufficient amount of Jewish blood or perhaps are not observant or Orthodox are closely related to Judaism, which is the only accepted form. Judaism according to the Ministry of the Interior and Rabbi.
All this is shameful, reprehensible and not in keeping with the spirit of law of returnwhich welcomes all Jews, even the grandchildren of Jews, regardless of their religious views.
As stated on the Jewish Agency website regarding the Return of the Law: “With the establishment of the State of Israel, the two thousand year wandering was officially over. Since then, Jews have the right to simply show up and request to be Israeli citizens, assuming they do not pose an imminent threat to public health, state security, or the Jewish people as a whole. Essentially, all Jews everywhere are Israeli citizens.
“In 1955, the law was slightly amended to specify that even dangerous criminals could be denied that right.
“In 1970, Israel took another historic step by granting automatic citizenship not only to Jews but also to their non-Jewish children, grandchildren and spouses, and to non-Jewish spouses of their children and grandchildren. This addition not only ensured that families would not be separated but also promised a safe haven in Israel for non-Jews from persecution because of their Jewish roots.
Anything short of adhering to this interpretation is arbitrary and mean, defying the law made for Jews who have decided that they too want to be part and parcel of their ancestral homeland. Refusal to accept the authority of a Jew who is part of that ethnicity, as seen by the law, is tantamount to the individual discretionary selective process of bureaucrats who have decided that their power violates the law.
This is not only offensive but it is unconscionable at a time when more and more Jews are seriously considering moving to Israel.
I don’t know what happened in the case of the woman and her husband, who is in his 80s, while their daughter has Israeli citizenship. I also don’t know what happened to the application of my friend’s parents, also in their 80s, who have yet to hear anything about their status even though their son has been here for over 25 years. Have been living with full citizenship for years.
I don’t know why bureaucrats and clerks have the power to ultimately determine that someone’s lineage, even with valid documents and written proof, is not sufficient for the Ministry of the Interior, but this is the case.
If the president of a synagogue, a person who is clearly observant and active in his Jewish community, has to wait a year to receive final approval, the Zionist dream of living among non-observant, unaffiliated Jews is fulfilled. What’s the chance to do that? His people are in a safe and secure refuge where they will not be persecuted for being born Jewish or having a Jewish name?
For the time being, the doors to the Ministry of the Interior are as impregnable as Fort Knox because the workers apparently believe they have the charge of allowing only the crème de la crème to enter the gate. But if that’s true, why did Robert Roth have to wait a year and go through so much to get the coveted seal of approval he always deserved?
This, nevertheless, is another good reason why the current government coalition is not suitable for this job because in their desire to remain an exclusive gated community, there is no room for compassion, a kind and simple review of one’s documents. There is no willingness to review and, most overall, to justly and fairly respect the Law of Return, which welcomes Jews.
These bureaucratic overlords do not honor or respect the law and have gone beyond what is permitted to administer justice relating to one’s family heritage.
At this time, as we celebrate the journey from slavery to freedom and we remember the words of the righteous leader who said to Pharaoh, “Let my people go,” let each of us take those words to Israel’s Ministry of Interior. To reiterate, “let all the Jews go” to Israel without discouraging them and without making them feel unworthy because if they want to stay here, it is already about their desire to be one with their people Says something.
No bureaucrat should have the right to override their desire to eventually return home.
The author is the principal of an East Jerusalem primary and middle-school. She is also the author of Mistake-Proof Parenting, available on Amazon, which draws on the time-tested wisdom found in the Book of Proverbs.