At the initiative of the Eretz Hakodesh organization, Knesset members have appealed to Israel’s Minister of the Interior to establish clear procedures for entry into Israel for those possessing permits amid the current Covid crisis, particularly the spread of the omicron variant.

Against the background of the decision of the Israeli government to cancel all flights and all entry visas to Israel, about sixty Knesset members, headed by MK Rabbi Yitzchok Pindrus, who serves as chairman of the Shedulah L’Chizuk Yahadut Hatefutzot, the Committee for the Strengthening of Diaspora Jewry, appealed to Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked. The Knesset members asked Shaked to establish a mechanism for handling special applications for entry permits into Israel, which will operate according to clear and supervised procedures and criteria that will be approved by the government and the Knesset.

The aforementioned Committee was established at the urging of Rabbi Pesach Lerner, chairman of Eretz Hakodesh, in order to represent Diaspora Jewry and work to fortify the State of Israel’s connection to Diaspora Jewry, strengthening Jewish ties with young people around the world.

At a special gathering held last week, Pindrus praised the Committee’s activities to strengthen ties between the State of Israel and the Diaspora. Special thanks were expressed to Rabbi Lerner, who traveled from the United States to participate in the event.

As stated, with the closure of the borders of the State of Israel, the members of the Committee appealed to Shaked to regulate the entry procedures for exceptional requests that impact many Jews from abroad.

The members of the Knesset told Shaked that the State of Israel defines itself as the home of the Jewish people all over the world, and when the decision was made to close Israel’s borders, it, in effect, prevented entry to all Diaspora Jews. In addition, the availability of applying for urgent permits to enter the country changes from time to time, and the rules and regulations are not officially released, so many people remain confused and uncertain, not knowing when and if they are eligible to apply.

“It has not been clearly established which exceptions will be approved, who determines those exceptions, nor the mechanism for supervising decision-makers by the government and Knesset committees,” the Knesset members wrote to Shaked.

“Diaspora Jews who want to come to Israel for immigration, for business, for family events or, chalilah, for urgent medical matters or a funeral encounter bureaucratic red tape and tremendous difficulties,” the MKs averred.

In light of this, the MKs asked that Shaked establish clear and supervised procedures to be approved by the government and the Knesset; a time frame by when an applicant can expect to receive a response to their application; the reasons for denial when an application is rejected; the establishment of an appeal mechanism; and the consolidation of all bodies that process entry applications into one body.

“This is especially vital in urgent, humanitarian cases, such as funerals, where a quick and concrete response is needed within a few hours,” the MKs wrote.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)