Sharansky welcomes compromise over Venezuelan converts

Jewish Agency chief Nathan Sharansky is hailing a compromise that has been reached over nine Venezuelan Jewish converts who had their request to make aliyah denied by Israel’s Interior Ministry, which will allow them to come to Israel very soon.

The applicants, all indigenous Venezuelans who belong to three families, converted to Judaism in 2014 under the auspices of a Conservative rabbinical court. They come from the small rural town of Maracay, where no recognized Jewish community exists.

The Interior Ministry claimed their engagement in Jewish communal life has not been sufficient.

“In light of the unique circumstances and challenges of this particular case, The Jewish Agency proposed a compromise that would enable the individuals in question to come to Israel in a manner consistent with Israeli law, particularly the Law of Return,” Sharansky says.

“I am pleased that our compromise was accepted by all parties at today’s Knesset hearing on the matter and that the individuals in question will be able to come to Israel without delay.”

The statement from Sharansky’s office did not specify what the compromise was.