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ISRAEL AT WAR - DAY 646

Law of Return

ILLUSTRATIVE — New immigrants from North America arrive on a special aliyah flight arranged by the Nefesh B'Nefesh organization, at Ben Gurion International Airport on August 14, 2019. (Flash90)
Bill to limit Law of Return shot down despite support from ultra-Orthodox MKs
By Sam Sokol
Controversial legislation would have revoked right of non-Jewish grandchildren of Jews to immigrate to Israel and automatically obtain citizenship
ILLUSTRATIVE — New immigrants from North America arrive on a special aliyah flight arranged by the Nefesh B'Nefesh organization, at Ben Gurion International Airport on August 14, 2019. (Flash90)
July 9, 2025, 10:25 pm
Bill to limit Law of Return shot down despite support from ultra-Orthodox MKs
Controversial legislation would have revoked right of non-Jewish grandchildren of Jews to immigrate to Israel and automatically obtain citizenship
By Sam Sokol
Noam party leader Avi Maoz speaks at the Knesset plenum, in Jerusalem, March 31, 2025. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)
May 8, 2025, 8:00 pm
Coalition revives contentious bid to limit Law of Return; this time, it may pass
An amendment that would deny people with only one Jewish grandparent the automatic right to immigrate to Israel is expected to be approved when it is discussed again in two months
By Zev Stub
The grave and headstone of IDF soldier David Bogdanovskyi at the Haifa military cemetery (Courtesy)
October 22, 2024, 12:22 pm
Family of fallen soldier told to take down headstone because it has a cross on it
Defense Ministry says headstone violates regulation that standardizes graves and bars crosses or other religious symbols; IDF rabbi rules cross harms sanctity of military cemetery
By ToI Staff
Supreme Court Justice Uzi Vogelman at the Supreme Court in Jerusalem, before the start of a hearing against the Child Adoption Law, on August 2, 2023 (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
June 16, 2024, 7:11 pm
High Court rules to naturalize children of convert to Judaism who hid their births
Eliezer Clement of the Hebrew Israelites community left his family in Dimona to convert in the US and then applied for their citizenship
By Canaan Lidor
Illustrative: Supreme Court Justice Ofer Grosskopf at a hearing at the Supreme Court in Jerusalem on October 6, 2023. (Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)
November 14, 2023, 7:11 pm
Supreme Court rules Law of Return applies to widows of Jews’ children and grandkids
Judges uphold previous decision on matter against stance of Population Authority, which believes law only applies to non-Jewish widows of Jews, not widows of descendants
By Ron Kampeas
Ronen Bar, head of the Shin Bet security service, at a memorial service marking 27 years since the assassination of late Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, held at Mount Herzl cemetery in Jerusalem on November 6, 2022. (Olivier Fitoussi/Flash90)
June 12, 2023, 1:53 pm
Daily Briefing June 12: Is it safe to use the Shin Bet to fight Arab violent crime?
Editor David Horovitz on U-20 World Cup tourney, MK Yair Lapid’s testimony and new efforts to stop wave of killings; health reporter Renee Ghert-Zand on uptick of youth smoking
By ToI Staff
Israeli security forces demolish the house of Palestinian terrorist Eslam Froukh, in the West Bank city of Ramallah, June 8, 2023. (Flash90)
June 11, 2023, 1:04 pm
Daily Briefing Jun 11: In rare move, IDF enters Ramallah. Why is this significant?
Military correspondent Emanuel Fabian with Lebanon border riot and uptick of violence in Arab communities; news editor Amy Spiro with two new stranger-than-fiction nonfiction books
By ToI Staff
File: Heads of opposition parties Labor MK Merav Michaeli, Yesh Atid head MK Yair Lapid, National Unity head MK Benny Gantz, Israel Beteinu head MK Avigdor Liberman and leader of the United Arab List MK Mansour Abbas hold a joint press conference in Tel Aviv, on March 16, 2023. (Avshalom Sassoni/Flash90)
June 8, 2023, 1:17 pm
Daily Briefing June 8: Opposition unites on judicial panel pick, but does it matter?
Knesset correspondent Carrie Keller-Lynn on squabbling ahead of Judicial Selection Committee vote; health reporter Renee Ghert-Zand on whooping cough outbreak, 1st case of progeria
By ToI Staff
File: Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi David Lau (L) and Sephardi Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef convene an emergency meeting against a new proposal to overhaul the conversion to Judaism system, on June 3, 2018. (Courtesy of the Chief Rabbinate spokesperson)
May 25, 2023, 9:41 am
As demand for Orthodox Jewish conversion soars, the number of successful cases dips
The government’s protracted process is not appealing to most of the half-million Israelis who are not recognized as Jewish by the Rabbinate
By Canaan Lidor
Protesters disrupt a discussion panel featuring MK Simcha Rothman at the Expo Tel Aviv convention center in Tel Aviv, Israel on April 24, 2023. (Canaan Lidor/Times of Israel)
April 24, 2023, 11:41 am
‘The Jewish people won’t forgive, won’t forget’: Protesters target Rothman at JFNA
Several ousted from General Assembly in Tel Aviv; fellow panelist accuses far-right MK of ‘crushing Israeli democracy and Diaspora relations’ with judicial overhaul, gets ovation
By Canaan Lidor
Noam party leader Avi Maoz speaks in the Knesset plenum on December 29, 2022, ahead of the swearing-in of the new government. (Yonatan Sindel/FLASH90)
April 3, 2023, 6:01 pm
Far-right Noam MK submits fresh bill to remove grandchild clause from Law of Return
Avi Maoz files proposed amendment despite similar legislation failing to advance; Netanyahu has said he doubts such a law will pass
By Canaan Lidor
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a visit at the Great Synagogue in Sydney, Australia, on February 22, 2017. (Haim Zach/GPO via Flash90)
March 6, 2023, 1:54 pm
With ‘unconditional love,’ Australian Jewish groups voice fear over judicial shakeup
Major organizations express ‘serious concern’ over proposals without broad consensus, potential changes to ‘grandchild clause’ in Law of Return that may impact Diaspora ties
By Michael Horovitz
Israeli protesters attend a rally against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's new government in the coastal city of Tel Aviv on January 21, 2023. (Ahmad Gharabli/AFP)
February 2, 2023, 4:47 pm
US Jewish leader Daroff warns: ‘Crisis of divisiveness’ is tearing Israel apart
Conference of Presidents head refrains from opining on judicial overhaul, but worries about how it’s perceived: Israel must ‘continue to be seen as beacon of freedom and democracy’
By Judah Ari Gross
From right, MK Ze'ev Elkin, One Million Lobby CEO Alex Rif, manager of the alternative Orthodox conversion program Giyur K'Halacha Yael Belenky, Heritage Minister Amichay Eliyahu, Afula Chief Rabbi Shmuel David and journalist Yair Sherki discuss the Law of Return at a conference in Ramat Gan on January 25, 2023. (Judah Ari Gross/Times of Israel)
January 27, 2023, 2:52 am
Even among its advocates, changing the Law of Return proves trickier than expected
Lobbying group for Russian-speaking Israelis holds fierce debate on cutting the ‘grandchild clause,’ with all sides acknowledging that it won’t happen fast
By Judah Ari Gross
Jewish immigrants fleeing from war zones in the Ukraine arrive at the immigration and absorption office, at Ben Gurion airport near Tel Aviv, on March 15, 2022. (Tomer Neuberg/Flash90)
January 25, 2023, 8:22 pm
Israelis split on whether Diaspora Jews should weigh in on changes to Law of Return
Poll finds more people think foreign Jews should be part of debate on proposal to revoke ‘grandchild clause,’ but lots don’t know; most think such a move would cut immigration
By Judah Ari Gross
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