Israeli Citizenship for Minorities
What is the law regarding Israeli Citizenship for minorities? Minority group members in Israel are eligible for citizenship by law, just like all other Israeli citizens. However, it often happens that a person who is a resident of Israel and a citizen of another country encounters difficulties due to the question of whether they meet the requirements of the law for receiving Israeli citizenship. In this article, a lawyer from our firm who specializes in immigration to Israel explains about the difficulties that may arise is such cases.
The State of Israel is defined by law as the nation state of the Jewish people. However, there are also ethnic minorities and various religious groups in Israel, such as Muslims, Christians, Druze, Bedouins, and Circassians. Citizens and residents belonging to these religious groups enjoy the full rights of all Israeli citizens and residents. Moreover, the State of Israel has laws that protect these groups against religious discrimination, which are intended to prevent violation of the rights of minority groups.
Nevertheless, there are areas in which the above-mentioned minority groups may encounter difficulties in exercising their rights. One of these areas is the naturalization of minority members who are permanent Israeli residents, such as the residents of East Jerusalem. Our experience with the naturalization processes of permanent residents has taught us that practical difficulties may often rise in the case of minority members who wish to become Israeli citizens. Therefore, we explain in this article about the process, common problems that may arise, and the legal solutions for these problems.
WHAT IS THE NATURALIZATION PROCESS FOR PERMANENT ISRAELI RESIDENTS AND WHAT ARE ITS BENEFITS?
The naturalization of permanent Israeli residents is based on the Israeli Citizenship Law, subject to the conditions stipulated in the law. These conditions include, inter alia, proof that the center of life of the permanent resident in three out of the past five years was in Israel. In addition, a permanent resident who wishes to naturalize and obtain Israeli citizenship must prove that they have settled in Israel and that they plan to stay there in the future. They must also prove that they have basic knowledge of the Hebrew language and have renounced any other citizenship that they have. The permanent resident must prove that they have renounced any previous citizenship, or that their other citizenship will be canceled once they become Israeli citizens.
By naturalizing, the permanent resident will be able to enjoy civil rights in Israel, including the right to hold a passport, the right to vote in the elections for the Knesset, the option to pass their Israeli legal status on to their children and future descendants, and, most importantly—they will be able to continue staying in Israel with no impediments. Permanent residents who leave Israel for a prolonged period may lose their Israeli residency. In contrast, if they become Israeli citizens, their status will not be canceled even if they leave the country for an extended period of time. These rights are the main benefits of being an Israeli citizen.
WHAT ARE THE POTENTIAL DIFFICULTIES MET BY MINORITY MEMBERS REGARDING THE CONDITIONS FOR OBTAINING ISRAELI CITIZENSHIP?
As stated above, there are minority groups in Israel, especially the residents of East Jerusalem, who may encounter difficulties in realizing their right to become Israeli citizens. One such difficulty, which was previously a real barrier for the residents of East Jerusalem, was the fact that they are Jordanian citizens and, therefore, many of them have Jordanian passports. In the past, Jordan refused to allow the residents of East Jerusalem to relinquish their Jordanian citizenship, and this prevented them from being eligible for Israeli citizenship (due to the condition mentioned above that requires new Israeli citizens to renounce their previous citizenship in accordance with the Israeli Nationality Law).
It is important to know that, today, the Ministry of Interior has regulations in place that allow residents of East Jerusalem who are Jordanian citizens to announce before a lawyer that they do not intend to make use of their Jordanian citizenship and that they have done all that they can to renounce this citizenship. According to this procedure, the resident may send their Jordanian passport (if any) to the Jordanian embassy in Israel and present a certificate showing that they have done so. Alongside the solution for this difficulty, it may often occur that a permanent resident will have difficulties proving adequate proficiency in the Hebrew language. Also, the Population and Immigration Authority may raise objections due to the resident’s past criminal record or hostile security activity. In all such cases, there is a need to overcome these obstacles, and this sometimes requires submitting an appeal or even filing a lawsuit. In addition to all this, there may often be delays in handling the requests, which may significantly prolong the process.
HOW CAN A LAWYER WHO SPECIALIZES IN IMMIGRATION TO ISRAEL HELP?
A lawyer who specializes in immigration to Israel and is proficient in the Israeli laws and Interior Ministry regulations regarding citizenship requests for minority members will be able to help with the submission of the application and throughout the whole process, including preparing the applicant for the required steps (help with preparing for the language test, help with preparing for interviews at the Population Authority, etc.). If any objections arise regarding eligibility for citizenship, a lawyer who specializes in immigration to Israel will be able to contact the relevant authorities at the Ministry of Interior and handle the objections. If any objections to the decision of the Interior Ministry are raised by the applicant, and even if this requires filing a lawsuit, it will be more effective to do so through a lawyer who is experienced in handling such procedures.
ISRAELI CITIZENSHIP FOR MINORITY MEMBERS—CONTACT A LAWYER WHO SPECIALIZES IN IMMIGRATION TO ISRAEL
In this article we have explained about the required process for obtaining Israeli citizenship for minority members and changing their status from permanent residents to proper citizens. In addition, we have explained about the difficulties that may rise in such cases and the ways to overcome these difficulties. If you have any further questions or need advice or assistance, you are welcome to contact our offices and we will be happy to help. Our firm, which has offices in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, specializes in the laws of immigration to Israel and assists with the process of arranging the legal status of our clients vis-à-vis the Population Authority and the courts.
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