Great lawyers Joshua Pex and Nechama and Michael Deker who really want to help you and I have very trustful relationships with them. All my cases they took they won. Thank you and let’s keep working together
Tomer Hila Birnbach
I received a recommendation from friends about the firm, and indeed every word is correct, a service team, professional, welcoming, a fair price for the work I requested, I am satisfied
Amir Abt
The best lawyer firm I’ve had dealt with. I would like to thank Anat Levi and Ariel Galili from the Jerusalem branch for all of their efforts and patience, we could not have been Able to reach to where we are now without them
Morgan Jones
The team at Decker, Pex & Co have been awesome to work with in helping our US company establish banking in Israel and in providing counsel for legal needs in Israel. I highly recommend!
Prima Lorenzo
I admire the Austrian citizenship team in Tel-Aviv branch! They deserve more then 5 stars!! They are very friendly and professional. I've got Austrian citizenship in 4 months for all family members which consists of 12 people! The entire team is very friendly and responsive. They are always answering questions and support during the process. I recommend to everyone. Was 100% satisfied.
Genaan Abdelall
I cannot recommend Nechama enough! Her expertise, professionalism, and dedication to her clients is unparalleled. From the moment I reached out to her, she provided clear and concise communication, and helped me navigate through a complex legal issue with ease.
Throughout the entire process, Nechama went above and beyond to ensure that I was informed and comfortable with every decision. She demonstrated a deep knowledge of the law, and was able to offer sound advice that ultimately led to a positive outcome.
What sets Nechama apart is her compassionate and empathetic approach to her clients. She truly cares about the well-being of her clients, and it shows in the way she handles every case.
If you are in need of a lawyer, I highly recommend Nechama.
Shaltiel Devorah
Mr. Joshua Pex is knowledgeable and Professional. I really appreciate his courteous and direct approach.
Michael and Ariellah Waizman
For Advocate Joshua Pex.
We were in a devastating situation when my wife received an order from the immigration office to leave Israel within 30 days, without any explanation, after we have been married and in the process for six and a half years. We heard of Advocate Pex through a friend of a friend. We contacted Mr. Pex and he was ready to help us when he heard of our situation.
The service is amazing! Always ready to assist without regard to the time it takes. The advice Mr. Pex gave us was great, such as what to do, he gave useful links, and advice about which officials to contact. The price for the service was great!
The process until we received the extension for another year for my wife was not long (3 months). Things started moving once Mr. Pex came into the picture.
We highly recommend Advocate Joshua Pex! We achieved our goal and the fear of deportation has been lifted!
Sveta Vashkevich
We (myself and my husband) came to Mr. Joshua Pex – for his professional advice – and we received such human warmth and caring attitude, that our hearts melted …
His attention to our details and our situation peculiarities, combined with his professionalism and knowledge, helped us to map out what needs to be done on our part: we appreciate and recommend You, Mr. Joshua!
Arielle Bosch
Incredibly knowledgeable, approachable, accessible, and evident across the board that they truly care about the people they are helping. They are quick to respond, engaged, and obviously top-notch lawyers. I couldn't recommend them highly enough. Thank you, Joshua and Itamar for your help with our Joint Life Application. You were a calming energy during a storm - always breathed a sigh of relief after speaking with you. It is so difficult to get straight answers from the Misrad Hapnim, but you guys are straight shooters. I appreciate your candor and evident integrity. Hope to work with you in the future, and will send everyone I know in need of legal aid your way. Thank you for your guidance and support.
Lilian Granovsky
I can highly recommend these services!
Every time we turned to Joshua we always got a professional quick and helpful respond.
Michael Soffer
I would like to recommend Attorney Yehuda Elcharar. He assisted both me and my company in a complex lawsuit. He handled negotiations that led to a favorable outcome much quicker than expected.
I am extremely pleased with choosing Attorney Elcharar. Many thanks also to the office team, Oz and Chaya, for their assistance throughout the entire process.
Thanks again ????
Eden Weiss
Extrmely friendly, professional and helpful. A big thank you to Irina especially from the Jerusalem office. Highly Recommended.
lynn vonne
Excellent service, very friendly and helpful, fast responding and very patient. Highly recommend. I will choose them again next time if needed.
Marce Ruth St. Rey
Party time in the heart, my beloved husband received his residence after so much time of battles and faith. Gratitude, God has blessed us with wonderful beings who have accompanied us, including a "precious angel" who touched our hearts, our excellent and fantastic lawyer: Maria Chernin Dekel, sweet and wonderful human being, who has guided us and stayed On our side. side in this intense legal transit whom we bless on every occasion. God bless you dear Maria, you have exceeded your professional duty by containing us and collaborating with us in hard times, very hard, for that we want to thank you publicly, you are unique!!!
We bless and thank the entire team at Decker Pex Tal Ofir Law Firm.
Josh W-S
The firm had a quick response to my last-minute needs, they were helpful in communicating with me in English, and they fulfilled my needs in a timely fashion.
Lauma Zariņa
This is definitely the best lawyer I know!!! very honest and super helpful he really helped me a lot dealing with immigration issues in Israel and it was very successful!
I highly recommend
YK C
We had a pleasure of working with Irena Rosenberg who assisted in getting our two U.S. born children registered in Israel and supported visa process for my wife in 2021. During the pandemic, my wife and I decided to move to Israel where I am originally from after living in the U.S. for over 20 years, but we had no idea how to go about securing visas before and after arriving in Israel. Irena is knowledgeable, reliable and competent lawyer who always had answers to all our questions which made us feel confident that everything would be fine with her assistance. We are now happily living in Israel and are so grateful to have Irena who is a genuinely nice person as our lawyer.
Priscilla Moses
competent consulting, fast processing, reliable, warm & good team. highly recommended
Andreas Kelling
We have been working with Decker, Pex & Co - Law Firm in Tel Aviv for many years very well. Because we appreciated their lawyers services, we recommended businesses and individuals again and again to go there as well.
Michelle Long
Josh has been helping me on and off for a few years now. I have needed legal advice and assistance with immigration due to a complex situation of mine, and he has been extremely available and responsive, honest and clear about my route and how to proceed. Very much recommended!
Dumitrascu Cristina
Best lawyer house from Israel! I couldn’t dealt with my situation without their professionalism and effectiveness. Their dedication to every legal aspect and their drive it’s how a true lawyer house can be!
Working in European market and international now, I couldn’t dare to let myself wide my wings on countries unknown to me. Definitely they’ll be the lawyers representing me, my business at every international aspect and on personal development.
When you hear Decker,Pex,Ofir &Co, you hear 10+ class services, luxurious professionals, confidentiality and exclusive attention to your needs.
Joshua Pex was both an amazing human being and an inspiring human rights attorney. I reported directly to him for various activities I performed as in intern. I was impressed with his incredibly solid character. He is trustworthy, fair, and goes above and beyond to advocate for the vulnerable. He is completely trustworthy and high caliber in his work. His partners and employees are very blessed to work with him. I am honored to know them.
Heather Lebrun
Sergei m Vashkevich
We came to Mr. Joshua with so many questions (and most of all, with so many concerns and worries) …
When we explained our case to him, first of all, he calmed us down and helped us to see the big picture, which took away our fears;
Then he presented us with a detailed explanation and a few options to explore, and a timeline, how things work and necessary steps to undertake on our part,
We thank and highly recommend Mr. Joshua for showing us so much empathy, care and professionalism (!)
Shurouq Hajyassin
We were very satisfied with the consultation we had.
You were very straightforward with us , You tried to help us in every way you could . we really appreciate that.
And of course the fast reply we got from you on our emails and the appointment you gave us .
You deserve more than 5 stars????
Sophie Cooperman
Oded Ger did an excellent job by reviewing a modeling contract I was offered. Explained the bad clauses in the contract, and their possible consequences. Thank you for your amazing job, your professionalism, your consultation and honesty. You showed me from your experience how it can be done differently. It was the best decision choosing you as my lawyer.
I highly recommend this firm, especially Oded Ger.
Israel iluz
We were very satisfied with the service of Nehama. She was very professional in all her dealings and kept us informed all the way.
We highly recommend this law firm. They proved to be reliable, efficient and pleasant to work with.
Kfir Cohen
We were searching for a law firm that will be honest with us and really work hard for a satisfying result, it wasn't an easy task
We found them online; they were the only law firm from all of our searchings which were completely honest and NOT gave us just what we wanted to hear
Using them guaranteed honesty above all. A legal team that is friendly and cares for a superb result
They really care about helping their customers without any other interest
Nadia gave us service behind what we expected; she was professional which lead to fast and easy process with great result
We definitely recommend using them
Greg Olson
We highly recommend Adv. Mike Decker and have know him for many years. He has helped our family with many battles over the years. We recently received our permanent residency after 23 years in Israel. We so much appreciate Mike’s representation of us.
Jacob Newberry
A really excellent firm. They knew exactly how to handle my situation effectively and efficiently, and we got the result I needed without much fuss. Adi Berger was a wonderful advocate for me and I am deeply grateful for her help!
Paul Prince
The team of lawyers and assistants are incredibly professional. Aiming to give their clients the advice possible regarding the normative and the law of Israel. With well trained and professional secretary at the front desk to the lawyers team, I could say that I had one of the most professional services possible. I'm super glad of choosing Joshua Pex of Law office for immigration solution, lawyers to advise in my case, to me, it is remarkable.
Matthias Oppliger
I have been receiving services from this Law Firm for several years now and I want to say THANK YOU to the team, especially Joshua Pex. They are doing outstanding work. The services I have received for both our Israeli non profit association but also our social business have helped us solve many issues at hand and provided solutions in complicated situations. Personally, I am grateful for support in visa issues as a foreigner living now in Israel for many years.
Schruuf
We were very pleased and content with the services of this law firm. They supported us 100% and solved our case successfully, we couldn't be happier.
David De La Rosa
Very friendly, professional, and effective, highly recommended
Esty A
I had a consultation with Batya and she was very helpful. She made sure I understood all the information I needed, and was patient with me in gathering documents I needed.
Adi Katina
Great Team. With no doubt, this office is actually thee best-leading office in Israel. Simply put, if you want your case to win, just join them, hand in your documents, and celebrate the victory.
Kindest regards,
Adi k.
Gáspár Erőss
If you need to solve any complicated legal issue in Israel, don't hesitate to contact them. Otherwise you will loose hours/days/weeks with things that they can solve in minutes. They helped me to obtain my expert working visa in Israel and even after that they responded further questions and gave me advices related to administrative issues in Israel which saved me a lot of time. Irena Rosenberg and Michael Decker worked on my case, they are very professional and helpful. They will not let you down, feel free to contact them.
Dongdiet & Nellie
We are very happy with the services. Somehow they managed to translate the law lingo into language we actually understand 😉 and their outstanding YouTube videos helped us to have a better grasp of what process we had to go through. Their patience, clear explanation and experience are very valuable. It's also very nice to know that you will receive response promptly; it made us feel we can really trust their services. We recommend all those looking for immigration lawyers to get in touch.
Alexander P Gutterman
EU PASSPORT ! Big news! Thanks to Michael Decker and the other good people at the law office, as well as to the virtue of my ancestors, the cruelty of the Inquisition, reparations issued in the Iberian Peninsula, and etc, I am delighted to be on track for Portuguese and European Union Citizenship! A truly incredible development and one which brings me deep joy.
Yossi Montrose
Very knowledgeable and professional
TarcisioePotira Freitas
I really recommend the law office's services. The service is very professional and efficient, the price is right. I am satisfied with the services I needed and happy to have known them.
Halvor Ronning
Courteous, clear, efficient service.
Stuart Safft
I am delighted to report that my wife and I have just obtained our Israeli citizenship. We will be forever grateful for all of the help, guidance and support which Ariel Galili of Decker, Pex & Co. provided through this process.
I am a Jewish, 80-year-old American, and my wife is not Jewish. We had started the process on our own back in November 2020 via the Jewish Agency and Nefesh B’Nefesh, but soon became entangled in the delays and often-changing regulations due to Covid-19. The pandemic also caused delays in obtaining the required apostilles for various documents from various state agencies and the US State Department.
We found Decker, Pex & Co. On the internet and began working with Ariel in late November 2021. Ariel did a superb job of leading us through the process, helping us to understand which documents were essential, which would most likely be required, and which, though included on the list of required documents, were rarely required. He helped us several times to understand what was likely and unlikely to occur as “the next step.” Helping us manage our expectations was extremely useful to us.
Besides his knowing the laws, regulations and procedures, Ariel also made us feel that he was truly interested in helping us to successfully work through this process in as smooth, timely, and frustration-free manner as possible.
My wife and I strongly recommend anyone planning to go through this process seriously consider hiring Decker, Pex, Ofir & Co. and, specifically, Ariel Galili.
The unexpected global outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has created many changes in our daily lives and our plans for the future. Many countries were completely unprepared for such a blow, and suffered heavy losses in their battle against the epidemic. Other countries, including Israel, managed to withstand the crisis and are already beginning to return to a normal life.
This proves that Israel is a country that protects the interests of its citizens and values their life and health above all else. For this reason, many individuals who are eligible to immigrate to Israel under the Law of Return are now applying for Israeli citizenship.
Who Are We?
Our law firm assists clients in going through the Aliyah procedure quickly and effectively. We have helped thousands of eligible immigrants and their families to receive Israeli citizenship. Aliyah and immigration to Israel are the core specializations of our firm. We are always ready to protect the rights of our clients vis-à-vis the Ministry of Interior and the courts.
The Advantages of Israeli Citizenship
Israeli citizenship grants many new opportunities – including the right to visit 159 countries around the world without a visa, get full medical treatment that is among the best in the world, tax benefits, and many other benefits that citizens of other countries do not have.
Eligibility to Citizenship Due to Jus Sanguinis (“Right of Blood”) and Jus Soli (“Right of Soil”)
Israel is not open to the immigration of anyone who wishes to come. Its immigration policy is unique and does not exist in any other country. Most countries allow their citizenship to be passed on through jus sanguinis or jus soli. Jus sanguinis grants citizenship to children whose parents are citizens, regardless of where the children were born. Jus soli grants citizenship according to the child’s country of birth, even if the child’s parents are not citizens of that country. Many countries base their citizenship laws on a combination of these two principles, so citizenship may be obtained through the parents’ citizenship or the place of birth, depending on the circumstances. Israeli citizens may receive their citizenship based on their country of birth or their parents’ citizenship, in certain cases. But, in addition, Israel has a special law which enables to receive citizenship based on religious affiliation. Thus, Jews, children of Jews, and grandchildren of Jews are eligible to Israeli citizenship regardless of their place of birth or their parents’ citizenship. The law which stipulates this is known as the Law of Return.
Israeli Citizenship Under the Law of Return and the Citizenship Law (a.k.a. the Nationality Law)
As mentioned above, children and grandchildren of Jews, and their families (spouses and minor children), are eligible to Israeli citizenship under the Law of Return. This law is unique not only because it allows receiving citizenship based on religious affiliation, but also because foreign citizens who receive citizenship after making Aliyah under this law receive certain benefits when immigrating to Israel, which individuals who become citizens under the Nationality Law (such as spouses who were not originally Israeli citizens) do not receive.
The Nationality Law stipulates the general regulations for receiving citizenship, based on jus sanguinis and jus soli.
Since this article is about receiving Israeli citizenship based on the Law of Return, we will focus on this law.
The Definition of a Jew in the Law of Return
The Law of Return defines a Jew as anyone who was born to a Jewish mother or who has converted to Judaism and continues to identify as a Jew.
Importantly, the term Jew in this context refers mainly to nationality. There is no Israeli nationality in Israel. On identifying documents, nationality refers to the holder’s ethnic origins, not citizenship. In contrast to many other nations, the Jewish nationality passes down from the mother, not the father.
Therefore, the Law of Return takes us back, in a way, to historic times, when the term Jew referred both to a person’s nationality and religion as inseparable identities.
The Child of a Jew, the Grandchild of a Jew and Their Family
The Israeli legislature took into account the dark aspects of the Jewish history; when Jews were forced to settle around the world and, for the purpose of self-preservation, assimilated among the residents of other countries. This is why the Law of Return also allows the children and grandchildren of Jews to receive citizenship. The purpose of this is to ensure that family members of Jews will be able to return to their roots and rekindle their Jewish beliefs.
Conversion to Judaism and the Law of Return
As mentioned above, the Law of Return also allows individuals who were not born Jewish to receive citizenship, providing that they undergo the procedure for Giyur – conversion to Judaism. For the conversion to be recognized, and for the Ger (covert) to receive citizenship based on the Law of Return, they must meet the criteria stipulated in the law and in judicial practice.
Applying for Citizenship under the Law of Return
To apply for Israeli citizenship under the Law of Return, you must prove your Jewish identity.
There are two ways to apply: The first way is through the Israeli consulate in your country, and the second way is directly at the Israeli Ministry of Interior offices. The first way is better if you are not in a rush to move to Israel. However, if you wish to receive eligibility to make Aliyah but are not planning to settle in Israel, the second way is better for you.
Immigrants from the Soviet Union must present documents proving that their nationality is “Jewish”. Olim (Jewish immigrants) from European countries and from the USA must present a letter from their Rabbi which attests to their Jewish roots.
In addition to the documents that prove the applicant’s Jewish identity, the applicant must present the following documents:
An apostilized birth certificate (if the certificate was issued in a country that was part of the Soviet Union before 1991, there is no need for apostilization).
A separate apostilized criminal record certificate for each of the applicant’s first and last names, if they ever changed their name. If the applicant has several citizenships, or if they have lived for more than six months in a country of which they are not a citizen, they must present apostilized criminal record certificates from each of the countries.
When applying, you may be asked to present additional documents.
Unexpected Obstacles in the Aliyah Process
Unfortunately, the State of Israel does not automatically approve applications for Aliyah. For example, if the applicant has a criminal background, their application may be denied. But this does not mean that you will not be able to receive Israeli citizenship. With a well-prepared appeal against the denial, your application may be reexamined.
Another obstacle that may come up in the Aliyah process is the Interior Ministry officials’ belief that the applicant belongs to a non-Jewish religion. As explained above, eligible immigrants under the Law of Return are: Jews who have not converted to another religion, the children of Jews, the grandchildren of Jews, and their families. In other words, the law does not require Jewish children, the grandchildren of Jews, and their families to believe in the Jewish faith. However, State representatives often misinterpret the law, and as soon as the grandchild of a Jew mentions that they believe in Christianity, their application is immediately denied.
In this case, as well, the right attitude, and support of the applicant’s point of view, will help to overcome this obstacle and receive the desired citizenship.
The Help of an Immigration Law Firm
No one knows what tomorrow may bring us, as we clearly saw with COVID-19. But Israel is exactly the place where every citizen can feel safe. If you have Jewish roots, this is the time to consider Aliyah and Israeli citizenship. It may protect your future and the future of your family.
If you have any questions that are related to Aliyah, or if you need assistance in receiving Israeli citizenship, we will be happy to help.
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