This might be of interest to some readers:
In a landmark decision today, the Supreme Court of Israel ratified a settlement between twelve Messianic Jewish believers and the State of Israel, which states that being a Messianic Jew does not prevent one from receiving citizenship in Israel under the Law of Return or the Law of Citizenship, if one is a descendent of Jews on one’s father’s side (and thus not Jewish according to halacha).
This Supreme Court decision brought an end to a legal battle that has carried on for two and a half years. The applicants were represented by Yuval Grayevsky and Calev Myers from the offices of Yehuda Raveh & Co., and their legal costs were subsidized by the Jerusalem Institute of Justice.
All twelve of the applicants were denied citizenship solely based on grounds that they belong to the Messianic Jewish community. Most of them received letters stating that they would not receive citizenship because they “commit missionary activity“. One of the applicants was told by a clerk at the Ministry of Interior that because she “committed missionary activity“, she is “acting against the interests of the State of Israel and against the Jewish people“. These allegations are not only untrue, but they also do not constitute legal grounds to deny one’s right to immigrate to Israel.
This important victory paves the way for persons who have Jewish ancestry on their father’s side to immigrate to Israel freely, whether or not they belong to the Messianic Jewish community. This is yet another battle won in our war to establish equality in Israel for the Messianic Jewish community just like every other legitimate stream of faith within the Jewish world.
Wishing you happy and blessed holidays,
Calev Myers
Founder and Chief Counsel
The Jerusalem Institute of Justice
I don’t see this notice online, but something similar is here.
Update (4/23): The Jerusalem Post now has the story.
OK, this could be my time. My father was Jewish (as were his parents). I have, at times, toyed with the idea of applying for dual citizenship, but figured that somewhere the “Presbyterian” thing would trip me up.
Can you be a “Messianic Calvinist”?
If by this you mean, can you be Jewish and believe the Bible, then certainly you can. Of course, the Bible nowhere speaks about infant baptism, so you would definitely have to conform to the biblical view in that area. But I doubt this matter would be on your citizenship application.
WOW. I now take back all those nice things I said about DTS . There’s no reasoning with you goyim!
Hmmm … time to start digging through the family tree again.
Al,
This ruling deals specifically with people like yourself: Those “non-Jews” who are applying for citizenship via the “Law of Return.”
The “Law of Return” allows anyone with at least one Jewish grandparent and who has not “become the son or daughter of another religion” to immigrate to Israel. Currently, Jewish identity is traced through the mother, so those who are qualifying for the “Law of Return” only through their father are eligible, but your id card will not identify you as Jewish – that section will remain blank or say American or Christian, or some other gibberish.
However, I would let the ruling settle and the current 12 cases work their way through the system before applying. Otherwise, you will be faced with nothing but delay, and depending on your seriousness, much frustration.
Craig, I can certainly wait. It’s more of an amusing idea to me than anything else.
I hope some time in the future to spend a more extended time in Israel and I know some folks have had trouble getting any kind of extended stay visas. This would certainly eliminate that problem.