The incoming director general of the Population Authority, Tomer Moskowitz, confirms that foreigners who want to enter the country under special circumstances will be able to do so more easily soon. The decision is expected to be approved during the day.
However, Moskowitz clarifies: "In my estimation, foreign tourists will not be able to enter the country for at least the next week or two. We still do not know everything about the omicron, and the goal is to prevent disease."
He said, "In the past we have seen quite a few cases of long queues before the passport control back to the country. Soon, with the decision to declare more red countries, a wave of returnees from a number of countries is expected."
Moskowitz makes it clear that he prefers to see queues over introducing illness, but there is also a solution on the horizon.
"In order not to return to these pictures of the long queues," he explains, "we are assisted by the Home Front Command, and everything is coordinated with the Ben Gurion Airport management.
Loads are likely to be generated during peak hours.
In the coming months, we will have flight data that will be received from the airlines even before landing in Israel, so that we can prepare in advance.
"If the consideration is to stand in lines or open an irresponsible opening of the borders for health or immigration risk - I prefer that they stand in line and do not put risks in their mouths."
"There are exceptions"
Moskowitz heads the committee that determines who foreigners can enter during this period. In a conversation with him, he talks about special cases that have been approved in recent days. "A 100-year-old woman in her last days who has not seen her children for years asked to enter Israel. It is impossible not to confirm such a thing, the case is of course approved. Another very touching case concerns a woman about to give birth to a quiet child, They are approved, of course. There are more cases of separations from relatives who are in their last days, and on the other hand there are also happy events such as weddings, births and bar mitzvah celebrations. "They have a close connection to the State of Israel, such as groups of Taglit, spouses of Israelis who are in the process of obtaining citizenship, athletes, researchers, etc. Life goes on, and we learn to do things in the most sensitive way."
Data from the Population Authority show that, on average, about 1,000 applications are received by foreigners every day, about 700 of which are approved.
Most of the applications that arrive meet the criteria because they are advertised in advance, so it is easier to assess whether those foreigners will be able to enter Israel.
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