Today, the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, alongside the Knesset's Aliyah and Absorption Committee, will hold a confidential discussion on the situation in Ukraine and Russia, with the participation of National Security Council head Tzachi Hanegbi. The hearing was scheduled after the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration decided to close the concentrated immigration stations, which were intended to shorten procedures for immigrants from both countries due to the war, even though the number of immigrants, especially from Russia, continues to be large.
Representatives of the Ministry of Immigration, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Prime Minister's Office – Nativ are also expected to participate in the discussion. These are supposed to discuss the fact that, in practice, Israel has decided to no longer assist immigrants from Russia, and to direct resources to encourage aliyah from other countries, such as France and the United States, from which immigration has decreased by tens of percent in recent months.
MK Zeev Elkin (Archive), photo: Oren Ben Hakon
The discussion follows a request by the heads of the lobby for the struggle for immigrant rights, headed by MK Yuli Edelstein, Zeev Elkin and Oded Forer. At the hearing, the three are expected to demand the reinstatement of the emergency immigration procedure, arguing that stopping it is irresponsible and will cost lives.
Reminder: Since the beginning of the war between Russia and Ukraine, an expedited immigration route has been opened, consisting of reception centers called "One Stop Shop". Its main goal was to provide quick permits and identity cards to immigrants from countries at war. But even though the war is still raging, and there are already 13,<> immigration applicants in Russia who have been waiting for an appointment for almost a year, the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration announced the cancellation of the stations for immigrants.
Edelstein, Photo: Oren Ben Hakon
The Grandson Law - and the Criticism
Following the attempted coup in Russia in June and the apparent instability of the war, the heads of the lobby for the struggle for immigrant rights – MKs Elkin, Edelstein and Forer – demanded that a special discussion be convened to deal with canceling the shortened immigration procedure. According to the three, "the cancellation of the expedited immigration procedure puts thousands of Jews in mortal danger in light of the war and instability in these areas."
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It should be noted that MKs Elkin and Edelstein have long criticized the Israeli government's policy toward Russia. Among other things, they have spoken out in favor of aid to Ukraine, and even met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in February.
In the background of the claims about the government's lack of assistance to immigrants from Russia is the demand by government ministers to amend the grandson clause in the Law of Return, since a significant portion of immigrants from Russia in the past year did so by virtue of that clause, while they are not halachically Jewish.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has already halted the start of the process to amend the law, after this intention was criticized by Diaspora Jews, as well as by parts of the opposition, and when the government was formed, it was said that it would be amended only after discussion and broad agreement in the coalition.
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