“Tourism Aliyah” has Been Growing

Since the 90's, there have always been people who come to Israel as tourists and want to make Aliyah inside the country. According to the data of Knesset Research and Information Center the “Tourism Aliyah” was low during the high peak of general Aliyah in the beginning 90s when over million Jews from the collapsing Soviet Union returned to their homeland Israel (i.e. in 1990 only 2.1 % of new immigrants changed their status inside Israel).

In the middle and end of the 90s, when the Aliyah numbers were dropping, the relative number of “tourist olim” grew compared to those who received their “oleh” – new immigrant – visas in their original countries (i.e. 14.8 % in 1997). After a slight drop, the relative number of “tourist olim” has been rising again from 2004, peaking at 24.7 % in 2014.   

Earlier the “tourist olim” have been mostly well-to-do Jews from western countries, desiring to try and check out the conditions in the new country prior to applying for citizenship. In recent years many Ukrainian Jews arrived to Israel with a tourist visa without applying for oleh visa in the Israeli consulates in Ukraine as they escaped the conflict in eastern Ukraine. This phenomenon has resulted in many financially unstable families being stuck for months in the bureaucratic hurdles in Israel. Unfortunately Israeli government has not been prepared for such scenarios that are very probable to happen again and again, taking into consideration the rising anti-Semitism and growing number of conflicts in the world.

The law of Return was passed on July 5, 1950, granting every Jew a right to come to Israel as an “oleh” – new immigrant. It excludes those who are engaged in an activity directed against the Jewish people or are likely to endanger public health or the security of the State. It also states that a Jew who has come to Israel and subsequent to his arrival has expressed his desire to settle in Israel may – while still in Israel – apply for citizenship.

In 1954 amendment of the law a paragraph was added to the paragraph about the restriction of immigration: the applicant cannot receive a new immigrant visa if he/she is a person with a criminal past and is likely to endanger public welfare.

In 1970 amendment the right to return to Israel was extended to a child and a grandchild of a Jew, the spouse of a Jew, the spouse of a child of a Jew and the spouse of a grandchild of a Jew, except for a person who has been a Jew and has voluntarily changed his religion. This amendment gave also the definition of a Jew: "Jew" means a person who was born of a Jewish mother or has become converted to Judaism and who is not a member of another religion.

The full text of the Law of Return and its amendments can be found here.

The Government Approved DNA Test in Israel:

Many ask, "How can a DNA test for Jewish Identity cost so much?" This is how.

The Israeli law (Genetic Information Law, 2000) and the procedures of the Israeli Ministry of Interior are rigid. Section 4 of the Law of Citizenship states that anyone born to an Israeli mother or father, whether in Israel or abroad, is an Israeli citizen by birth. See the full PDF document here. A DNA test can be performed only with the authorization of the Israeli Family Court. Suppose the result proves that the child is, in fact, a son/daughter or even a grandson/granddaughter of an Israeli Jew. In that case, the court will order the Israeli Ministry of Interior to register the child of an Israeli as an Israeli citizen. One needs to hire a lawyer to initiate such a process, and this can take a considerable amount of time until it is completed. Note that this DNA examination is not intended to show some general connection to Jewish heritage for Aliyah to Israel, rather specifically prove that a person is the child or grandchild of an Israeli citizen.

Currently, Israeli law doesn’t accept other DNA tests as sufficient evidence to grant Aliyah to a person seeking to immigrate to Israel under the Law of Return. The reason the DNA test result is not accepted as enough evidence to allow Aliyah is in part because the Law of Return excludes Jews who seek to make Aliyah after they have become members of other religions and ceased being Jewish. The Israeli legislature assumed that if a person can’t bring documented evidence to show he or she has Jewish origins, it must be that they have become members of other religions several generations ago; therefore, the genetic link to Jewish roots is not sufficient.

Thus, you can see how entangled the test is in bureaucracy and legalities. It's not simply a DNA test, but there's much more to the procedure itself. As expensive as it is, it can prove to be the difference between a Jewish person finding their home in the land and receiving citizenship, and deportation.

If it's in your heart to help the needy in their desire to take hold of the Land and citizenship, what's rightfully theirs, please consider giving a gift.

Thank you,

~Global Aliyah Team