United Torah Judaism MK Rabbi Avraham Ravitz has called for a
full reform of the immigration laws, not merely amendments to
the Law of Return.
Rabbi Ravitz told The Jerusalem Post that he has been
working for some time on a plan, which would be centered on a
reform of the Law of Entry, rather than the Law of Return.
The latter is used by the vast majority of immigrants.
However, over the last few months there have been increasing
calls from a variety of politicians for the Law of Return to
be amended to prevent the immigration of non-Jews.
Rabbi Ravitz is in the final stages of drafting his proposal,
which he has already mooted with Justice Minister Yossi
Beilin, and hopes he can convince ministers to back his
plan.
The initial stage of the plan would be for Interior Minister
Natan Sharansky to set up a committee, which would establish
criteria for immigration to the country based on the Law of
Entry. If adopted, their recommendations would make entry to
Israel for non-Jews similar to the immigration policies of
many Western countries and in particular the United
States.
"My wife is American but if I wanted to live there, I'd need
a visa and couldn't make 'aliya' just like that," said
Rabbi Ravitz.
He is proposing citizenship be available, only after a period
of some five years, after immigrants have proved themselves
worthy.
Only after these criteria are established would Rabbi Ravitz
want to see changes in the Law of Return, the main ones being
the abolition of the clauses allowing the immigration of
families of converts and of grandchildren of Jews.
In response, officials in Sharansky's office said the
Interior Ministry has detailed regulations covering who is
permitted into the country, based on the Law of Entry. Among
those falling under these rules are foreign workers, for
example.
