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Messianic News from Israel

By Daniel Lancaster  | Comments (5) | Posted on April 24, 2008

Huge breaking news!

The Supreme Court of Israel has apparently reached a landmark decision regarding the rights of Messianic Jews in Israel. According to internet chatter, on April 11 (Nissan 11), the Supreme Court of Israel ruled that Messianic Jews have the same rights regarding automatic citizenship as Jews who do not believe in Yeshua. This means that Jewish believers (who can demonstrate that they are halachically Jewish) can no longer be blocked from making aliyah to Israel or maintaining citizenship. According to some reports, the Supreme Court also ordered a cessation to persecution of Jewish believers.

Read the story as it appeared in the Baptist Press here.

This Sabbath is the seventh day of Unleavened Bread. Special prayers of thanksgiving should be offered up in our congregations, communities and homes.

Nissan 18, 5768
D. Thomas Lancaster

Post Script from Aaron Eby:

I think you overstate the decision, and I don't think the BP has it quite right either. From what I have gathered, the ruling indicates not that Messianic Jews have immigration rights equal to other Jewish people, but that if they are NOT Jewish but do have a Jewish grandparent, their status as "Messianic" does not automatically deny them them the right to citizenship. Furthermore, it seems hopeful but uncertain that a second generation Messianic Jewish person can be granted citizenship, but a first generation Messianic Jew is still out of luck.

Post Post Script from Avner Wolff:

The court ruling: (you probably already have this)

The parties have submitted to us the following notification:
"In their notification dated 13.04.08 the Respondents declared, that the fact that a person is a "Messianic Jew" has no bearing on an application according to Sec. 7 of the Law of Citizenship, as well as an application according to Sec. 4(A)(a) of the Law of Return (as long as the person applying according the abovementioned section of the Law of Return is not considered to be Jewish, as described in section 4B of the Law of Return).
The Respondents declare that in accordance with their notification they will process the applications of all Petitioners as soon as possible, as well as the application of Alvetina Zibareva, and Valentina Zibareva who requested to join the petition on 01.04.08 to the extent that their request is similar.
Due to these circumstances the representatives of the Petitioners requested to remove the petition without a ruling regarding court costs.
The Petition is removed by consent as aforesaid.

In other words: If you are NOT Jewish, but have a Jewish grandfather, you can make aliyah under the law of Return.

From Myers: (legal counsel for the 12 persons)

In a landmark decision on April 16, 2008, 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.

Calev Myers
Founder and Chief Counsel

About the Author: Daniel Lancaster is FFOZ’s Director of Education and regular contributor to messiah magazine. He is the author of Torah Club Volumes Two, Four and Five, and the FFOZ books Mystery of the Gospel, Restoration and King of the Jews.

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