April 21, 2008 | 6:41 pm

Department of Aliyah: I’m moving to Israel

Posted by Brad A. Greenberg

Follow JewishJournal.com on

Well, not really. But it’s comforting to know that I could not only move to Israel but in fact become an Israeli citizen. At least that is how I understand a recent ruling from the Israeli Supreme Court, relayed here on the CT Liveblog:

Last week, the Supreme Court of Israel, ruled on a case involved 12 Messianic Jews who sued the government Ministry of the Interior for their legal ‘right of return’ (and then to become citizens of Israel). The court in its ruling said:

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.

One blogger explains the ruling this way:

  I received a communication today that clarifies the settlement reached yesterday in Israel… The ruling would not cover all Messianic Jews, but would cover many of them: If a person was not a Jew previously (religious definition) but is a descendant of Jews, then they can make aliyah (citizenship) without discrimination for their current faith in Yeshua.

To be sure, I am not a Messianic Jew. Nor do I have intentions to be. But I match the characteristics outlined by the court: The grandchild of Jews though not previously a Jew by religious measures.

I think I’ll head south from Tel Aviv. I hear Sderot is beautiful in the spring.