The Cabinet decided yesterday to appoint a special ministerial committee to investigate the “use of Israeli passports by emigrants who, for all practical purposes, severed ties with the State.” The committee, comprising Foreign Minister Golda Meir, Justice Minister Dov Joseph and Interior Minister Moshe Shapiro, will study the problem and recommend measures to rectify the situation.
Among the measures to be studied by the committee are to establish stricter procedures among Israeli consulates abroad regarding the renewal of passports, and to require Israelis abroad to return home within a specified time to retain their citizenship.
It is estimated that of 120,000 emigrants from Israel, some 80,000 continue to use their Israeli passports, despite the fact that they have severed ties with Israel.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
