Great-grandson of a Jew vs. the Interior Ministry: seeks citizenship to join the army

A court in Lod ordered the Interior Ministry to re-examine the citizenship application of a great-grandson of a Jew who wants to serve in the IDF. The judge ruled that a period of residence previously ignored by the ministry must be taken into account, and ordered compensation.

The Administrative Affairs Court in Lod ordered the Population and Immigration Authority at the Interior Ministry to re-examine the citizenship application of a great-grandson of a Jew who repatriated to Israel with his parents. Judge Keren Azoulay noted that in light of the young man's desire to enlist in the IDF, the matter should be resolved as quickly as possible. The applicant's father, a native of Russia and a grandson of a Jew, repatriated to Israel in October 2019 together with his wife and 12-year-old son. The son received temporary resident status (form 5-alef) for one year. The family returned to Russia but then re-entered the country in 2021. The Interior Ministry rejected the citizenship application, citing insufficient residence time. The judge ruled that the period from July 2021 to December 2022 must be counted, as the error in status was not properly explained to the family. The authority was ordered to pay legal costs of 4,000 shekels.