The Conference of European Rabbis (CER) called on Israel on Sunday to allow all Jews, regardless of whether they hold Israeli citizenship, to visit their family members in Israel despite the coronavirus pandemic. CER’s president, Rav Pinchas Goldschmidt, sent a letter to MK Yisrael Eichler (UTJ), who suggested at a Knesset committee meeting to allow non-Israeli Jews to visit their elderly parents in Israel after six months of being unable to do so due to the pandemic. “We were happy to read about your initiative that you proposed to the Knesset’s Internal Affairs Committee to allow families from abroad to visit their elderly parents in Israel after a half-year of not seeing them due to the coronavirus.” “As you said, there are elderly parents from abroad who want to see their children who live in Israel after a half year’s lockdown between the countries. However, they’re unable to do so since they lack Israeli passports although they are Jews and are eligible [to receive an Israeli passport] through the Law of Return.” “We at the CER support your initiative and hope that the will of Hashem will succeed through you and you’ll be able to break through the extraneous bureaucracy that is thwarting parents from seeing their children without any basis in logic.” “This [is the situation] during a time that they’re allowing the entry of people from other nations, from all continents. with appropriate tests. Those same tests can also be carried out for Jews who are not Israeli citizens.” “May your words fall on attentive ears and may your political power enable you to act with justice to the familes who are tormented with longing,” Rav Goldschmidt concluded. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)

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