The Law of Return and the Law on Citizenship
The Law of Return and the Law on Citizenship
as expressions of the Jewish and Democratic nature of the State of Israel
Law of Return: Backgrounder
from Israeli DEMOCRACY, Feb 1987
Jewish Pluralism or Orthodox Monopoly
Supreme Court: Shoshana Miller is Jewish.
Interior Minister Yitzhak Peretz refuses to register her as Jewish.
Shoshana Miller converted to Judaism in the United States in 1982, within the
framework of the Reform movement. Upon her arrival in Israel in October, 1985,
she received, under the Law of Return, the status of an 'oleh', a Jew who has
come to settle in Israel. When she came to the Ministry of Interior to receive
her Identity Card (ID), the official refused to register her as 'Jewish' in
the space provided for nationality (le'om) and suggested instead the following
alternatives: (1) To write Christian, or (2) to leave the 'nationality' blank,
or, later (3) to register her as "Jewish (converted)'. Miller refused all
the offers and applied to the Supreme Court for an order to the Ministry of
Interior to register her as just plain "Jewish'. The Supreme Court decreed
on December 2, 1986, that Miller should be registered in her ID as 'Jewish'
without any additions, as this was the intention of the legislation. It did
not accept the Ministry of the Interior's petition that registering her conversion
was necessary in order not to mislead other religious authorities (e.g. the
Rabbinical Courts who preside over marriages) about her religious status.
The Pedagogic Center
Director: Dr. Motti Friedman
Web site manager: Esther Carciente, esthers@jajz-ed.org.il.
Updated: 20/12/98