Interior Minister Aryeh Deri decided on Monday to grant Hapoel Jerusalem basketball player Amar'e Stoudemire the status of temporary resident, while the Ministry of the Interior said that in the near future it would also examine the possibility of granting the former NBA star citizenship. The status will allow Stoudemire to play in Israel's Premiere League.
In his reasons for granting the status, Deri wrote that he decided to do so because of "the player's glorious career and his great contribution to Israeli basketball, since the player has joined the Israeli league and has a connection to Judaism and Israel." Deri added, "I read and heard about the player and I was impressed that he wanted to settle in Israel and make the country his home, even after the end of his career."