The Knesset’s two haredi parties, Shas and United Torah Judaism, have dropped their demand that the incoming Netanyahu government tighten Israel’s immigration laws by amending the Law of Return, Kan Reshet Bet reported Monday morning.
According to the report, Likud negotiators have succeeded in convincing Shas and UTJ to drop their demand that their coalition agreements include a provision for removing the grandfather clause from the Law of Return.
The Likud’s right-wing and religious allies have called on the incoming government to amend the country’s Law of Return – the 1950 law which guarantees Jews around the world the right to immigrate to the Jewish state and receive citizenship.
Specifically, lawmakers have pressed the Likud to agree to roll back the 1970 amendment to the law, which extends the Right of Return to the non-Jewish spouses of Jewish immigrants, and to the non-Jewish grandchildren of Jews.
Some on the Right have warned that the 1970 grandfather clause threatens Israel’s Jewish character, given the high-level of non-Jewish immigration, reaching as high as 75% from some Eastern European countries.
The Likud, however, is wary any changes to the law could alienate Diaspora Jews and drive immigrant voters to Avidgor Liberman’s Yisrael Beytenu party, which draws heavily from the Russian-speaking immigrant population.
Last week, it was reported that Shas and UTJ were pushing a compromise under which non-Jewish immigrants under the Law of Return would be granted permanent residency status, rather than full citizenship – an offer the Likud rejected.
Now, according to Monday’s report, haredi lawmakers have acceded to the Likud’s demand no commitment be made to changing the Law of Return; a position Shas and UTJ are said to have accepted given their demands for numerous other legislative changes, including passage of a new draft law.
Instead of an agreement committing the government to amend the Law of Return, the coalition deals will instead require the formation of a committee to investigate the matter and submit its findings to the government.