Israel has temporarily withdrawn the aliyah eligibility of two Jewish foreign nationals involved in pro-Palestinian activism in Judea and Samaria, despite their applications having previously received approval from the Jewish Agency, Haaretz reported on Monday.
The two individuals, a 23-year-old British citizen and a 27-year-old American woman, have participated in activities described by their organizations as providing a protective presence for Palestinian Arab communities. The Population and Immigration Authority is currently examining their immigration applications, although it has not publicly disclosed the specific grounds for the reviews.
The development comes amid increased Israeli enforcement against foreign activists operating in Judea and Samaria. Israeli authorities have taken action against foreign nationals suspected of provoking confrontations with Jewish residents, interfering with security operations, and engaging in activities targeting Jewish farms and communities.
In August, a dedicated police unit established in the Judea and Samaria District had secured the deportation of 47 foreign activists and prevented another 130 from entering Israel since the beginning of 2026. The unit gathers intelligence on foreign activists suspected of obstructing security forces or engaging in activities against Jewish communities and forwards relevant information to the Interior Ministry and Population Authority.
In a separate incident in January, four foreign activists were arrested on suspicion of attacking a shepherd near al-Mughayyir and violating a military order. Two were subsequently designated for deportation.
Neither of the two prospective immigrants identified in the latest report has been publicly accused by Israeli authorities of involvement in those incidents.
According to Haaretz, the British applicant grew up in an Orthodox Jewish family in London and previously studied at Yeshivat HaKotel. In 2023, he joined Bnei Avraham, an organization whose members accompany Palestinian Arab communities in Judea and Samaria, with the stated aim of documenting confrontations involving Jewish residents and security forces.
The report stated that his initial activities focused primarily on Hebron. During the first half of 2025, he became involved in the organization's operations in the Jordan Valley, particularly around the Arab herding communities of Ras Ein al-Auja and Mu'arrajat.
The report also describes an incident in June 2025 near Mu'arrajat, during which a man identifying himself as the security coordinator of Mevo'ot Yericho reportedly blocked the British activist and another individual with his vehicle and demanded to see the activist's passport.
According to the activist, the man threatened to detain him and have him deported. The activist subsequently showed him a photograph of his passport, which the man photographed. The IDF told Haaretz that it had not established whether the individual was serving as a security coordinator at the time or acting on the military's behalf.
The British citizen began applying for aliyah in late 2025. His electronic travel authorization was canceled in January 2026, and he was subsequently prevented from returning to Israel after traveling to Britain.
Although the Jewish Agency approved his immigration eligibility in July, he received another notification in August stating that the Population Authority had placed that approval under review, citing provisions of the Entry into Israel Law.
His attorney has challenged the decision, arguing that his client's immigration application falls under the Law of Return rather than legislation governing the entry of foreign visitors. The applicant denies participating in violence or engaging in activities covered by the relevant restrictions on entry to Israel.
The second applicant, an American Jewish law student, was also involved in accompanying Palestinian Arab communities in Judea and Samaria.
According to the report, she was detained by IDF soldiers in June 2025 near the Jewish community of Neve Daniel in Gush Etzion, together with a group of foreign activists participating in similar activities. During the incident, soldiers photographed her passport.
The American woman told the newspaper that her involvement consisted of observing and documenting incidents from a distance. She maintained that she had never personally participated in a violent confrontation.
Approximately six months after the incident near Neve Daniel, her electronic travel authorization was canceled. Having previously lived in Israel for approximately two years, she subsequently applied for aliyah from abroad and initially received confirmation of her eligibility from the Jewish Agency.
However, she was later informed that the Population Authority had temporarily withdrawn that approval pending further examination.
In correspondence obtained by the newspaper, a senior Population Authority official reportedly explained the cancellation of her travel authorization by stating: "We don't let in activists who act against Israel."
The official also claimed to possess evidence concerning her activities but did not provide it. The woman maintains that she has not participated in violent confrontations.
The Jewish Agency confirmed that the Population and Immigration Authority is responsible for implementing the Law of Return and declined to discuss the individual cases, citing privacy considerations.
The Population Authority stated that both applications had been received and were being evaluated separately on their individual merits. It added that the applicants would be formally informed once decisions were reached.