Israel Citizenship: Knesset Delays Discussion of Restrictions for One Month

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Israel is preparing to review amendments to the Law of Return, one of the key pieces of legislation determining the right to citizenship for Jews and their descendants. The discussion of the initiative to exclude grandchildren from eligibility was scheduled for July 6, 2025, in the Ministerial Committee for Legislation but did not take place. As reported by The Times of Israel, the discussion has been postponed for at least a month due to disagreements within the coalition.

The proposed bill seeks to repeal the provision, in effect since 1970, granting the right to citizenship to descendants of Jews up to the third generation—even if they are not recognized as Jewish under religious law. Thanks to this provision, hundreds of thousands of people have immigrated to Israel. Critics argue that it opens the door to immigration by people who no longer have ties to Jewish tradition or identity.

The initiator of the changes is Avi Maoz, a member of the far-right Noam party. In March, he left the coalition, claiming that the government was not consistent enough in promoting a religious-nationalist agenda. Maoz is also pushing a bill to ban discussions of LGBT topics in schools. The explanatory note to his initiative states that the current version of the law opens doors to those who do not identify as Jewish. According to the authors, this contradicts the original purpose of the Law of Return, which should serve as a tool for the repatriation of Jews from the diaspora.



Opponents of the amendments recall that the expansion of the law in 1970 was partly a response to the Nazi Nuremberg Laws, which persecuted people even with one Jewish ancestor. Additionally, the provision allowed tens of thousands of immigrants from the former USSR, where due to persecution, many did not meet religious criteria but retained a Jewish identity. Rabbi Stuart Weinblatt, head of the Coalition of Zionist Rabbis, called for consideration of the position of the Jewish diaspora. According to him, Israel should not close itself off but use the desire for return as an opportunity to strengthen the community.

Supporters of the reform—including Likud MKs, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, Simcha Rothman, and representatives of the Haredi parties—insist on maintaining religious standards. Under Jewish religious law, Jewish identity is determined through the maternal line or conversion (giyur), and only such criteria, they argue, should form the basis of the legislation.

Maoz raised the issue of repealing the “grandchildren amendment” back in 2023. At that time, the focus was on potential immigrants from the former USSR, where nationality is traditionally defined through the father. As of that period, about 500,000 people without religious affiliation were living in Israel. Among Russian-speaking immigrants, 94% considered themselves Jewish, even though the Rabbinate recognized only 74% as such. Almost half stated they would be willing to undergo conversion if treated with greater respect by the state.

That same year, the Supreme Court expanded the law’s scope, equating widows and widowers of children or grandchildren of Jews with potential immigrants. Maoz strongly criticized this decision, claiming that such provisions allow for “religious deception”—for instance, granting repatriation rights to a person who regularly attends church.

Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi (Likud) supports repealing the provision. According to him, the 1970 amendment was a temporary reaction to anti-Semitism, but now it is used by economic migrants. He also accused the Yisrael Beiteinu party and its leader Avigdor Lieberman of bringing into the country people who have no connection to Judaism and who quickly leave after receiving citizenship.

In response, Lieberman reminded that more than 7,000 soldiers of partial Jewish descent serve in the army. According to him, they are “far more Jewish than those who avoid service and weaken Israel’s security.” MK Vladimir Beliak (Yesh Atid) noted that during the war with Hamas, dozens of immigrant soldiers were killed or injured. Gilad Kariv (Labor) added that the contribution of Russian-speaking Israelis to the country’s social and defense life cannot be underestimated.



Today, most coalition parties express readiness to support repealing the “grandchildren amendment.” The main obstacle remains the veto power of Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar (New Hope), enshrined in the coalition agreement. However, if his party merges with Likud, he could lose this option.

While the bill discussion is postponed, the debate over the future of the Law of Return has once again highlighted internal divisions in Israeli society—between secular and religious approaches to Jewish identity, and between Israel’s decision-making center and the voice of the diaspora. The final decision on the initiative will depend not only on the parliamentary majority but also on the balance of interests within the coalition, for whom the issue of repatriation has become not merely a legal matter but an ideological fault line.

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