Fourth Generation of Jewish Male

Grandchildren of a Jewish grandfather, who are not considered Jewish according to Jewish religious law, are entitled to Israeli citizenship as are their spouses.  Children of such couples, fourth generation descendants of Jews, are not entitled to automatic citizenship as are their parents. According to estimates by AMF, there are approximately 4,000 individuals in Israel who are fourth generation descendants of Jews.

The Ministry of Interior's internal regulations grants temporary residency to fourth generation descendants of Jews for a period of four years, which is renewed on a yearly basis. At the end of this period, the Ministry is supposed to grant them Israeli citizenship. In order to meet the eligibility criteria for this regulation, these individuals must meet numerous conditions set down by the Ministry, such as arriving in Israel prior to age 17 ? along with their parents.

The naturalization process, however, is often dragged out for years on end because Ministry officials do not operate according to the regulations or because immigrant families do not know or understand that they have to submit an official request to receive citizenship. The regulations and criteria by which the Ministry is supposed to operate are not publicized and are certainly unclear to immigrant families who are not sufficiently proficient in Hebrew.

This situation creates uncertainty for many immigrant families, who are unclear about their children's legal civil status. These children, who have grown up in Israel, realize as they get older that they are not assured a permanent legal civil status in Israel, despite the fact that this country has become their home and even though their parents are full Israeli citizens. 

Personal Story: Story of the A. Family, Haifa