The publication of the coalition agreements, after they were finally signed in the last few days, it can be said that an agreement was reached on the most complex and perhaps also the most explosive issue of them – the grandson clause. According to the agreement between the Likud and Judaism and the Torah and “religious Zionism”, a new version of the Law of Return will be enacted by March 31, 2023, in a little more than three months. It was also agreed that the wording of the proposal would be determined within 60 days from the date of the swearing in of the government, in a committee that will include all coalition representatives.
The negotiations on the issue were particularly complex, when the Likud asked to consider more moderate alternatives to the partnership requirement, which sought to completely abolish the “grandchild clause” in the Law of Return, which allows the descendants of a Jewish person up to the third generation to immigrate to Israel as a new immigrant. According to the argument supporting the cancellation of the section, most of these eligible people today are not Jewish, and do not convert to Orthodoxy upon their arrival in Israel.
The clause in the coalition agreements states that “In light of the need to fulfill the purposes of the Law of Return and bring about the immigration of Jews to Israel, in light of the distribution and characteristics of immigration in recent years, in light of the difficulties and loopholes created by the Grandchild Clause in the Law of Return and the need to prevent assimilation in Israel and to prevent abuse of the rights that the state gives to immigrants by immigrants who return to their country of origin Shortly after their immigration to Israel – until the passage of the state budget for 2023, the legislative amendments required to support the proper immigration policy will be carried out.”
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In a recent interview on the American NBC network, Prime Minister-designate Netanyahu said there would be no change in the clause, but agreed to discuss it. “There will be a long and in-depth discussion, but I doubt there will be a change. This will require an in-depth discussion – you don’t do it suddenly. You know, I was always looking for ‘creativity’ in these issues, and also to help with conversion issues, and I always tried to think of solutions outside the box,” he said.
However, the “Religious Zionism” party insisted, and the section regarding the necessary changes in the law was inserted. “We will stand by it, it is one of the biggest threats to Israeli demography, to the country’s Jewish identity and assimilation,” said Finance Minister-designate Smotrich. In Likud, opinions are divided as to his promotion, with MK Yuli Edelstein leading the opposition and firmly asserting that the clause should not be changed, a similar position was presented by the chairman of Israel Beitenu, Avigdor Lieberman, who attacked the coalition for his promotion.
The “Center for Israeli Immigration Policy”, which promoted the introduction of the requirement to the coalition agreements, welcomed the conclusion and said: “After many months of work to assemble the coalition to amend the Law of Return, the move is now being implemented. The goal before our eyes is to stop the absurd situation in which immigration to Israel creates a demographic deficit For the Jewish majority. The data we revealed to the elected officials led to the fact that there is not a person left who does not understand the need for an amendment to the Law of Return.”