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Israelis pursue European passports

April 5, 2014 at 3:18 pm

Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahrnoth ran an online story on Monday titled “The pursuit of European passports: ‘There’s somewhere to escape to.'”

The newspaper reported that the Spanish government has approved a law allowing the descendants of Sephardic Jews who were expelled from Spain in 1492 (in the context of the fall of Andalusia and the expulsion of the Arabs) to claim Spanish citizenship without having to relinquish the citizenship of the countries where they currently reside.


In introducing the report, the newspaper noted that the Spanish law “allows for thousands of Israelis to dream that in the event of an economic and security collapse, there will be a place to turn to.” It added that, “The Spanish law allowing Jews to claim Spanish citizenship gives many Israelis a chance to dream, have a backup plan.”

According to Yedioth Ahrnoth, “Estimates place the size of the eligible demographic at 3.5 million Jews.”

“At the same time,” it observed, “many questions arise: Why are so many Israelis searching for their surnames on the list, why is the option of leaving the country being considered so seriously, and what are the reasons for the pursuit for the European passport?”

The newspaper quoted Professor Yossi Shain, head of the Political Science Department at Tel Aviv University, as saying, “Some will say that these options are in case of times of emergency, and that it is part of the history of the Jewish people, but we live in a global world in which many people have multiple citizenships. This is not a matter of lack of patriotism, but an economic opportunity and a chance to be a citizen of the world.”

However, Shain also pointed to the security aspect: “Because of the reality in the Middle East and our geographical location, Israelis are always traveling.”

For example, “People who apply for Polish passports are taking advantage of opportunities. On the other hand, for many Israelis these options are not appealing. Others do not want to start a family abroad,” Shain said, highlighting Israelis’ attachment to the Israeli culture.

A professor at Ben-Gurion University stated that he is not surprised by Israelis’ pursuit of European passports. “The Zionist assumption that the establishment of a Jewish state would give them a ‘safe haven’, as stated in the Zionist Congress in Basel, seems very distant today. If there’s a place that’s the least safe for Jews, it’s the Jewish state,” argued Professor Zeev Tzahor, who is also the former president of Sapir College.

“Even if not everyone admits it, some Israelis who are aware of the Jewish history, prepare a shelter for themselves, like every generation tends to do, to be on the safe side. That’s the main reason for the attraction of the foreign passport,” he added.

Among the reasons why Israelis are seeking a European passport, according to Tzahor, is that it allows its owners the benefits of all countries belonging to the European Union.