Success: Falsely detained American to receive citizenship

Sunday, February 12, 2017, 15:27 An American Jew was astonished to discover that the Interior Ministry refused his request for citizenship and also canceled his visa due to a detention which the court had already ruled was false. After a legal struggle in which Honenu Attorney Rehavia Piltz represented him, his visa was reissued and he is expected to receive citizenship soon.
Over the past few years Honenu has handled many similar outrageous cases, and each time it seems that a record has been broken, such as in this case. A’, an American hareidi Jew residing in Jerusalem, has lived and worked in recent years in Israel and is married to an Israeli citizen. They have several children. When he requested citizenship by right of the Law of Return, he encountered opposition in the Interior Ministry because he had been detained on the Temple Mount. He is suing the police over the detention, which the court ruled at the time was false.
A’ was detained approximately two years ago on suspicion of disturbing a policeman in the line of duty and disturbing the public peace on the Temple Mount. The incident began when Muslim women and Waqf personnel shouted at a group of Jews, some of whom then demanded that the Temple Mount police detain the Muslims. The Jews themselves were detained. A’ was taken to court and represented by a Honenu Attorney. The court ruled that A’ had been unjustifiably detained and unconditionally released him.
Honenu Attorney Menasheh Yado filed a civil suit on behalf of A’ for the illegal detention and search. The suit is currently being judged in the Jerusalem Magistrate Court.
With the assistance of “Nefesh b’Nefesh”, A’ recently filed a request to receive citizenship at the Interior Ministry and was told that because of his detention and the case currently being tried, he could not receive citizenship. In addition to halting the aliyah process, the Interior Ministry halted A’s temporary residence visa, which led to a cessation of his Social Security rights.
Honenu Attorney Menasheh Yado sent an urgent request to the Interior Ministry demanding that the illegal decision be reversed. Simultaneously Honenu Attorney Rehavia Piltz worked on closing the criminal case against A’. The police have announced that the case is being closed. Yado has been updated that the Interior Ministry has returned A’s visa and soon will complete his Israeli naturalization process.
Honenu Attorney Menasheh Yado: “This has been a Kafkaesque case in which a new immigrant who made Israel his home was falsely detained, the court ruled accordingly and yet as a result of the case the Interior Ministry revoked his temporary residence visa and prevented him from receiving citizenship by the right of the Law of Return and his Social Security rights. We are pleased that with the cooperation of several offices we succeeded in straightening out this embarrassing situation. My client will be able to receive his citizenship in the same manner as every Jew who returns to his land and his country.