By: Mahmud ‘Abdo Salem.
(Exclusively for al-Zaytouna Centre).
This paper investigates the phenomenon of migration to Israel in which hundreds of thousands of Christians and non-Jews have settled under the Israeli Law of Return. A law originally designed as an exclusive gateway for Jews, within the broader waves of migration from the former Soviet Union and Ethiopia since the late 1980s. Furthermore, it examines the emergence of groups adhering to what is commonly referred to as “Messianic Judaism,” a faith that synthesizes elements of both Judaism and Christianity.
The study seeks to assess the scope and historical context of this phenomenon, while also considering the political, social, economic and legal conditions shaping these migrations. Furthermore, it explores the attitudes of Israeli society toward these groups and the ways in which the legal framework governing migration has contributed to the development and persistence of this unique phenomenon.
The importance of this paper, authored by Mahmud ‘Abdo Salem and published by Al-Zaytouna Center for Studies and Consultations, in Arabic, lies in its examination of the structural contradiction between Israel’s self-definition as a “Jewish democratic state” and its actual integration of migrants whose Jewish identity is not formally recognized.
In this study, Salem critically analyzes Israeli migration policies, noting that they continue to lack a modern and coherent legal framework. Instead, they rely on legislation from the 1950s, including the Law of Return of 1950 and the Nationality Law of 1952, which effectively allowed non-Jews to enter Israel as relatives of Jewish migrants. For example, migration from the former Soviet Union alone brought nearly 300 thousand non-Jewish migrants during the 1990s, many of whom were recorded as either non-religious or Christian. Similarly, Ethiopian migration included the “Falash Mura,” who had converted to Christianity and later sought to return to Judaism to obtain Israeli citizenship.
The paper further highlights the case of Messianic Jews, who faced official rejection of recognition as Jews despite their persistent legal efforts to secure the right to migrate. Notably, Salem cites the 1989 Supreme Court case of Gary and Shirley Beresford, who sought Israeli citizenship but were denied on the grounds of being “members of another religion.”
Salem emphasizes that these migrants experience social, religious and legal discrimination that affects areas such as marriage, burial and political participation, confronting them with immediate challenges of identity within Israel. At the same time, they must navigate the Israeli legal and social reality into which they have been incorporated, either by integrating into Jewish society and accepting a Jewish identity or by maintaining their religious and cultural affiliation while advocating for equality with other Israeli Jews.
The paper concludes that Israel’s decision to permit the migration of non-Jews was driven less by humanitarian considerations than by demographic imperatives aimed at strengthening the country’s human capital. Nevertheless, this policy has placed Israel in a persistent identity dilemma: as the state increasingly asserts its “Jewish character,” its democratic dimension correspondingly diminishes, giving rise to exclusionary and discriminatory practices. This dynamic is vividly illustrated by the 2018 Nation State Law, which enshrined Hebrew as the sole official language while rescinding the official status of Arabic, an action that highlights the primacy of the Jewish identity over democratic and pluralistic principles.
| Click here to download: >> Academic Paper: Christians and Non-Jews in Jewish Migrations to Israel … Mahmud ‘Abdo Salem (Arabic)  (33 pages, 1.9 MB) |
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