- BIST10011,554-1.43%
- USD49.45+0.05%
- EUR55.62+0.37%
- GOLD4,181.200.00%
- INTEREST37.00%-1.00
- BITCOIN82,126+0.14%
- October 19, 202617°
- BIST10011,554-1.43%
- USD49.45+0.05%
- EUR55.62+0.37%
- GOLD4,181.200.00%
- INTEREST37.00%-1.00
- BITCOIN82,126+0.14%
- October 19, 202617°
Israel rejects applications from two Jews defending Palestinians in West Bank
Israeli authorities rejected the refugee-status and immigration applications of two Jews supporting Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. The applicants, whose cases were rejected despite approval by the Jewish Agency, said they had documented attacks against Palestinians in the area.
The refugee-status and immigration applications in Israel of two Jews supporting Palestinians in the occupied West Bank were rejected.
One of the applicants is a 27-year-old U.S. citizen who has not disclosed her name, while the other is British citizen Lawrence Yakov Sheinkin. The two were in the West Bank to document attacks against Palestinians and support Palestinians in the area.
The Israeli army seized the two individuals’ passports. Although the Jewish Agency, which handles the official procedures for Jews coming to Israel from Western countries, approved the applications, Israel’s Population and Immigration Authority rejected them without giving a reason.
Sheinkin’s visa and immigration applications
In 2023, Sheinkin joined the Sons of Abraham group, founded by religious Jews to protect Palestinians from attacks by radical Israeli settlers.
Sheinkin said Gabriel Kalish, who claims to be the head of the illegal settlement of Mevo Yericho, threatened to deport him last year and took his passport details.
Sheinkin said he received an email about nine months ago informing him that his electronic visa had been canceled by Israel’s Population and Immigration Authority. He said his subsequent application for a new visa was also rejected. He added that he reapplied for immigration through the Jewish Agency and learned in a second email that the immigration process had been temporarily suspended, even though the application had been approved.
The U.S. citizen, who did not want her name disclosed, said the purpose of their presence in the West Bank was to document violence carried out by settlers. The immigration applications of the two were rejected even though neither had been involved in any act of violence.
Growing pressure in the West Bank and East Jerusalem
There had previously been reports of Jews in the area who sought to protect Palestinians from settler violence being systematically deported.
Since Israel began its attacks on Gaza in October 2023, detentions, raids and attacks against Palestinians have increased in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.
Human rights organizations have emphasized that violence by Jewish settlers in the West Bank, which has been under occupation since 1967, increased significantly in 2025 and led to mass deportations.
Stay Updated with Hilal Times
Subscribe to be informed about special news, developments and announcements. We will keep you informed.
By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy
