Israel Giving Permits to Foreign Nationals Seeking to Leave Country and Return

In the wake of the Meron tragedy, the Israeli government has arranged a special permit for foreign nationals currently in Israel to travel abroad briefly and return despite ongoing restrictions on air travel.

The new policy is intended to benefit the many American and European students who were injured or traumatized at Meron and haven’t been able to see their parents, but it applies to any student or other visa holder in Israel.

Those who wish to leave and return must submit an application to the Israeli Population and Immigration Authority seven days before their scheduled flight out of Israel.

Applicants must submit a passport photo, a photo of a return ticket, and a photo of permit for residency in Israel or a student visa or letter from a yeshiva in Israel.

The form is available here

For further information, call *3450 or 074-7083450 or info@piba.gov.il.

The Israeli government has still not made any allowances for parents of students traumatized in Meron, to enter the country and visit their children. An op-ed on Hamodia.com on Sunday detailed these families’ plight, and as of Monday afternoon, Yaakov Lopiansky, administrator at Yeshivas Mir in New York, as well as Yanky Meyer of Misaskim, tell Hamodia that there has been no progress on this front.