Israel Halts Aliyah for Two Pro-Palestinian Activists

Israeli authorities have halted the immigration process for two individuals, a British citizen and a U.S. citizen, who were seeking to immigrate to Israel under the Law of Return. Both individuals, in their early twenties and not known to each other, had previously participated in "presence in solidarity" activities in Palestinian villages in the West Bank, aiming to document alleged settler and military violence. Their applications for aliyah, processed by the Jewish Agency, were initially approved before being suspended by the Population and Immigration Authority, which has not provided a reason for the decision.

One individual, Lawrence (Yaakov) Shenkin from London, had lived in Israel previously on a student visa and later joined the far-left organization "Bnei Avraham." He reported that after participating in solidarity actions in Hebron and the Jordan Valley, his passport was photographed by a settlement security coordinator. Subsequently, his electronic travel authorization (ETA) was canceled. He then initiated the aliyah process, but after traveling to London, his return ETA was denied. Upon reapplying for aliyah through the Jewish Agency in London, his right to immigrate was approved, only for the decision to be reversed less than a month later, citing "Article 40 of the Law of Return."

Article 40, an amendment that took effect last year, prohibits entry for individuals who deny the Holocaust or the events of October 7, or who call for boycotting Israel or prosecuting IDF soldiers abroad. The American woman faced a similar situation after being detained with a group of activists near the Neve Daniel settlement in June 2025. Her passport was photographed, her ETA was later canceled, and her subsequent aliyah application, initially approved by the Jewish Agency, was ultimately rescinded and sent back for review.

Both individuals had their ETA permits canceled approximately six months after their passports were photographed by Israeli security forces during their solidarity activities. They then pursued immigration to Israel through the Law of Return, with their initial applications being approved before the final decision was reversed.