Jerusalem Court Blocks Deportation of Telma Kasao, Allowing Her to Stay with Family

The Jerusalem Appeals Court issued a temporary injunction preventing the deportation of Telma Kasao, a mother of an Israeli citizen daughter and partner to an Israeli man. This ruling follows a report by N12 about the Population and Immigration Authority's decision that threatened to separate her from her family. Kasao will now be able to remain in Israel alongside her partner Eyal Lev and their children while the legal battle over her residency continues through her lawyers from the Warsaw & Yitzan law firm.

The Population and Immigration Authority initially sought Kasao's removal due to her failure to divorce her previous husband of nearly 30 years, despite tests confirming her exclusive relationship with Lev. The authority had repeatedly requested she sever ties with Lev to regularize her status but ultimately denied her extension request and ordered her to leave the country. Ronit Elian, head of the Authority's Visas and Status Department, wrote to Kasao's lawyers emphasizing that the right to family life for an Israeli is relative and not absolute.

Kasao's 16-year-old daughter, Adi Lev, expressed her distress over the decision, stating she was born and raised in Israel and could not understand how the country could decide her mother must leave. She pleaded for the decision-makers to recognize the impact on her family, saying, "I am not asking for special treatment, just that my mother stays with me." The court has ordered the Population and Immigration Authority to respond to the appeal, and the legal proceedings will continue.