The Supreme Court of Justice of Israel (High Court of Justice) by its decision canceled the order of the Minister of Internal Affairs of the country, Ayelet Shaked, to deprive Ukrainian citizens of the right to visa-free entry to Israel, which was introduced after the outbreak of a full-scale war in Ukraine, NEWSru.co.il reports. Sunday.
“According to the decision of the High Court of Justice, citizens of Ukraine will be able to enter Israel for three months without the need to submit a special request for this. This practice was introduced by the decision of the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs after the start of the war in Ukraine,” the report says.
It clarifies that the court also ordered the defendant (the State of Israel) to pay legal costs in the amount of 20,000 shekels.
As reported, Tomer Varsh’s law office in Israel filed a petition with the High Court against the decision of Israeli Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked to limit the number of Ukrainian refugees in Israel to 5,000. The Embassy of Ukraine expressed support for the petition.
The plaintiffs demanded that the Israeli authorities adhere to interstate agreements on visa-free entry to Israel for citizens of Ukraine. The High Court of Justice at a meeting on March 21, given that the term of the “scheme” for accepting Ukrainian refugees, proposed by the Minister of Internal Affairs Ayelet Shaked, expires on March 27, and the Committee on Internal Affairs must discuss this issue on March 23, took the following decision: The defendants must submit an application for decision within 24 hours after it is made, but no later than March 28.
The embassy statement indicates that the court recognized the existence of legal decisions regarding the consideration of the issue of entry of Ukrainian citizens to Israel. The statement also said that “Interior Minister Shaked and the Knesset Home Affairs Committee will ‘rethink’ the current entry policy and allow the entry of Ukrainian citizens ‘without any preconditions’.”
