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Family of actors from Norway denied entry to Israel
By Yuval Azoulay

A Norwegian family of actors has been denied entry to Israel, because the Interior Ministry believes they may try to settle here.

The family members play the main roles in the musical "The Covenant," which tells the story of the People of Israel. They were planning to perform around Israel this summer.
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The couple, Elizabeth and Robert Muren, wrote and composed the musical about the history of the Jewish People from Abraham until today. The late Israeli composer Ehud Manor translated the show into Hebrew, and even wrote the family a letter of recommendation, calling them "wonderful and talented ... enthusiastic Zionists and true lovers of the State of Israel and the Jewish People."

The couple's children also appear in the play.

The play is performed in Hebrew here. Most of the actors do not know Hebrew, but they memorized the words.

The Murens have visited Israel and performed many times, on tourist visas. They came with their two children and lived in Jerusalem, and sought residency status for their children, as the children of foreign workers. In 2006 the Ministry rejected their request. Their appeal was also denied, and they were forced to leave the country.

In preparation for this summer's production, the couple applied a year ago to the Industry, Trade and Labor Ministry, asking for a special artist's visa for Robert. To receive the visa, he established a firm, Covenant Productions, and paid a $1,000 fee as a "special foreign worker." The Industry and Trade Ministry granted him a one-year work visa in principle, with the option of a five-year extension. However, the Interior Ministry's Population Registry took 10 months to handle the request, and finally granted entrance only to Robert, and not the rest of the family, the family's lawyer said said.

"The family recently applied for entry permits claiming they were artists. In consideration of the family, it was decided to allow the father to enter Israel without the rest of the family, out of fears they would settle here, since they have resided in Israel for a considerable time in the past ... We do not see any reason to change our decision , which any other country would have made," the Interior Ministry told Haaretz.
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