Israeli Holocaust survivor's last relative may be forced to leave
Anna Jagnos-Paliashkon, 80, asks High Court not to deport son-in-law, only relative able to aid her.
By Shahar Ilan Tags: Israel immigration Holocaust survivors Israel High CourtLast month Anna Jagnos-Paliashkon, 80, petitioned the High Court of Justice to protect what is left of her family. Jagnos, a Holocaust survivor, immigrated to Israel five years ago with her family from the Ukrainian city of Simferopol.
Her husband is in a geriatric hospital. Her daughter died of cancer a year ago. She herself underwent open-heart surgery last July. And now the Interior Ministry wants to deport her son-in-law, Sergei Dzhedan, who takes care of her, because his wife died before he completed the naturalization process.
The petition by Jagnos and Dzhedan, both Be'er Sheva residents, was filed by attorney Sarah Lewis of the Israel Religious Action Center (IRAC), the Reform Movement's legal arm.
In a letter attached to the petition, members of Jagnos' golden agers club wrote: "Anna has been left completely alone. This whole time her son-in-law has been by her side, helping her wholeheartedly, supporting and treating her like his mother. We are impressed by the way he treats his wife's parents and ask that consideration be shown for these lonely people."
Normally, it is non-Jewish widows of Israeli husbands whom the Interior Ministry seeks to deport. Dzhedan is evidently the only widower who has petitioned the High Court against his deportation. He worked as a ship's helmsman in Ukraine. In 1999 he met Irina Kryakin, Jagnos' daughter, who was an Israeli citizen.
Kryakin returned to Israel in 2002, followed by her husband and parents. They all shared an apartment. Dzhedan found steady work as an electrician on projects throughout Israel.
In Israel, Dzhedan discovered that his wife had cancer, which he says she hid from him until she began receiving chemotherapy. Kryakin died in December 2006.
Dzhedan completed more than four years of the naturalization process. Nonetheless, the Interior Ministry refuses to grant him citizenship.
Dzhedan's petition joins more than 10 others IRAC has filed on behalf of non-Jewish widows threatened with deportation. Under pressure from the court, the Interior Ministry published in the summer of 2006 a regulation on granting legal status to widows, but it hardly obligates the ministry.
Under this regulation, widows with children are referred to the inter-ministry committee for humanitarian cases only after they have completed at least half of the naturalization process. Thus it is possible that widows with babies who are Israeli citizens could be deported with their children. Childless widows are referred after completing three years of the process. The committee is under no obligation to grant the widows legal status.
Dzhedan completed four years and two months of the naturalization process. His application was discussed by the committee and rejected last August. Lewis claims this raises the concern that the Interior Ministry's regulation was really formulated just for show in court, "without any serious intention of implementing it."
Ministry spokeswoman Sabine Hadad claims that Dzhedan completed less than three years of the naturalization process, and therefore does not meet the necessary criteria.
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Anna Jagnos-Paliashkon, 80, and her son-in-law whom she has petitioned the High Court not to deport as he is her sole able-bodied family-member and carer in Israel. (Alberto Dankberg) |
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#3 dont blame Zionism or Zionist for the stupid act. If he lived in a Muslim country he would never have able to enter.
Why would he want to stay in such a racist country?
They would have throw out Ruth too.
The Interior Ministry in Israel is in very odd situation. First, it is always run on political, ethnic and family links. Second, it hates and it is hated. An immigrant part is a small part in this ministry. A majority of its clerks (including former immigrants from all over the world) in the relevant to immigration departments are driven by an instinctive hate to immigrants. But what can you do if your job is judged on a base of how many foreigners you sent back or to how many -0%, 25%, 50% and 75%- Jewish-fraction immigrants you uncovered? You need to have a certain personality to want to work there, but someone must do this janitor job. What would you do if you worked there? I would start from removing the nationality note in the teudat ole from Jew or Unidentified to Zionist or not-Zionist or anti-Zionist. Then, I would ask this Ukrainian guy is he is the first, second or third. After that, I would make a decision.
You have loads of Ozeret's in Israel that came from abroad--They came to make money, this fellow came to help--You made room for the Darfurian's, make room for one more--It's a mitzvah
Let’s start from the point: Keep Israel Jewish. Why are people, who share your view, not honest enough to put facts on the table? If the family of the old lady and thousands more couples of mixed marriage had the possibility to face truth at the Jewish agency office in Moscow or Kiev, things were certainly different. These people could try and immigrate to Canada or any other immigration country and Israel could have people who are 100% Jews. But not you or anyone who shares your view had ever protested against the Jewish Agency and the State letting mixed families into Israel. Nor did you protest against the idea the sons of these families will serve in the Israeli army. Nice try HM
Is he Jewish? No. Keep Israel Jewish!
The Israeli Home affairs ministry is subjected to people who are living according to Medieval Laws. There is very little difference between them and the Ayatollah’s of Iran. The rules they make are not fitted to serve a modern country in the 21 century. You write: I am an Israeli and love the country. Though, you have problems because of your faith in the Messiah. What ridicules? Is changing of faith not a personal right and private matter of every human being? On what base can your citizenship be cancelled? You are Israeli, paying taxes, serving in the army and Israel is your country. Can you imagine that the US will kick out a Texan citizen only because he converted himself from the Methodist church to let say Rastafari?
And what is he to you Eric--Just love to stick your nose into the business of others--I, for one say he is entitled to stay. Of course, I have the right to say so, being a co-religionist of the survivor--You, however, are just an agitator--
If Israel made room for all the Sudanese, that have no connection to Israel, then certainly she can provide for the sole kin of a survivor--
Your posting question the right of the State of Israel to Exist? The answer is YES. Every country has the basic right to exist, even villain countries and there are many of them. How the subjects of country X live or what government they elect, is their business. If the Israelis prefer a legislation that has a lot in common with the Nurnberg laws; it’s OK for them. The Jewish Agency and the State of Israel have not the right to extract deceivable information abroad concerning the birthright of Jews and the immigration possibilities to Israel. There is no reason to mislaid aspirant immigrants of mixed marriages and persons who are only half Jews.
The government of Israel should let this man stay! They're heartless, leaving Anna at the mercy of the Israeli system, which are known pariahs. They'll steal every last thing she's got, which is why they want to deport her son-in-law. And deprive him of any bequests she may have left him.
The Israeli Governement should show humanity in letting this man stay with her elderly sick parent. This is a obligation by every standart of human solidarity in this world, and specially by us Jews. Israel has taken so much migrants without any link with the country to permit this man who has a clear link with a jewish parent.
This is a prime example including the way that the State of Israel cares for the elderly - DOES HAVE THE STATE OF ISRAEL THE RIGHT OT EXIST? Well from my personal experiences ISREAL DEFENITELY HAS NO RIGH TO EXIST more so after intending to split Jerusalem Yes and I served in the army and fought in several wars in the belief Israel was more important that my life ? now this question is obsolete
It's ok to let Palestinians, Somali, Sudanese stay but Israel wantds to kill off a poor Holocaust victim for lack of help? There are Filipino , Roumanian and so many others who are in Israel--some illegially and you want to deport the widower of an Israeli citizen one who is humanely caring for his poor Holocaust victim mother-in-law? Shame shame.
I am an Israeli love the country and it has many wonderful things but we have an interior ministry that does not act in a right way . Many times they make up rules as they go along and if they get found out they lie through their teeth . I have problems because of my faith in the Messiah. I served in the army and still volunteer and my son is in the paratroopers and they want cancel my citizenship . I am a Jew and if Mr Hitler was alive and in power he would also deport me to a camp and if i would survive i would be a holocaust survivor how would they treat me ? I think they are heartless and cruel bureaucrats who should act in the good of the country.
History tell us, Hitler kill 6 mio.Jews and a few 100000 survived the holocaust(Wiesenthal center) Of the 1.6 million Jewish children who lived in Europe before WWII, only 100,000 survived the Holocaust. Most were hidden children, shuttered away in attics, cellars, convents or farms. This hour long documentary, is Maud Dahme's story of courage, hope and bravery in the face of evil and death. It chronicles the wartime experiences of Dahme, one of an estimated 5,000 Jewish children hidden from the Nazis by righteous gentiles in the Netherlands. In the year 2000 Israel said there were one million holocaust survivors still alive and many are in financial need. That number is corroborated close enough[3] by other Jewish sources. Survivor implies something escapes by the skin of one's teeth and it certainly is terrible that so many are in financial need. Cue the extortion music. [urls to official claims of this number]
I can only surmise by your attack on Judy that you are one of those wonderful xenophobic Israelis who believe that what occurs inside of Israel's borders is of no concern to anyone. Well guess again Einstein, Israel would not be standing if not for the tireless and generous efforts of many dedicated Jews in North America. When an obvious injustice occurs it is incumbent upon people like Judy to add perspective to the issue so people like you do not totally destroy Israel's good will with your narrow minded views. What's it to you?
He should have been allowed to stay even if he had not been a loyal son in law. Zero cheers for the immigration authorities.
What kind of a world do we live in? For heavens sake let the man stay and continue to be the only physical and emotional support for his 'mother', as he calls her. How heartless can we be. What will happen to her? If this is the heartless way we have become, it is no honor to live in this country! Cruelty, especially towards the elderly (I'm nearly 80) has become the norm. For any amount of help, the paperwork, and humiliation we have to go through to get an hour of help, is criminal. It's o.k. to spend thousands of shekels on kids events at Chanukah, but where are the miracles for the elderly? Let him stay, and show some humanity.
The shameful situation sketched by Sahar Ilan points out the disability of the State of Israel to cope with immigration issues. It was obviously clear that great deal immigration from the Soviet Union will consist of mixed families. Why legislation was not adapted to the situation created by so many immigrants? What did the Jewish agency or the State of Israel expect? If the state was not interested in mixed family, why nobody told them in Russia the truth, so they could change their immigration planes? Why does the State of Israel expect immigration of Jews from Western countries, where the number of mixed marriages is far higher than in the former Soviet Union? I have no idea how it is in France, but in Holland more than 75% of the Jews are mixed married and in Scandinavia is the percentage even higher.
Israeli racism isn't only anti-Arab. It's equal opportunity racism. Jews need not apply.
Variances are made for Arabs for severe family reasons. Certainly a loyal person like Sergei Dzhedan who would take such good care of a mother-in-law deserves a variance from the strict letter of the law.
He shall be honoured as a true friend of Israel and irrespective of religion granted permanent residency. He poses no threat to the society or way of life. He seeks to prolong the history of Israel if anything in caring for one of the true reason's of it's own establishment - a Holocaust survivor. This man is no enemy of Israel. Let him stay. PS. She looks good for her age!
which we read about here, more and more often serve to remind many of us who would like to have a reason to support Israel that it is becoming a society where the concept of compassion is outside the scope of comprehension. Even those of more conservative/nationalistic political inclinations may have a hard time imagining themselves living in such a society, and eventually I predict they will stop supporting you as well. You are like the schoolyard outcast who was mercilessly picked on, suddenly become an expert in martial arts, and goes on to mercilessly pick on someone else. Doing unto others as they have done unto you only begets more suffering in the world. Shame on you.
similar to ones which existed in a certain central European country during the first half of the 20th century...
Israel is becoming a ridiculous country! Here is proof - again - of the stupidity that permeates the entire legal, social, political system. A light unto the nations? It blew out years ago! Wake up and clean up your act!
Please compare the attitude of solidarity and humanity you can find in must jewish communities through the world to the attitudes of the state of Israel and you will understand why less and less jews outside Israel identify with zionism.