Sheetrit: Limit Law of Return; some JA governors storm out

Interior Minister Meir Sheetrit called yesterday for a change in the Law of Return to be more circumspect about quickly granting citizenship.

Speaking at a meeting of the Board of Governors of the Jewish Agency, Sheetrit said that every Jew who wishes to come to Israel should be permitted to do so, but there is no need to grant citizenship to them "five minutes later."

Some of the members of the Board of Governors walked out of the meeting to protest Sheetrit's statements.

"Sheetrit expressed his personal opinion and the Agency continues to oppose changes to the Law of Return," Richard Pearlstone, the chairman of the board, said after the meeting.

The interior minister was particularly critical of the immigration to Israel of "lost tribes," saying that he will insist on ending this phenomenon.

Stop "bringing immigrants by force," Sheetrit said. "Immigration should only be by choice. There is a need to change the Law of Return so that Israel can conduct itself as a country and not as a committee for the Jewish people.

"I want to make sure that we are not dealing with a criminal who emigrates, learns Hebrew, and waits a few years to get his citizenship," Sheetrit said.

A special committee on immigration was set up when MK Ophir Pines-Paz was interior minister in the previous government. Sheetrit told Haaretz that he has read the committee's report and will bring its conclusions to the government for deliberation.

Sheetrit also charged that there is a great deal of fraud involving immigration, and cases in which immigrants are not eligible for citizenship but manage to acquire such status.