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[phoebebeast]

Four days till we leave.  D spent today at home, mostly not working.  I started my day at the Ministry of Interior.  Yes, folks, the game is up - the Israeli government has finally figured out that I'm married and I have kids.  Whoops.  I guess this is what comes of spending longer than three months here.  D went to renew the tourist visa he and

Comments

[iswari]

So today I went to get the kids written permission to leave the country on a foreign passport and began the process of turning them into Israeli citizens. D is not pleased at all but has realized that the game is up, and really, there was no way to keep this from eventually happening.

What are the implications?

Will they have to return to Israel and serve in the army?

[phoebebeast]

There are a few implications. First of all, they won't have to come back for the army - after all, many Israelis move abroad and their children remain in there unless they specifically want to return (and serve). However, once they reach their late teens they'll have to come to Israel with a letter from the consulate which will explain that they live abroad and will request that they not be detained at the border.

If they choose to move back to Israel, as adults, they will do so as citizens, but also as 'returning minors' (as I did) which will give them similar rights to those of a new immigrant.

The greatest implication doesn't affect them at all but has more to do with the Israeli government's fear that the local Arab population will, at some point, be the majority here. Unlike places like the US, you don't have to really apply for citizenship in Israel - they pretty much want every body they can get in order to boost numbers.