Israel rejects Ugandan Jew’s application for citizenship despite conversions ruling

The Israeli government has again denied an application for citizenship from a Ugandan convert to Judaism, despite a ruling in March recognising non-Orthodox conversions performed in Israel.

Kibita Yosef, who has lived in Israel for almost five years, first applied for citizenship under the Law of Return and was rejected in 2018.

The law cites as eligible all those who convert to Judaism through “recognised Jewish communities”. Israel’s Interior Ministry said it did not see Uganda’s Abayudaya community as a recognised community, so Yosef went through the conversion process with a Conservative Israeli court.

In March, the Israeli Supreme Court said the government had to recognise Reform and Conservative conversions performed in Israel for the purposes of immigration. Yosef’s had been seen as a test case.