Supreme Court Appeal Threatens Caregiver for 97-Year-Old Israel Prize Laureate
The Population and Immigration Authority appealed to Israel's Supreme Court to deport the caregiver of 97-year-old Israel Prize laureate Prof. Avishag Nevo, sparking outrage from his family.
Supreme Court Appeal Threatens Caregiver's Stay with 97-Year-Old Israel Prize Laureate
The Population and Immigration Authority has filed an extraordinary motion with the Supreme Court, seeking to overturn a ruling that allows the caregiver of 97-year-old Israel Prize laureate Prof. Avishag Nevo to remain in the country. Professor Nevo, a founder of the University of Haifa, has relied on Rudy Lapat, a Filipino national, for his round-the-clock care over the past five years.
A Long-Standing Legal Struggle
Professor Nevo established the Department of Biology and the Institute of Evolution at the University of Haifa, earning international and domestic acclaim for his scientific contributions. However, since the outbreak of the war, his cognitive state has severely deteriorated, and he now suffers from advanced dementia. Four years ago, the Population and Immigration Authority rejected Lapat's request for a work visa, sparking a protracted legal battle.
In 2024, the Jerusalem Administrative Affairs Court ruled that Lapat could remain in Israel for another year or until a replacement was found. No replacement has been located, and the ruling has been extended twice. Unless circumstances change, Lapat faces deportation to the Philippines in about eight months. Despite these unique humanitarian considerations, the Authority took the unusual step of appealing directly to the Supreme Court to immediately cancel the ruling.
Family and Legal Outrage
Rudy is my life saver, he does everything for me, Professor Nevo stated in a previous interview.
According to his daughter Orit, her father is entirely dependent on Lapat. My father is demented, and Rudy is with him constantly, bathing him and taking him to the sea every morning. They are throwing away a man who gave the best years of his country to old age, she added.
Attorney Assaf Weitzen, representing the Nevo family, criticized the state's move: It is highly unusual for the Population Authority to file an appeal to the Supreme Court on such a matter. Changing Professor Nevo's caregiver at this stage is essentially a death sentence.
The Population and Immigration Authority responded that Lapat entered Israel in 2005 on a nursing visa, left his employer in 2020, and subsequently had multiple status-regularization requests rejected through various committees and legal channels.
