Residency Status

Thelma, who arrived from the Philippines, failed to provide a divorce document from a marriage 30 years ago, leading the state to refuse to regularize her status. Despite living in Israel for over 20 years with her Israeli partner and their 16-year-old daughter, Adi, the family faces separation as early as next week.

Ellen Monique Chites, a 56-year-old Dutch woman who stayed in Israel to help since the outbreak of the war, has been refused residency for two years. The Population Authority claims that eligibility applies only to minors, but ignores a recent ruling that determined otherwise. In an interview with Walla, she says: 'The most important thing for me is to do the right thing.'