MembersThe Quest for a Second Passport

More and more Israelis are endeavoring to acquire a second passport. The media is referring to it as a “tsunami.” On social networks and on a number of privates websites, tips on how to accomplish this are now abundant. “An Israeli passport is good, but a European one is better!” many are told.

Currently, the most sought-after passport is the Portuguese. A little over a year ago, Portugal, like Spain before it, invited the descendants of Jews who previously lived in the country to again become citizens. Some 500 years ago, both countries demanded that their respective Jewish populations either convert to Christianity, or leave.

Compared to the bureaucracy in Spain, the process of repatriation in Portugal is simpler and quicker. Anyone who can prove their Ashkenazi or European ancestry has a good chance of obtaining that coveted passport. And it’s happening elsewhere in Europe, too. Between 2000 and 2015, 33,321 Israelis were granted German citizenship, according to the German Central Registry for foreigners. With a European passport in hand, an Israeli traveler has freedom of movement throughout Europe, as well...