Law of Return Israel [1950] Written by Fred Frommer Fred Frommer is a sports historian, author, and writer who has written for a host of national publications. Fred Frommer Fact-checked by Britannica Editors Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Britannica Editors Last updated Apr. 30, 2026 •History Law of Return, Israeli law, passed by the Knesset (parliament) in July 1950, that grants Jews the right to immigrate (or make aliyah) to the country and receive Israeli citizenship. The law was meant to ensure a safe haven for a long-persecuted people in the immediate aftermath of the Holocaust, which saw the killing of six million Jews, and to ensure a Jewish majority in the newly established state of Israel. Ahead of the 1950...

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