An Israeli court ruled that a 4-year-old girl born in Israel and her Filipina mother will be deported, in a case that prompted intervention by the Israeli prime minister’s wife.

The Central District Court ruled Thursday that the two must leave the country, despite a stay of the order issued Tuesday as the two were about to be compelled to board a plane back to the Philippines.

The mother has been living illegally in Israel. The father, also from the Philippines, is a legal worker in Israel. The mother had asked the court to allow them to remain in Israel for another month and leave voluntarily, according to the Jerusalem Post.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

The father had requested time to say a proper good-bye to his daughter when the stay was issued earlier in the week. At the time, Sara Netanyahu, the wife of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, wrote a letter to Interior Minister Eli Yishai asking him to halt the deportation.

The Israeli government says the child did not meet new criteria set out last year, but only enforced since March, to allow her to stay in the country. The criteria include studying during the past school year in an Israeli state school; being enrolled for the next year in first grade or higher; being born in the country and speaking Hebrew; and residing in the country for five consecutive years.

According to the Interior Ministry, the child was not enrolled in a state preschool or kindergarten last year or for the coming year.

A message from our Publisher & CEO Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

The coming year promises to be filled with more complex and historic developments. We are entering an era where independent, fact-based Jewish journalism will be more important than ever. We need to be ready for whatever 2025 will bring, and with your help, we can be.

We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.

If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

With your support, we’ll be ready for whatever 2025 brings.

$36 $500

$120 $180 Other amount