Interior Minister Moshe Arbel's pilot program for issuing passports ahead of the summer vacation travel season began Sunday morning, under which the four largest Population Authority bureaus in Israel – Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Beersheba and Haifa - will provide passport services without an appointment in advance. As expected, there are long lines in front of the offices, after two years in which it was almost impossible to make an appointment to get a new passport.
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The Population Authority told Ynet that as of 10:00 a.m. some 2,178 Israelis received services in the four bureaus participating in the pilot, known as the "passport marathon." Some 500 people received service in the Tel Aviv office, 654 in the Haifa office, 502 in Beersheba and 522 in Jerusalem. The Population Authority says that over the month in which the pilot will operate, the intention is to provide passports for about 200,000 Israelis.
Arbel said Sunday morning at the start of the weekly Cabinet meeting: "Everyone is invited to the offices, come with patience to renew your passports – so that in the summer you will have freedom of movement to choose where you want to spend your time. Still, I recommend that you travel in Israel."
'People can't leave the country'
Huge lines were observed, including at the Population Authority bureau in Beersheba, where those who wanted to take advantage of the opportunity had to wait in three separate lines: one on the pedestrian street outside the bureau, one more for the security check, and a third line at the bureau itself.
"I went through the hardest times in the Soviet Union, this is not a line for me," Daniela Gona, a resident of Arad who waited in the long line outside, told Ynet. "But it's a bit frustrating that with all the power of Israel, we have reached this point," she added, noting that her passport had already expired this month. "I don't want to take the risk, especially here in Israel, of being without a valid passport."
Rea Meir from Beersheba also waited in the long line: "I don't really understand how we got to this situation. Especially during the holidays, people can't leave the country. It's a blow to the economy. They say it's because of the coronavirus. But that doesn't explain the situation."
Jobor, a Rahat resident, noted that he already had made an appointment for September, but chose to take advantage of the current opportunity.
Ludmila Amdor, a resident of Beersheba, said: "I arrived at 7:30 a.m. and waited to take a number. I was almost the first but already at 7:00 a.m. there were many people. I think people have been waiting since 5:00 a.m. I took my number, returned home," to her children.
About the reason for the heavy backlogs that led to the creation of the passport pilot, she said: "I think we have reached this situation because people are taking numbers and selling them. I wanted to take an appointment and there simply aren't any."
At least three hours wait
Heavy crowds were also recorded at the Population Authority office in Haifa, located in the Missile Tower in Kiryat Havrat. Six chemical toilets were even placed there for the benefit of those waiting in the long line. After waiting for about three hours, according to those waiting there, the meeting with the representative of the Ministry of Interior lasts between 7 and 10 minutes.
Amir Hamis from Kfar Kana said: "My wife arrived at the line at 7:15 a.m. When we arrived there was already a long line. Many dozens of people. She stood outside for two hours, then they brought her into the building with a group of 10 people. Inside there were 50 people ahead of her. Already after an hour, there are only nine people ahead of her. We can already see the end."
Hamis expressed frustration that the pilot was held only in the big cities: "We come from Kfar Kana. I think the Ministry of the Interior in the Galilee should have opened up passport service as well, and that would have taken the pressure off."
Despite the fear of conflicts in the large queues, so far no unusual incidents have been reported – the line in Haifa, for example, was conducted in an exemplary manner, without shouting.
Bureaus for passports only
The pilot initiated by Arbel together with the Population and Immigration Authority is expected to last about a month, and at the same time, a center is currently operating in Bnei Brak in central Israel, which is also only for issuing passports, but requires an appointment in advance. The four bureaus will operate from Sunday to Thursday between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 9 p.m., and the Center for Biometric Passports in Bnei Brak will operate from Sunday to Thursday between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. by appointment only.
Any other service other than issuing a passport will not be possible at those bureaus until June 15. Those who made an appointment ahead of time for other services at these bureaus will be able to come, but there may be a delay in receiving it due to the expected load.
Barak Kafir from Tel Aviv made an appointment half a year ago to renew his passport and now he will have to wait today along with the crowds who are arriving without an appointment.
"It's not fair that people who waited for months for their turn will now suffer a whole day at the bureau because of the new pilot; I have no idea how long I will have to wait for my turn," he said.
The Population Authority recommended making the payment for the passport on the website in advance in order to shorten the processing procedure and to be patient. The passport will be received as usual, through Israel Post, up to six weeks from the date of ordering the passport at the office.
Hoping for immediate response
At a news conference where the minister unveiled the pilot about two weeks ago, he warned in advance of the expected congestion at those bureaus, and indeed there is a fear of total chaos in which thousands of Israelis, who have not been able to make an appointment to renew their passports or are waiting a long time for it, will storm the bureaus and take advantage of the opportunity that will save their chances to fly on vacation abroad this summer.
Arbel said that "all the employees of the Population and Immigration Authority are involved in this move. We all want to resolve the crisis as quickly as possible. This move is intended for the citizens of Israel. The bureaus will be open many hours, five days a week. Prepare in advance to wait a few hours, arrive on a day when you can wait your turn."
Apart from the expected burdens, another problem is the lack of other services in those large and central bureaus, including residence visas in Israel and renewing or changing an identity card. Arbel announced last week that all existing visas will be automatically extended until the end of the year, but at this stage, new visa applications will not be serviced so that the bureaus, both those in the pilot and in general, will be free to respond mainly to the issuance of passports.
Weinberg and his partner, who live in Germany, were scheduled for an interview Monday at the office in Tel Aviv in order to receive permission to immigrate to Israel, but the minister's decision actually freezes their process and that of hundreds of international couples until further notice.
"We are just a couple who love each other, want to live together in a country where we will have a home, and unfortunately we have not been given any suitable alternative solution. I haven't seen her for months and now I don't know when we will be able to reunite. They could have brought up the interviews or given a tourist visa in the meantime, or to reduce the activity and not to close completely. It was possible to find a solution and not reach this crisis," Weinberg said.
The Population Authority hopes that Minister Arbel's plan will provide an immediate response to Israelis who wish to fly on vacation outside the country's borders in the most travel-heavy months of July and August, and alongside the immediate solution are working at several levels to resolve the passport crisis that has been with us for the last two years. In the coming days we will find out if this is an excellent solution or a resounding failure.