Nada and Muhannad, a young couple from East Jerusalem, hold Israeli permanent-resident status.1 Both are Palestinians in their 30s who were born and raised in Jerusalem, where their families have lived for generations. As permanent residents, they have maintained their legal status, social ties, and “center of life” in the city as required by Israeli law (see Precarious Status).

A few years ago, Nada and Muhannad temporarily relocated to the United States for approximately a year for personal and family-related reasons. During their stay abroad, their son Waleed was born. The family never intended to settle permanently outside the country. When Waleed was six months old, they returned home to Jerusalem.

Immediately upon their return, Nada and Muhannad initiated the onerous and time-consuming bureaucratic procedures required under Israeli law to apply for Israeli permanent-resident status for their infant son and add him to their identity documents (see Born into a Never-Ending Bureaucracy: The Legal Status of Palestinian Jerusalemite Children). They also submitted a formal application to the National Insurance Institute (NII) requesting that their child be recognized as a resident so he could qualify for public health-care coverage and social benefits, as both parents are lawful permanent residents who actively contribute to the Israeli system as required.

Despite this, the family was informed that under current policies and administrative regulations, their son is not eligible for health insurance coverage for a period of two years. In other words, Waleed is denied access to Israel’s public health-care system for two years. He remains without any medical insurance coverage whatsoever.

The family had no avenue to appeal the decision, which was final.

This situation places the family in an impossible position. Although both parents legally reside in Jerusalem and fully maintain their permanent residence and “center of life” in the city, their infant child is effectively excluded from basic health-care protections, solely because he was born to parents who have the legal status of permanent residents while they were temporarily abroad. The policy poses a direct threat to the child during the earliest and most critical period of his life when regular pediatric care, vaccinations, emergency treatment, growth assessment, and preventive medical services are essential.

The denial of health-care coverage creates severe emotional and financial hardship for the family, who now face the constant fear that any illness or medical emergency could result in devastating consequences. Beyond the financial burden, the situation raises serious humanitarian and human rights concerns, particularly regarding a child’s fundamental right to health care, dignity, and protection regardless of place of birth.