Ellen Monique Chits, 56, is contesting an Israeli residency denial that the Interior Ministry says rests on an age restriction limiting grandchildren of Righteous Among the Nations to minors. Her attorney points to a January 2026 District Court ruling and the Population and Immigration Authority's stated procedure as grounds to consider grandchildren of any age. Chits, who has volunteered in Israel since October 7 and now lives in Haifa, has submitted a renewed application and is awaiting a substantive response.
Dutch Granddaughter Of Righteous Among The Nations Fights Israel Residency Denial Over Age Rule
Ellen Monique Chits, a 56-year-old Dutch Christian whose grandfather and great-grandparents were recognized as Righteous Among the Nations. (photo credit: Courtesy, Walla System)
Ellen Monique Chits, a 56-year-old Dutch Christian and descendant of three people honored as Righteous Among the Nations, has spent two years pursuing permanent residency in Israel after the Interior Ministry rejected her application on the ground that only minor grandchildren qualify under a May 2022 procedure update.
Background
Chits is the granddaughter of Frederik Jan Kerkhof and the great-granddaughter of Jan Kerkhof and Klaartje Kerkhof-van de Waal, who were recognized by Yad Vashem for hiding two Jewish brothers in their attic and later helping them move to other hiding places during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands. The Righteous Among the Nations honor is Israel's formal recognition of non-Jews who risked their lives to save Jews during the Holocaust.
How the Dispute Began
Chits first began visiting Israel regularly in 2018 and developed a strong emotional bond with the country. She was in Jerusalem on October 7, 2023, and remained to volunteer to help people affected by the war. In July 2024 she applied for legal status under the Population and Immigration Authority (PIA) procedure for Righteous Among the Nations descendants after finding English-language guidance that appeared to allow grandchildren to apply.
Application Timeline And Legal Arguments
Despite submitting the requested documentation, the PIA rejected her application in November 2024 on the basis that she was not a minor. The rejection cited a May 2022 update limiting eligibility for grandchildren to minors and instructed her to leave Israel by January 2, 2025. An internal appeal was denied on November 28, 2024. Chits then appealed to the Jerusalem Appeals Tribunal; that appeal was also rejected.
Attorney Yehoshua Pex of Decker, Pex & Levi argued the age restriction undermines the purpose of the procedure. In his words, the requirement that grandchildren be minors "can hardly ever be met" given the passage of time since World War II, and therefore "drains the procedure of all content." He also says the English-language guidance on the government site was unclear and potentially misleading because it did not highlight the age limit.
Chits is currently living in Israel and learning Hebrew. (credit: Courtesy)
"Ellen Monique Chits is not asking for preferential treatment," Pex said. "She is asking that her request be examined under the procedure designed precisely for descendants of Righteous Among the Nations who seek to tie their fate to the State of Israel."
New Court Ruling And Renewed Request
In January 2026 a District Court issued a ruling in a similar case, saying the Righteous Among the Nations procedure should apply to children and grandchildren regardless of age, according to Pex. After that ruling, Pex submitted a renewed application for Chits, but says the Interior Ministry has not provided a substantive response despite repeated inquiries.
Chits' Humanitarian Work And Personal Motivation
Chits resigned from her healthcare management role in the Netherlands to return to Israel multiple times and volunteer. Her work has included agricultural harvesting, preparing food, assisting older adults, and volunteering with OneFamily, which supports families affected by terrorism and war. She currently lives in Haifa and studies Hebrew at the University of Haifa.
Chits describes her bond with Israel as rooted in Christian faith, familiarity with biblical stories, and a deep identification with the Jewish people's suffering. "Sometimes you just have to do the right thing," she said of her decision to stay and help after October 7.
Population And Immigration Authority Response And Wider Implications
The Population and Immigration Authority told Walla that the Righteous Among the Nations procedure is "unique" and that each request is examined according to its particular circumstances. It said Chits' earlier request was refused because she did not meet procedural requirements and that decision was upheld by a court ruling, but that her new request will be examined in accordance with the procedure.
The pool of potential applicants under this procedure appears small: about 165 people were known to have applied as of last year, and just 61 had completed the residency process. Chits and her attorney argue the case raises a matter of principle that could affect other children and grandchildren of the Righteous Among the Nations.
What's Next
Chits awaits a substantive reply from the Interior Ministry on her renewed application. If the Ministry applies the January 2026 District Court interpretation broadly, it could change who qualifies under the Righteous Among the Nations procedure and establish a precedent for other descendants seeking residency in Israel.
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