Israel’s “passport marathon” ends Thursday with at least 400,000 citizens having succeeded in renewing their travel documents.
The two-month campaign to clear the backlog of renewals from the coronavirus pandemic era succeeded in time to allow hundreds of thousands of Israelis to get their passports in time for summer travel.
It was not a simple task. In April, residents in Be’er Sheva and Haifa could not receive an appointment to renew a passport in less than six months. In Tel Aviv, one could not get an appointment, period.
At present, one can get an appointment within two weeks in many locations, although it is still impossible to obtain one before December in in cities such as Rishon Lezion and Rosh Ha’Ayin, according to the Hebrew-language Globes news site.
The project began on May 14 with the intent of issuing at least 300,000 passports by June 15; when it became obvious the goal would be met perhaps even earlier, the target was expanded to 400,000 document renewals.
The goal was reached by extending shifts into afternoon hours at the Interior Ministry’s Population Authority – and in some locations, into the evening hours – with employees receiving increased wages in return for their hard work.
Whether the project will have created permanent change remains to be seen but at least this year 400,000 Israelis will be able to travel abroad for their summer vacation.
Now it’s time to work on the backlog at the Israel Tax Authority, Mas Hachnasa.
