Can an Israeli permanent resident who is not a citizen get an Israeli passport?

Israeli law draws a hard line between residence status and nationality. Permanent residency grants the right to live and work in Israel indefinitely, access to national health insurance and National Insurance benefits, and the vote in municipal elections, but it does not make the holder an Israeli national. The Passports Law reflects that split by providing one travel document for citizens and a separate one for residents who are not citizens, and the Minister of the Interior retains discretion over the latter. Naturalization under Section 5 of the Citizenship Law requires residence in Israel for three of the five years preceding the application, being settled in Israel or intending to settle, some knowledge of Hebrew, and an oath of allegiance.

Two clocks run at once for a permanent resident who spends long periods overseas, and they interact badly. The laissez-passer expires on a short cycle and generally has to be renewed at a Population Authority office inside Israel, while extended absence independently puts the residency itself at risk because the status rests on Israel remaining the center of life. A resident who lets the travel document lapse while abroad can find both the return journey and the status complicated at once. Check the visa rules of every destination in advance, since many countries that wave Israeli passport holders through require an advance visa for a laissez-passer, and see our guide to permanent residency in Israel for how the status is granted and kept.

From the full guide: Permanent Residency in Israel: How to Qualify and Apply

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