Breakthrough: Iranian believer granted Israeli residency after Huckabee appeals to Netanyahu

Israel has granted an Iranian believer who is married to an Israeli a one-year residency permit after U.S. Ambassador Mike appealed on his behalf to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

ALL ISRAEL NEWS published an article last month about the circumstances surrounding Ramin Parsa’s case and believers around the world have been praying for a miraculous breakthrough in the case.

That breakthrough appears to have arrived, at least in part, after Israel’s Population and Immigration Authority granted Parsa temporary residency in Israel for one year.

Parsa and his wife married in 2020 and moved to Israel in 2023. They applied for his citizenship the following year.

Because he was born in Iran, the application was referred to a humanitarian committee for review. After a year and a half, the request was rejected on the grounds that he was born in an enemy country.

An appeal initially succeeded. The judge ruled the decision disproportionate and ordered the Ministry of Interior to reconsider, taking into account the well-being of Parsa’s Israeli wife and child.

However, on July 13 the ministry issued a final rejection that mirrored the original decision. The family was given until Aug. 27 to file one last court appeal. If unsuccessful, Parsa would have faced immediate deportation from Israel.

The impetus for the Parsa family’s miraculous turnaround came when Huckabee, who knows the couple personally, stepped in to assist about three weeks ago.

In an official letter to Netanyahu, Huckabee emphasized “Parsa’s steadfast advocacy on behalf of Israel, the importance of his voice in confronting the Iranian threat, and the humanitarian considerations concerning his family,” N12 News reported.

Parsa's attorneys submitted the letter as part of the legal proceedings.

Now that Parsa has been granted temporary status, he can apply for permanent status.

"I was born in Iran, where Israel is presented as an enemy. I got to know Israel through the people who live there and through my partner, with whom I hope to build a home and a future here,” Parsa told N12. "I thank the U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, for his support, my lawyers and the good people in Israel who supported my fight. I hope my story will remind people to see the person behind the passport.”

Parsa said he wants to "dedicate [his] time and energy to helping and supporting Israel and to be a voice of truth in a world that is becoming increasingly hostile to Jews and Israel.”