Jan 31, 2017

Israeli Jews born in the seven countries included under US President Donald Trump's travel restrictions will not be banned from America, the country's embassy in Tel Aviv said Tuesday.

The executive order signed on Friday banned nationals of seven mainly Muslim countries from the Middle East and Africa for 90 days but has sparked confusion in its interpretation.

Israel is home to around 140,000 people born in the seven countries covered by the decree, including about 45,000 from Iran and 53,000 from Iraq, according to official statistics.

Many fled persecution, and the majority are now over the age of 65.

Their Israeli passports say where they were born but most do not still have the nationality of their country of birth.