An Israeli citizen applied for a permit to sail in Israel on a yacht owned by him and registered in the United States of America but was refused because the yacht is not registered in Israel.
The Court rejected the motion and held that the vessel should not be allowed to sail in Israel. The Israeli Maritime (Vessels) Law stipulates that vessels more than half of which are owned by the State or an Israeli, and Israeli citizen or an Israeli corporation are eligible for registration in Israel and must be registered in Israel within 30 days of purchase. The law allows foreign vessels to obtain a permit to enter Israel, but does not apply to vessels that must be registered in Israel and because this is an Israeli-owned vessel, it is required to register it in the Israeli registry as a condition of obtaining a sailing permit in Israel.