The Law of Return is a symbol and one of the most important laws of the State of Israel. It testifies to the fact that the State perceives itself to be the State of the whole Jewish People. In accordance with this law, the State allows any Jew in the world to enter its territory and almost automatically become a citizen. However, this short and well-known law also embodies the great struggle which has been going on in the Zionist movement for the past hundred years regarding the national Jewish identity:

The Law, which was passed in 1950, declared that "Every Jew is eligible to immigrate to Israel." However, it did not specify how "Jew" was to be defined. One of the reasons for this omission was the secular-national worldview, held by the State's founders, such as David Ben Gurion, according to which everyone who was willing to be part of the new State of Israel and had either Jewish roots or relatives, could be considered a Jew. One could join the Jewish people by undergoing a period of social and territorial integration.

However, since the 1970s the political landscape has changed. The secular-nationalist ideology has weakened, and stronger ties between religion and nationality have taken its place. As a result, the Law of Return was changed, and a Jew was defined as someone whose mother was Jewish or who has converted to Judaism, without clearly stating whether the conversion need be in accordance with Jewish religious law (halakhah) or not. This change has given rise to unending conflicts and disputes, also known as the question of conversion to Judaism, namely: "Who is a Jew" or "Who is a Convert."

Contemporary voices calling for yet another change in the Law of Return, in light of societal and ideological changes in Israel and the Diaspora, reflect the fact that the struggle over the definition of "Jew" and "conversion" to Judaism is still alive and relevant.