Her husband was murdered in Be'eri, and Israel refuses to allow her to return: "Callousness and lack of sensitivity"
Jubal Castalby was in her ninth month of pregnancy when her husband Paul was murdered on October 7, alongside his patient Evyatar Kipnis. She later gave birth alone, was recognized as a widow of a victim of hostile acts, and left for the Philippines. Now she wishes to attend the wedding of Evyatar's son, but the Population Authority refuses, stating her request does not meet the procedure.
Her husband was murdered on October 7 in Kibbutz Be'eri, while she, in her ninth month of pregnancy, hid in a safe room in Kibbutz Or HaNer. Now, the State of Israel is not allowing her to attend the wedding of the people whose lives have become intertwined with hers, and is not letting her exercise her rights as a widow. Jubal Santiago Castalby is a nursing caregiver from the Philippines. Her husband, Paul Vincent Castalby (42), also a nursing caregiver, was murdered by Hamas terrorists in Be'eri, where he remained alongside his patient Evyatar Kipnis (65).
"We don't really know what happened in the final moments of Evyatar and Lilach," Nadav Kipnis and Sharon Lavon told Ynet and Yedioth Ahronoth. "But one of the things that comforts us is that Paul was there. I am glad he was by his side, and I am sure he tried to protect them in every way he could." Nadav lost both his parents, and some of his family members were kidnapped to Gaza. His partner Sharon became pregnant after the massacre, and they decided to name their son Oliver in memory of Evyatar and Lilach.
A special bond was formed between them and Jubal. "A few days after October 7, she called me when Paul's body was identified," Sharon said. "She was in her ninth month and gave birth to their son on November 3. She gave birth without an epidural and told me that she had already experienced the greatest pain of her life, the loss of her husband. All the baby equipment burned in Be'eri. Nothing was left. Precisely after October 7, our fates became inextricably linked."
The State of Israel recognized her as a widow of a victim of hostile acts, and subsequently, Jubal left Israel with her son Jayson Paul. Now Nadav and Sharon have decided to get married and invited Jubal, but discovered that the state refuses to allow her to attend the wedding in September. The Population and Immigration Authority demanded a deposit of 100,000 shekels to even consider her entry.
Adv. Michal Pomerantz, representing Jubal, stated: "Preventing entry for a widow who was forced to give birth to her son alone, after her husband was murdered alongside his Israeli patient, prevents her from rehabilitating in the country where she lost her husband. Refusing her request constitutes callousness and a lack of sensitivity to the situation."
The Population and Immigration Authority stated: "From the examination of the case, it appears that the late Mr. Castalby was buried in the Philippines, where the invitee chose to return with her son. Today, she requests to come to Israel to settle, which does not meet the requirements of the procedure. However, an appeal was filed which is being carefully considered these days."
