Israel is taking aliyah seriously and as such, the government is allocating NIS 32 million for aliyah from the FSU in response to the sharp decline in immigrants from that country. 70% of the allocation is to be used to pay rent for one year for new immigrants; 20% for retraining of immigrants and the remainder an immigration grant for newcomers. The global economic crisis has prompted the move, with government officials reporting 261 documented anti-Semitic incidents and attacks in the FSU in 2008.

Only 6,000 new immigrants came last year from the FSU while there are some 900,000 eligible residents under Israel’s Law of Return.

In addition, a major aliyah fair is planned for France and activities to attract N. Americans are being stepped up by the government working in concert with Nefesh B’Nefesh.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)