“Aliyah to Israel is not just a personal relocation decision,” said Avichai Kahana, Director-General of the Aliyah and Integration Ministry, at the Jerusalem Post Washington Conference.
“Aliyah is the foundation of the idea of the Jewish nation. In spite of the current tides, we say here proudly, aliyah to Israel reflects the natural connection of every Jew to our homeland. This is the core of Zionism – the connection to Zion.”
Kahana told attendees at the Jerusalem Post Washington Conference that over 53,000 Jews made aliyah since the beginning of the Swords of Iron War.
Calling it “an extraordinary number,” Kahana said that even more encouragingly, an unprecedented number of people have opened aliyah files. “Since the war began,” he said, “the number of people who have opened aliyah files has doubled and tripled. We hear from young families from all over the world who express their desire to build their home in Israel, to share the same dreams and future with us.”
He added that the return of the hostages and the hope for the end of the war have presented Israel with a historic national opportunity to bring a vast wave of new olim to the State of Israel. “From the founding of the State of Israel until today, the waves of aliyah throughout the decades are what built the Israeli economy and society. The wave of aliyah now standing before us is an extraordinary opportunity for Israel.”
Kahana said that the Aliyah and Integration Ministry, under the leadership of Minister Ofer Sofer, is assisting by shortening licensing requirements and degree recognition processes for professionals, encouraging the business sector to hire olim, removing bureaucratic and financial barriers, and promoting tax reforms that make aliyah more financially feasible.
“We know and understand that aliyah is a life-changing event,” said Kahana. “A new home, a new language, a new school system, a new job, and all of this in an unfamiliar culture.”
Kahana added that the Aliyah and Integration Ministry is enhancing its pre-aliyah programming and has created a global team of professional olim support coordinators. “They guide every oleh, step by step, from the first moment they are seeking information about aliyah, through the landing in Ben Gurion Airport, and until they fully integrate in their new communities. In our ministry, one principle guides us. The oleh is in the center. The State of Israel is saying to the new olim today loud and clear. Israel wants you. Israel needs you.”
This article was written in cooperation with the Aliyah and Integration Ministry.