Immigration to Israel is......INCREASING.

[Spinoza]

snip> "Over 4,000 new immigrants from all over the world will have arrived in Israel from the beginning of July until the end of August.

According to Jewish Agency estimates, 24,000 people from countries around the world will immigrate to Israel in the course of the year 2006, up from the 22,657 people who made aliyah in 2005."<snip
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3291504,00.html

Also of interest is the 2006 projection that more people from France will emigrate to Israel in 2006 than from the U.S. and Canada combined. Perhaps the many anecdotal stories we hear on the rise in French anti-Semitism have some basis in fact and French Jews are 'voting with their feet'.

It should be noted that while 24,000 immigrants may not sound like alot, on a percentage basis it would be equivalent to 1.2 million immigrants to the U.S.

All in all, quite interesting. I would have expected immigration to decline.

[David__77]

1. Too bad Israel doesn't welcome the Palestinian refugees.

The Palestinian diaspora deserves the right to return to its homeland.

[jrd200x]

8. Disapora? You'e got to be kidding me?

Most of these people were born after the 1948 war, where they're parents and grandparents were encouraged to leave by Arab countries.

You can't return 5 million "Palestinians" to Israel. It would no longer be Israel if you did that.

[David__77]

11. Yes, they are diaspora.

Just because they left during wartime doesn't mean that they forfeit their national rights, and their children and grandchildren's national rights. Yes, Israel can welcome millions of the diaspora. If apartheid South Africa can move forward as a unitary multi-national state, I'm certain that a more liberal Israel can do the same thing.

[barb162]

16. "...doesn't mean that they forfeit their national rights"

I think it means exactly that, they in fact do forfeit their rights. If someone comes to the US from elsewhere, with their children and grandchildren born in the USA , those children and grandchildren, etal., forfeit their "rights" to their grandparents'homeland. I know I have no rights at all to my ancestor's homeland country. I'd have to apply for citizenship there just like anyone else.

"Yes, Israel can welcome millions of the diaspora" only if Israel wants to lose its national identity as a mainly Jewish country. One of the other problems is the ongoing fighting and usually those with whom you are fighting for some decades are not welcome in most societies.

[Violet_Crumble]

18. Yr ancestors weren't expelled from their country...

Many of the Palestinians were expelled in 1948 and not allowed to return after the war. Try reading up on international law and you'll see how wrong you are...

[MercutioATC]

2. Jews are religious people too.

They suffer from the same fanaticism that inflicts other religions.

[Spinoza]

3. So you think all

or most of the immigrants suffer from religious 'fanaticism'.? Any shred of evidence to support this view? I personally know 2 (Jewish) immigrants to Israel in 2004 who are atheists and wouldn't dream of attending a religious service of any kind.

[MercutioATC]

4. No, I just think that Judasim is the same as Christanity on this issue.

Jews are no more immune to religious fanatacism than any other adherents to a religious doctrine.

[Spinoza]

5. Of course, you are right.

But you are confusing 'Judaism' with 'Jews'. The Jews, based upon thousands of years of self-identification and thousands of years of identification by others are a PEOPLE, many of whom, but by no means all, practice the religion of Judaism. There are Jewish atheists. There are even Jewish Christians. (What do you think 'Jews for Jesus' are?)

The motivation of Jews to emigrate to Israel, especially in recent years, may have little to do with religious 'fanaticism' or belief of any kind. For example, it may be motivated by personal experiences of anti-Semitism. I don't have any data on this. But, obviously, neither do you and yet your post assumed ONE reason--religious 'fanaticism'.

[MercutioATC]

6. The issue is that the popular definition of "Jews" has multiple meanings.

It can mean those of a certain genetic heritage or those subscribing to a certain belief system.

My sister is "Jewish". She's an Italian who married a Jewish (both genetics and faith) man, and she converted to Judaism. I consider both her and my brother-in-law "Jews".

In my previous post, I was referring to those that subscribe to the Jewish faith, not all those who have Hebrew lineage.

[azurnoir]

7. First off

understand your sister and her children would not be allowed to immigrate to Israel under the "law of return" she is not a Jew by birth, her husband is. If she was but her husband was not it would be OK, has something to do with a biblical attitude about womens morals.

[jrd200x]

9. It has to do with the way the lineage is passed down

it's always through the mother.

If a christian woman marries a Jew their children are not, by definition, "jewish." The child can be educated as Jew, but since the mother was not, the child is not, at least technically, Jewish.

[azurnoir]

15. I know I'm one of those n/t

[David__77]

12. Are there "Jews for Jesus?"

Can the "national Jews" be Christians, just as they can be atheists. Just curious.

[pelsar]

13. lots of jews for jesus in israel

and most of them dont seem to "get along" with each other..there must be 20 different "sects" within their communities...and yes they are full citizens, go to the army, pay taxes etc..

[barb162]

17. Second sentence , second paragraph:

I read somewhere that European Jews were emigrating to Israel because they were experiencing increased anti-Semitism. If I can dig that up easily, I will post it

[jrd200x]

10. I don't know all the facts, but many are Fanatics

My wife's family is from Israel and they seem to think that most of the people living in the contested settlements, and those arriving now, are indeed "fanatical." They refer to them as the crazy American Jews.

[pelsar]

14. shes not the only one n/t