Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara lit Chanukah candles this evening at the Canada House center in Jerusalem with new immigrants from around the world, who immigrated to Israel over the past year. Prime Minister Netanyahu said, This year we have witnessed the most immigration in a decade and our hand is still extended. I welcome you all here in the Land of Israel and the State of Israel. Welcome and may many follow your example! There are two reasons for this great immigration. One is bad and the other good. The bad reason is the increase in anti-Semitism around the world. We see this, for example, in Europe where there is a wave of anti-Semitism stemming from growing and increasing Islamization and the Jews understand that Israel is the safe home of every Jew in the world. There is also a second reason and it is good. The second reason is that Israel is a state that it is good to live in. We heard a statistic today, that unemployment in Israel dropped again and it is almost the lowest in the Western world. I want to commend you for deciding to take charge of your fate and, in effect, join it to our collective national fate. You have done a great thing. I salute you. Jewish Agency for Israel Chairman Natan Sharansky said, A plane from Ukraine arrived today with 200 immigrants. They join the 25,000 immigrants who came in 2014, a 35% increase over last year. For the first time most immigrants came from the West, from the free world. The reason for choosing Israel is the desire to live at home. The Government of Israel and the Prime Minister supported the ingathering g of the exiles even during the struggles over the budget and this must be maintained next year when an increase in immigration is expected from France, Ukraine and the rest of the world. Every Jew who comes here closes a 2,000-year-old cycle. Your ancestors prayed, wept and hoped and you have come to Jerusalem. A woman who immigrated from Strasbourg in France 2.5 months ago told Prime Minister Netanyahu, There are many reasons why I left the country I grew up in and I have many sad stories; I would like to tell you one of the reasons. Several years ago I was with my family in Israel and I bought a star of David on a chain. In Strasbourg I could not wear it outside the house due to the severe anti-Semitism in France. Today in Israel I go around freely with this chain. I am proud to be a Jew in the Jewish state. I want to be an Israeli soldier at age 26 and be like every other Israeli citizen. A man who immigrated three months ago from Peru said, Several years ago I participated in the International Tanakh Quiz along with Prime Minister Netanyahus son. I also participated in Project Masa but returned to Peru. I began to study at the University of Lima but after one semester I understood that I did not want to study there, I wanted to study in Israel. I have wanted to immigrate ever since I was young but I always felt that this was a tough and serious decision. After many visits to Israel and after finishing my mission in the Zionist youth movement in Peru, I immigrated to Israel. In 2014, 23,000 new immigrants have come to Israel, the highest figure since 2003 and a 36% increase over last year. Most immigrants (43%) are from the former Soviet Union; Europe (35%); North America, Australia and South Africa (15%); Latin America (4%); Ethiopia (less than 1%), and Turkey and the Middle East (less than 1%). The most significant increases were registered in the number of immigrants from Ukraine and Moldova: 5,105 this year as opposed to 1,963 last year and in the number of immigrants from France: 6,655 this year as opposed to 3,293 last year. Photos: Amos Ben Gershom, GPO
Posted on: Mon, 22 Dec 2014 20:19:26 +0000
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