ARE WE REALLY IN THE 21st CENTURY?!?!
Adam | 19.05.2002 17:04
The following is a BBC article regarding immigration by Jews to Israel. I could not cantain my anger when reading it. A woman who recentaly immigrated to Israel said "I didn't know anything about the country before I moved here", yet those who were born, educated, worked and raised there were expelled and are barred from reuturning!
BBC: Israel's modern immigrants
By Raafi Berg
As the Palestinian intifada (uprising) continues, Israel is conducting a second, more global campaign - to attract foreign Jewish settlement.
Shortly after becoming prime minister in 2001, Ariel Sharon set as his goal the task of attracting one million Jews to Israel in the next decade.
It was an ambitious target, not least since the influx of foreign Jews to Israel dropped as the intifada gained pace.
Whether the two events can be linked is debatable.
Immigration from the former Soviet Union (FSU), for example, declined as the economy stabilised - and for many Jews who have made the move the eruption of violence was not a consideration.
"Not for a second was the intifada an issue for me," said 31-year-old Jacob Chitiz, who emigrated to Israel from Durban, South Africa, in January, 2002.
"I made a decision to move here regardless of the problems," he said.
Foreign Jews make 'aliyah' - literally, going up to Israel - for a multitude of reasons, but one common thread among immigrants is a belief in Israel as a Jewish homeland.
"Even when I was in South Africa, I felt Israel was always my home," said Jacob.
"I feel comfortable here. I don't have to worry about being Jewish because everyone else is Jewish here as well," he said.
Jews, in fact, comprise 81% of Israel's population and, according to Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics, one in every seven people now living in Israel arrived within the last 10 years.
Despite his enthusiasm, Jacob concedes he doesn't yet feel integrated into Israeli society. "Anyone who comes from a different culture and says they fit in is not telling the truth."
It's a view echoed by Mel Davidson from Manchester, England, who emigrated in January 2001.
"It's very easy to move to this country and not be Israeli," she said.
Mel said she moved to Israel "to do something a bit different".
"I was never Zionist and didn't know anything about the country before I moved here," she said.
Mr Sharon has championed Jewish immigration
"What I miss about Britain is how easy it was to do things over there - the attitude and red tape here is terrible.
"What I like about Israel, though, is that anything goes here - nobody judges you at all. It doesn't matter if you work in a restaurant or sweep the street, there's not the same importance attached to status that there is in England."
When Mel moved to Israel the intifada was four months old and the fighting has worsened considerably since.
The violence, she says, has made life hard, "but just because things aren't so good at the moment you can't just run away".
Since Israel was founded in 1948, more than a third of all immigrants have come from the FSU - nearly one million since 1989 alone.
Israel's immigrants say anti-Semitism in Europe led to their decision
There are 400,000 Jews still in Russia and although the exodus has slowed, the flow continues.
Asia Gelfand moved to Israel from St Petersburg 12 years ago during the height of the first intifada.
Then 10 years old, she says her parents decided to emigrate because of rising anti-Semitism.
Now she says: "I feel Israel is home but my parents would probably think twice before they answer this question.
"Young Russian immigrants are accepted here much better than our parents - we learn the language quicker and we adjusted to our new surroundings much easier," she said.
Political impact
The huge influx of Russian Jews has had a significant impact on the shape of Israeli politics, and, consequently, the peace process.
I see what's going on in Europe and I'm not that optimistic that the Holocaust can't happen again
Asia Gelfand
Traditionally hawkish, voters from the former Soviet republics - about 15% of the Israeli electorate - helped unseat former Prime Minister Ehud Barak in elections in 2001, in favour of the right-wing Sharon (himself the son of Russian immigrants).
"We don't always approve of what the government's doing but, as Sharon said, this is the only place on Earth where we can protect ourselves," said Asia.
"I see what's going on in Europe and I'm not that optimistic that the Holocaust can't happen again.
"A lot of people think like I do," she said, "that Israel is our homeland, our only homeland, and it must survive".
By Raafi Berg
As the Palestinian intifada (uprising) continues, Israel is conducting a second, more global campaign - to attract foreign Jewish settlement.
Shortly after becoming prime minister in 2001, Ariel Sharon set as his goal the task of attracting one million Jews to Israel in the next decade.
It was an ambitious target, not least since the influx of foreign Jews to Israel dropped as the intifada gained pace.
Whether the two events can be linked is debatable.
Immigration from the former Soviet Union (FSU), for example, declined as the economy stabilised - and for many Jews who have made the move the eruption of violence was not a consideration.
"Not for a second was the intifada an issue for me," said 31-year-old Jacob Chitiz, who emigrated to Israel from Durban, South Africa, in January, 2002.
"I made a decision to move here regardless of the problems," he said.
Foreign Jews make 'aliyah' - literally, going up to Israel - for a multitude of reasons, but one common thread among immigrants is a belief in Israel as a Jewish homeland.
"Even when I was in South Africa, I felt Israel was always my home," said Jacob.
"I feel comfortable here. I don't have to worry about being Jewish because everyone else is Jewish here as well," he said.
Jews, in fact, comprise 81% of Israel's population and, according to Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics, one in every seven people now living in Israel arrived within the last 10 years.
Despite his enthusiasm, Jacob concedes he doesn't yet feel integrated into Israeli society. "Anyone who comes from a different culture and says they fit in is not telling the truth."
It's a view echoed by Mel Davidson from Manchester, England, who emigrated in January 2001.
"It's very easy to move to this country and not be Israeli," she said.
Mel said she moved to Israel "to do something a bit different".
"I was never Zionist and didn't know anything about the country before I moved here," she said.
Mr Sharon has championed Jewish immigration
"What I miss about Britain is how easy it was to do things over there - the attitude and red tape here is terrible.
"What I like about Israel, though, is that anything goes here - nobody judges you at all. It doesn't matter if you work in a restaurant or sweep the street, there's not the same importance attached to status that there is in England."
When Mel moved to Israel the intifada was four months old and the fighting has worsened considerably since.
The violence, she says, has made life hard, "but just because things aren't so good at the moment you can't just run away".
Since Israel was founded in 1948, more than a third of all immigrants have come from the FSU - nearly one million since 1989 alone.
Israel's immigrants say anti-Semitism in Europe led to their decision
There are 400,000 Jews still in Russia and although the exodus has slowed, the flow continues.
Asia Gelfand moved to Israel from St Petersburg 12 years ago during the height of the first intifada.
Then 10 years old, she says her parents decided to emigrate because of rising anti-Semitism.
Now she says: "I feel Israel is home but my parents would probably think twice before they answer this question.
"Young Russian immigrants are accepted here much better than our parents - we learn the language quicker and we adjusted to our new surroundings much easier," she said.
Political impact
The huge influx of Russian Jews has had a significant impact on the shape of Israeli politics, and, consequently, the peace process.
I see what's going on in Europe and I'm not that optimistic that the Holocaust can't happen again
Asia Gelfand
Traditionally hawkish, voters from the former Soviet republics - about 15% of the Israeli electorate - helped unseat former Prime Minister Ehud Barak in elections in 2001, in favour of the right-wing Sharon (himself the son of Russian immigrants).
"We don't always approve of what the government's doing but, as Sharon said, this is the only place on Earth where we can protect ourselves," said Asia.
"I see what's going on in Europe and I'm not that optimistic that the Holocaust can't happen again.
"A lot of people think like I do," she said, "that Israel is our homeland, our only homeland, and it must survive".
Adam
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