Ingathering of the Exiles

July 17, 2024

by: Janet Aslin

Wednesday, 17 July 2024 | The Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel includes the following invitation: “THE STATE OF ISRAEL will be open for Jewish immigration and for the Ingathering of the Exiles…” When David Ben Gurion read these words on the night of May 14, 1948, Israel was at war. At its birth, the fledgling nation opened wide its doors for aliyah (immigration to Israel) as it struggled for survival in a hostile neighborhood. Many immigrants came during that time, primarily from surrounding Arab countries.

Seventy-six years later, three things are the same: Israel’s doors remain open for immigration, the surrounding countries are still hostile and the ingathering of the exiles continues. In light of the danger and uncertainty in Israel, are Jewish people living in the Diaspora (outside Israel) still making aliyah? Yes, they are.

In one sense, as anti-Semitism increases and it becomes dangerous to be outwardly Jewish, aliyah becomes more attractive. Golda Meir, Israel’s fourth prime minister, once said: “Above all, this country is our own. Nobody has to get up in the morning and worry what his neighbors think of him. Being a Jew is no problem here.”

Over the years, the numbers of people making aliyah have varied widely. The decade of the nineties saw more than one million new Israelis while generally immigration figures have ranged between 17,000 and 30,000 per year. So, yesterday when the Jewish Agency announced that 22,000 olim (immigrants) have arrived in Israel since October 7, this year’s figure is already looking higher than normal.

Along with those who have come, many are considering aliyah, especially from countries with rising anti-Semitism. Based on figures from the Jewish Agency, the Times of Israel reported “a 510% increase in the number of case files opened in France alone since the outbreak of the Israel–Hamas war, totaling 6,440 people, compared to 1,057 people during the same period a year ago.”

According to the Jerusalem Post, another 2,000 new immigrants will be arriving this summer from the US and Canada. Similar to the situation in France, Nefesh b’Nefesh (non-profit organization that facilitates aliyah from North America) has also experienced an increase in applications and said 10,300 requests have been received since the start of the war.

In the nations of the world, lines are being drawn in the sand when it comes to Israel. As anti-Semitism escalates, many Jewish people find themselves faced with the need to decide whether or not to leave countries where they have lived comfortably for generations. Is it safer to remain in an increasingly hostile environment or move to the Jewish state which is currently in the throes of battle?

In the eminently practical and wise words of Golda Meir, “To be or not to be is not a question of compromise. Either you be or you don’t be.” The State of Israel is still open for the ingathering of the exiles—and is welcoming them with open arms.

Posted on July 17, 2024

Source: (Bridges for Peace, July 17, 2024)

Photo Credit: photographer unknown/bridgesforpeace.com