Some 130 French Jews, including 46 children and two babies, landed at Ben-Gurion International Airport Monday, marking the start of a wave of French Aliyah (immigration) expected over the course of the summer.
Additionally, some 80 French Jews who had been in Israel on tourist visas became Israeli citizens and received their Israeli identity cards during a ceremony hosted by The Jewish Agency for Israel at the organization’s Jerusalem headquarters building earlier today.
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According to data compiled by The Jewish Agency and the Ministry of Aliyah and Immigrant Absorption, more than 3, 000 French Jews will immigrate to Israel this summer, including many young families whose children will enter Israeli schools at the start of the new school year. Some 400 French Jewish immigrants are expected to arrive by the end of this week alone.
The current wave of French Aliyah comes in the midst of a joint effort by the Ministry and The Jewish Agency to maintain the high rate of immigration from France and increase Aliyah from around the world.
Aliyah from France has risen steeply in recent years and France has become the number one source of immigration to Israel for the first time.
Minister of Aliyah and Immigrant Absorption Ze’ev Elkin said: “We welcome the immigrants who arrived in Israel. Every plane that arrives in Israel strengthens Israel and strengthens the French Jews who have come home.”
Data shows that French Jews’ interest in immigrating to Israel remains strong and is reflected in increasing numbers of French Jews participating in Aliyah information sessions across France, contacting Jewish Agency offices for information, and beginning the formal Aliyah process.
Chairman of the Executive of The Jewish Agency for Israel Natan Sharansky, at the ceremony today said: “We are seeing an unprecedented wave of Aliyah from European countries, which indicates not only how Europe is becoming an uncomfortable place for Jews, and extent to which Israel is becoming a magnet for Jews interested in a meaningful life, in freedom, personal security, and a sense of belonging to a country that is integral to the future of the Jewish people.”
