Two in three FSU Jews choose Germany over Israel

[bemildred]

Twice as many Jews and eligible relatives from the former Soviet Union are now choosing to immigrate to Germany rather than Israel, The Jerusalem Post has been told.

Overall immigration to Israel has fallen to its lowest levels since the late 1980s, Jewish Agency officials have told the Post, and the growing "loss" to Germany of Jews from the FSU is at the heart of the decline.

Preliminary figures for 2004, the officials say, show aliya from around the world at 22,000, down from 25,000 in 2003. Aliya from the FSU is down to 10,000, from 12,500 in 2003. By comparison, immigration to Germany of Jews and their eligible relatives from the former Soviet Union has risen to 20,000 people. Germany offers absorption packages to eligible immigrants that are considerably more lucrative than those provided by Israel, and the German Jewish community is the fastest growing in the world, the officials say.

Agency officials draw some comfort from a 20 percent rise in immigration from the US – to 2,800 from 2,400 in 2003.

JPost

[drdon326]

1. "I don't like your source"

"you lie with fleas....well....you itch....see?"

[bemildred]

2. LOL. (Scratch, scratch.)

[drdon326]

5. Suuuuuurrrre.....

you get a pass.....I get lambasted.

Wait tiil le garcon de utensils gets a hold of you !!

I'm sorry....what were we talking about?

[Forkboy]

6. what do you think about the article?

as you like to ask.

[drdon326]

7. Wow....thats a first....

interesting article...dont understand what they are thinking moving to that great historical friend of the jews, Germany (:eyes:) but
i suspect with the peace fence proving itself, that may change.

Thanks for asking.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

11. Don't hold your breath. (nt)

[ClintonTyree]

3. I thought you meant Florida State................

Jewish Seminoles..........I'm willing to bet there aren't a lot of them.

[NC_Nurse]

4. LOL!

That's what I thought too!

[DemFromMem]

8. Conflicting signals

In the mean time, check out this story in today's Ha'Aretz:

Former chief rabbi: European Jewish history nearing its end

By Amiram Barkat, Haaretz Correspondent


Former chief rabbi Meir Lau said Thursday that European Jewish history is nearing its end and called on the government and the Jewish Agency to prepare for the absorption of Europe's Jews in Israel.


There is a rise in anti-Semitism in nearly every European country that is being expressed, among other ways, via extreme anti-Israel sentiments, Lau warned in a statement.

Lau quoted data released this past week in Germany indicating that 62 percent of that country's citizens are tired of hearing about the Holocaust. Seventy percent of Germans are angered when reminded of Nazi crimes, the poll indicated.

Lau, a Holocaust survivor, said he does not see a future for the Jewish community in Europe

<snip>


Russian Jews are going to Germany because of four years of war in Israel and because they are hearing back from friends and family that the economy is tough and jobs are not easy to find. Germany makes it easy for Jews to immigrate there (which is only just) and the US has largely shut its doors with a very small quota available in recent years for Jews from the FSU.

By the way, while immigration to Israel is declining right now, the portion of immigrants coming from France is way up. And Russian Jews - hate to say it - are pretty used to anti-Semitism and the western European version they're seeing right now is pretty mild stuff compared to what they've lived with for all these years.

[bemildred]

9. The Rabbi is reaching a bit.

Your points are well taken.

There is however, a difference between "tired of hearing about the
Holocaust" and being eager to go hunt Jews in the street, and it's
an important difference. The USA is still very much a racist culture,
but that does not stop Africans from trying to come here. While one
may disagree about whether a generic Jew is better off in Israel or
say France, it's not at all hard to see why some might choose France
nowadays, as a safer destination, if one chooses to see.

[dems4israel]

13. France is not safe for Jews

You must be ignorant of the problems French Jews face Jewish Schools and Synagogues have been burnt to the ground Islamic youth harass Jews in the streets they taunt Jewish football teams. Jews have been beaten in the French Metro and French Rabbis have gotten death threats.

[bemildred]

14. I didn't say France was safe for Jews. nt

[Kellanved]

15. I wonder: where did you get these "facts" from.

Your statement is absurd.

[bemildred]

16. Hey, Jews get blown to bits in Israel, but apparently that's "safe". nt

[Kellanved]

17. I don't see any reason to compare the situation to Israel

If someone chooses to move to Israel, then I do respect that decision. I have several family members, who decided to move, others decided to stay - it is a personal matter.

There is a problem with Anti-Semitism in Europe - or rather it is two problems:
One is the "classic" European Anti-Semitism present in all European and European-Settled countries, some are more honest about it's presence than others. I believe that being honest about it is the only way to combat it, certain countries (hint: I am not talking about France here) have much to learn in this regard.
The other is the "Arabic" Anti-Semitism: this is almost as grave a problem, but one happening at the rim of the society. While possibly more dangerous in an encounter, it is less dangerous to the society as a whole; yet it is the type most present in the English-Language Media -go figure.

What irks me about the debate, there s a tendency to punish states open about their problems and active doing something about it, while "silent" countries fly under the radar. Also reports tend to be blown out of proportion - alertness is a good thing, it should not be punished.

[bemildred]

18. I think we agree, generally.

It was the Rabbi that was implicitly making the argument that
Europe was unsafe and therefore Jews should come to Israel. I
just find that argument ludicrous.

I think your last paragraph is exactly right.

[Paleocon]

19. Europe as a whole is struggling with Islamic Immigration...

Much as immigrants are no longer assimilating into American culture, Islamic immigrants are not assmilating into European culture.

In both cases, things aren't working out well. Multiculturalism and respecting other cultures is one thing. Committing suicide by inviting radical new immigrants is something else entirely...

See the Van Gogh murder in Holland for an example...

We (and Europe) need to embrace these new immigrants and make them feel welcome and a part of our society. To invite them in and then force them to live in slums and ghettos is no good for them and no good for us in the long run, it is only inviting the fundamentalism that we need to discourage.

[drdon326]

20. Excellent idea...

lets us embrace every new immigrant.. by say....giving up your car or even your house and of course offering every person a $100,000 a year job because we don't want them in any way to feel that they are not welcome to anything they want.

And lets change EVERY law to accommodate any person who doesn't agree with it lest we fear "inviting fundamnentalism".

culture,schmulture.....we MUST lose all vestiges of any life the way we knew it because we wouldn't want to offend anyones sensibilities.



A-MAZING POST, PALEOCON.




EOS

[Paleocon]

21. That's a little extreme...

I think there can be a compromise... I think it is important that new immigrants assimilate into whatever society they choose to move into. When immigrants stop assimilating it is a pretty good indication that your society is saturated with new immigrants and it's time to slow down the influx for a while.

:)

[drdon326]

22. OMG !!!! W-H-A-T ?????

When immigrants stop assimilating it is a pretty good indication that your society is saturated with new immigrants and it's time to slow down the influx for a while.

Hold on...

Are you saying the a country has a right to deny entry of a particular group if it FAILS to assimilate??

Are you saying Holland (your example) has a right to deny entry of a group if that group has caused a rise in crimes?

Are you saying a country can deem a group dangerous to its way of life and thereby deny ....or as you call it,slow down, influx??

Before you answer, there are "real" progressives reading you answer.



The clock begins now.....

[drdon326]

23. One more thing......

Committing suicide by inviting radical new immigrants is something else entirely...

So you do believe a country can deny entry of , your words ,

"radical new immigrants" ??? Like Holland??

[Paleocon]

24. Yes

I do believe that. You can be progressive without being suicidal...

[Ardee]

10. Considering

that the German economy is among the best in the world, considering that bombs are exploding in Israel and that nation is on a course for more not less violence, that choice makes sense to me.

[Tuco Ramirez]

12. Who could blame them?

Germany offers a great deal more stability.

When Argentina had a currency crisis a few years back, the Jewish community there resisted efforts to entice them to emigrate. They knew that whatever happened with the currency, it was preferable to dying in a useless struggle.

[QueerJustice]

25. Useless?

Guess you do not know about the HUGE wave of Argintinian immigrants....in particular Doctors who recently made Aliyah to Israel?