North American Jews losing interest in emigrating to Palestine: Report
4 Min Read
Israeli media says immigration to the occupied territories is slowing down amid grave concerns about the Israeli economy.
-
Israelis protest against plans by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government to overhaul the judicial system in 'Tel Aviv', occupied Palestine, Aug. 19, 2023 (AP)
The Israeli occupation has been experiencing a steep decline in immigration from North America, especially among the youths, due to a lack of inviting factors, Israeli media said Saturday.
The judicial overhaul plans are "tearing Israeli society apart and affecting all walks of life, not just the interior," the Israeli Ynet website reported.
There is a decline in immigration from North America, especially among young people, data from Nefesh B'Nefesh, a non-profit that promotes and facilitates the immigration of Jewish people to "Israel" (Aliyah) from the United States and the United Kingdom, showed.
The decline of interest in Aliyah was attributed by the organization to the settlers finding it difficult to identify with the Israeli occupation at this time. "They say it is not the time to immigrate there."
Since the start of 2022, the organization said, immigration slowed down to a mere third of the decade average, with the exception of the pandemic.
"There is a discourse about instability in Israel, as more Jews tell them that they will not immigrate, for Israel is competing with other immigration destinations," it added.
There is a slowdown in immigration, as, by the end of 2023, it is expected that the occupation will only get about 3,000 immigrants, 10-15% less than in previous years. "This hurts us."
The decline in immigration is not the only point of concern, "for there is also a decline in donations to Israel."
One major contributor, the organization revealed, pledged to freeze his donations to the Israeli occupation due to the situation there, with many people being worried about the economy.
Read more: Overhaul will inflict serious economic damage: Israeli economist
In July, former Deputy Governor of the Bank of "Israel", Zvi Eckstein, warned that "Israel" is on the path of a massive economic decline that will harm all Israelis.
Moreover, as immigrants are picking other destinations, a Time report said tens of thousands of Israelis are mulling emigrating.
A recent poll by Channel 13 indicated that 28% of Israelis were contemplating leaving occupied Palestine, with a significant number already holding foreign passports.
Ocean Relocation, a firm assisting with immigration and emigration, reported an unprecedented surge in queries to leave "Israel" since January, with 90% of them being about emigration. Many cite concerns about their freedoms, human rights, and the current quality of life in the country as their primary reasons for considering relocation, the Sunday Times reported.
The decline in support for the Israeli occupation among Jews and settlers alike is also accompanied by growing tensions with its closest ally, the United States.
Anti-Israeli rhetoric has made its way into mainstream American political discourse, marking a huge shift in recent years in US sentiments toward the occupation, former US intelligence officer, Paul Pillar, wrote for The National Interest.
The former National Intelligence Officer for the Near East and South Asia asserted that ongoing efforts for a judicial overhaul in "Israel" have paved the way for long-standing critiques of US-Israeli relations to emerge into the public spotlight.
Pillar highlighted the calls to either cease or reduce the annual $3.8 billion unconditional aid that the US provides to "Israel"; a topic now at the forefront of discussions that would have been unlikely just a few years ago. He asserted that critics now enjoy greater freedom to express their ideas without fearing accusations of being against the occupation.
He said the issue has been raised in a number of publications encompassing The New York Times and The Washington Post, as well as staunch supporters of "Israel", including former US ambassadors to "Israel" Daniel Kurtzer and Martin Indyk.
"The argument for phasing out U.S. aid to Israel is not only strong but has been for a long time. Israel is a wealthy country, and that fact is not new."
The ex-intelligence official said while "Israel" "can afford to pay" for its military capabilities to which the US aid is going, "American taxpayers' political leaders are bemoaning budget deficits and proposing major cuts to government programs that support the health, welfare, and prosperity of Americans themselves."
Pillar concluded that the judicial overhaul "not changed the fundamentals of the US-Israeli relationship. They have just made it a bit less politically hazardous to inch closer to speaking some long-suppressed truths about that relationship."
