Israel Matzav

Der Yiddisher Medine is Goldiner (The Jewish state is golden)

When I lived in the US - not too far from Teaneck - it seemed that every taxi driver and pizza flipper was an Israeli. Of course, nearly all of them were 'not yordim (emigrants)' and planned to go back... as soon as they saved up enough money.

The strong Israeli economy and the weak American economy (if anyone has a better explanation, I'm all ears) has changed the immigration figures over the last two years. There's been a huge drop - 35% - in Israelis moving to the States, and a large increase in American Jews moving to Israel.

The number of Israelis relocating to the US has increasingly dropped in 2011, reaching a new low since 2003. Meanwhile, the number of people immigrating to Israel from the US has increased, according to data published by the US citizenship and Immigration Services.

Approximately 3,826 Israelis migrated to the US in 2011, as opposed to 4,515 in 2010 and 5,612 migrants in 2009.

According to the Jewish Agency, 2011 marked a positive increase in migrants coming to Israel, when some 4,070 North American Jews made aliyah.

Just six years ago, a record number of 5,943 Israelis migrated from Israel to the US. When comparing the 2006 figure to the number of Israelis who left Israel in 2011, the data indicates a 35% drop in migration from Israel.

Data further reveal a total number of 47,000 Israelis who migrated out of Israel in the past decade.

The numbers released by the USCIS include only the official information, and don’t reflect illegal immigration to the US.

Unfortunately, the founders of the Jewish state never understood this. People are not likely to make aliya (immigrate) from countries where they are comfortable economically and where anti-Semitism is not an immediate concern, out of Zionist idealism or a desire to fulfill another positive commandment from God that is probably not obligatory today (although it's still a mitzva according to my extensive research). But they will make aliya if their economic status is likely to be comparable, while they can feel comfortable living among Jews. Prime Minister Netanyahu - who spent most of his formative years in the US - seems to get that. Many of his predecessors did not.

Labels: aliya, Israeli economy, US economy

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 7:32 PM