Despite war, 31,000 immigrants moved to Israel in past year
Despite the ongoing war with Hamas and Hezbollah, Israel experienced a surge of 31,000 new immigrants arriving from more than 100 countries in the past year, according to figures published by the Ministry of Immigration and Absorption and the Jewish Agency on Sunday.
More than 160 new immigrants from France celebrate their arrival in Israel at Tel Aviv’s Ben-Gurion Airport on Aug. 1, 2024. Photo by Yossi Zeliger/TPS-IL
The statistics were released ahead of Rosh HaShanah, the Jewish New Year, which begins on Wednesday at sundown.
“Aliyah [immigration] is one of the cornerstones of Zionism, and indeed since the beginning of the war on October 7th we have witnessed an exciting and unique wave of immigration,” said Minister of Immigration and Absorption, Ofir Sofer.
The largest influx of immigrants came from Russia, with 19,850 new arrivals. This was followed by the United States and Canada, contributing a combined total of over 3,340 immigrants. France accounted for more than 1,820 new citizens, while Ukraine sent nearly 980. Smaller but significant numbers arrived from Belarus (795), the United Kingdom (560), and Argentina (450). Even countries with smaller Jewish populations, such as Brazil, South Africa, Germany, and Mexico, saw hundreds of their citizens make the journey to Israel.
According to the data, 31% of the new arrivals were young adults between the ages of 18-35, totaling around 9,600 individuals. Children and teenagers up to 17 years old made up 20% of the new arrivals, while 21% were 36-50 years old. A smaller portion, 13%, were aged 51 to 60, and 10% of immigrants were 66 years or older.
One striking trend, there was a sharp increase in immigration interest from Western nations. France has seen an astounding 352% increase in immigration cases, with 6,040 files opened, compared to 1,330 during the same period last year. The United States also saw a rise of 60%, with 6,590 cases opened. Canada and the United Kingdom recorded increases of 87% and 62%, respectively.
“Immigrating to Israel is a tremendous engine of growth,” said Maj.-Gen. (res.) Doron Almog, chairman of the Jewish Agency, a quasi-governmental organization that facilitates immigration.
“Immigration brings with it resilience and innovation in all areas of life, in security, science, medicine, economy, education, culture, sports and more. It brings with it hope. These days, the immigrants are a symbol of the wonderful spirit of the Jewish people. A spirit of devotion and love. A spirit we need more than ever,” Almog said.
