As far as I understand it, over the last few years, there has been an increasing trend for Israelis to immigrate to Europe instead of the US, though I imagine its not remarkably substantial. America remains the #1 destination spot.
Nevertheless, many Israelis, for example of German background, have been obtaining dual citizenship to relocate to Germany. If I am correct, along with Russian Jewish immigration to germany, this has helped contribute to the substantial growth of the country's Jewish population.
Chris is totally right about Russian Jews repatriating to Russia. I would imagine the numbers of repatriates to Russia to be higher than that of the children of German immigrants to Israel returning to Russia.
A relative who served as a low level official in Ben Gurion's government in the 1950s once told me that the British had offered Israel at the time Commonwealth status. Apparently Ben Gurion rejected the offer, fearing that Jews, sick of the hardships, war and lack of opportunities in Israel, would pick up and move to the UK.
I'd be curious to find out of this is indeed true. Quite honestly, knowing Ben Gurion, it wouldn't surprise me.
On Aug 3, 2006, at 8:25 AM, Chris Doss wrote:
>
>
> --- Jesse Lemisch <utopia1 at attglobal.net> wrote:
>
>> These figures are quite startling. They are indeed
>> voting with their feet,
>> in a way that has to have an impact in Israel and
>> even possibly on their
>> politics (though I can't be optimistic about this).
>> Is there any work,
>> beyond Doug's observations, concerning the emigres'
>> reasons for leaving,
>> politics here, etc.?
>>
>> Jesse
>
> I don't have any figures to back this up, but I think
> you may in part be seeing the effects of the Russian
> economic boom. I suspect that if you looked at the
> people emigrating, large numbers of them would be
> Russian Jews repatriating.
>
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