Absorption minister blasts American Jewish leaders (for torpedoing aliyah)

Maariv ^ | 30 March 2004 | Eli Berdenshtein

[anotherview]

Absorption minister blasts American Jewish leaders

Tzipi Livni accuses communal heads of torpedoing “aliyah” initiatives fearing it would weaken their communities.
Eli Berdenshtein

Minister of Immigration and Absorption, Tzipi Livni, has chided North American Jewish leaders for discouraging the immigration of Jews (aliyah) to Israel. “It isn’t enough for the leaders to encourage aliyah from other groups, they need to encourage it within their own communities as an integral need of Israel”.

In recent weeks, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has held several meetings with representatives of the Ministry and the Jewish agency to discuss the goal of bringing one million Jews to Israel in the next decade. At the meeting, it was agreed that efforts should focus on the 5.6 million Jews living in North America. The JA (Jewish Agency) has established a special task force to promote Aliyah, but at the moment there are only 3,000 Americans a year who immigrate to Israel.

The primary problem is that the JA’s American activities are funded by American Jewish groups and therefore they do not have full control of how much money is allocated to encouraging aliyah. The JA fears increased aliyah efforts on its part could lead to monetary sanctions by the groups.

JA head, Salai Meridor rejected Livni’s comments. “For North American aliyah to be successful we need a high level of community support which is not achieved by these sort of comments, but rather through positive work and dialogue”, he charged.

(2004-03-30 18:10:10.0)

[thoughtomator]

I do not live in Israel. I live in New York. "Aliyah" means a Jew going to live in Israel - the return of all the Jews to Israel is something we pray for regularly. But I'm not going to do that if it means exposing myself to a situation where enemies can and will attack us with impunity, and nothing is done to stop it. I'm not willing to be one of Israel's acceptable level of casualties.

[templar]

But I'm not going to do that if it means exposing myself to a situation where enemies can and will attack us with impunity, and nothing is done to stop it. I'm not willing to be one of Israel's acceptable level of casualties.

I understand your position. I have similar concerns for my daughter in the future.

[Guillermo]

What about the ones who are of the appeasement bent in regards to Mohammedan terrorism?

[Guillermo]

Why was it so unpleasant for them?

[BSunday]

The Absorption Minister ?

[HostileTerritory]

Funny, he doesn't look Jewish.

[anotherview]

The security fence IS the adequate response, and is the reason why Palestinian terrorists are increasingly finding it impossible to successfully attack Israelis on our side of the fence.

[thoughtomator]

As long as a Jew cannot safely pray at the Temple Mount, then Israel cannot be said to be adequately fulfilling its security responsibilities that come with being a sovereign nation.

[anotherview]

When was the last time you were at the kotel? You can't pray safely there? I can. Why can't you?

[MattAMiller]

So Aliya was shot down by operatives of the world wide Zionist conspiracy using a torpedo. I knew it all along.

[thoughtomator]

Never been there, myself. All the bombings and Muslim riots keep me away.