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Israel welcomes two planes full of enthusiastic
North American immigrants |
Updated at 13:13 on July 13, 2005, EST. |
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BEN GURION AIRPORT, Israel (CP) - Hundreds of
North American Jews packed up their families, filled two
airplanes and emigrated to Israel, arriving Wednesday to
hundreds of cheering Israelis and enthusiastic
government officials, including Prime Minister Ariel
Sharon.
The planes arrived from Canada and the U.S. a few
minutes apart, pulling up to an airplane hangar for a
welcoming ceremony.
Joyful tears fell as relatives and friends
embraced one another over steel barricades, while others
walked around, looking a bit dazed but smiling.
Eli Gherman, 32, moved to Israel with his wife
and five children from Long Island, N.Y.
"No other country in the world would bring all of
these people out to greet us unless they're your
family," Gherman said as the welcoming crowd waved
blue-white Israeli flags. "And it's a family that needs
us, wants us and cares about us."
Sharon and other cabinet ministers welcomed the
660 North American immigrants at Ben Gurion Airport
outside Tel Aviv.
Marking only the second time Sharon has greeted
arriving immigrants during his term, he told Israel's
latest group of newcomers that they are necessary for
the good of the country.
"We've always needed you and we especially need
you now," Sharon told the group of 480 Americans and 180
Canadians.
The new arrivals received financial support from
the American-based organization Nefesh B'Nefesh - Soul
to Soul - with a goal of increasing the number of North
Americans who move to Israel.
Charley Levine, a spokesman for the organization,
said that the amount of financial assistance given to
eligible families ranged from $5,000 to $23,000 US per
family.
Nefesh B'Nefesh and the Jewish Agency for Israel,
a quasi-governmental body that deals with immigration,
pledged to help find jobs for about 3,200 North
Americans expected to move here this year.
Ira Robinson, a Jewish studies professor at
Montreal's Concordia University, says Canadian Jews who
identify with the idea of Israel and are committed to
growing a homeland have been deeply affected by
instability in the region since 2000.
"The recent intefadeh (Palestinian uprising) has
made people take stock of themselves, what they feel in
their hearts and what their dreams are," said Robinson.
Jewish Agency spokesman Michael Jankelowitz said
nearly 4,000 Americans have opened immigrant files so
far this year. If these figures hold, this year would
see the largest number of immigrants from North America
since 1983.
Israel will be home to the world's largest Jewish
population for the first time in 2006, surpassing the
community in the United States, the Jewish People Policy
Planning Institute said in a report Tuesday.
About 5.6 million Jews live in Israel.
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| The Canadian Press, 2005
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