Report: Jewish immigrants to Israel decreased ‘significantly’ after war

The number of Jewish immigrants to Israel has significantly decreased following the war on the besieged Gaza Strip, according to data published by the Ministry of Immigration and Integration and the Jewish Agency.

According to figures released by the organisation, about 1,000 immigrants arrived in Israel in October and November, while thousands had arrived each month prior to that period.

Under Israel’s “Law of Return” Jews and descendants of Jews have the right to move to Israel and obtain citizenship through a system known as making Aliyah as part of the occupation state’s efforts to increase its Jewish population. Palestinians who were forced out of their homes during the 1948 Nakba and since then are not given the same rights, with the vast majority not even able to enter Israel to visit their land, let alone receive citizenship.

From the beginning of this year until the end of November, some 44,372 Jews immigrated to Israel, compared to 74,714 Jews who arrived during the corresponding period of last year.

The vast majority of Jewish immigrants this year – about 36,000 – came from Russia, while 2,495 immigrated from the United States and Canada, 1,678 from Ethiopia, 1,125 from Latin America and 945 were from France.

About 7,000 immigrants arrived in Israel in January, about 6,000 in March and approximately 5,000 in August.

The new immigrants moved to live in 311 cities and towns in Israel, with the majority of them residing in Tel Aviv (6,344) followed by the city of Haifa (6,165), the city of Netanya (4,453), the city of Bat Yam (2,671), Jerusalem (2,236) and 1,085 immigrants settled in Ashkelon.

READ: Nearly 0.5m Israelis left Israel after 7 October: Report