3,000 Americans emigrate to Israel

[Shammu]

3,000 Americans emigrate to Israel
As rockets fly, planeloads of Jews arrive in Middle East
Posted: July 20, 2006
9:00 p.m. Eastern

By Alex Traiman
© 2006 WorldNetDaily.com

TEL AVIV – As rockets slam into Israel and Israeli reprisals force Lebanese to flee the border region and parts of Beirut, more than 3,000 American citizens are leaving the comfort and security of the United States to make war-torn Israel their home.

"What is the best answer to Hezbollah?" asked former Israeli prime minister and current opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu during a welcome address to the new citizens. "You are the answer to Hezbollah."

More than 250 new immigrants arrived yesterday at Israel's Ben Gurion International Airport to add to the rapidly growing Jewish population in Israel. The planeload was the second of seven flights scheduled for this summer and the first arrival since the outbreak of violence with Lebanon.

The flights are arranged by Nefesh B'Nefesh, a private organization that provides financial incentives and social services to new immigrants from North America. Yesterday's planeload was the 17th since Nefesh B'Nefesh began chartering flights for immigrants in 2002.

The act of immigrating to Israel is called Aliyah, meaning to ascend, in Hebrew. Once they arrive in Israel, new citizens are referred to as olim, meaning pilgrims.

Former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks to immigrants yesterday

Yehoshua Fass, director of Nefesh B'Nefesh and a former pulpit rabbi in Boca Raton, Fla., called the flight "the ultimate solidarity mission."

Leading up to yesterday's flight, thousands of American citizens were fleeing the region back to the U.S. Israel's national airline carrier, El Al, has added extra flights to New York to accommodate those seeking to escape the violence.

Since the conflict began last week, more than 1,000 rockets, mostly Katyushas, have been fired from Lebanon into northern Israel, killing 18 civilians and injuring scores of others. Lebanese Internal Security Forces say more than 250 civilians have been killed during Israeli air strikes, with hundreds more wounded.

While the conflict began months after the incoming flights of new Israeli citizens were arranged, the immigrants and the dignitaries who welcomed them repeatedly pointed out the symbolism of arriving in Israel during a war.

"You are making Israel stronger," said Netanyahu. "Aliyah is the lifeline of Israel. Israel is the only homeland for the Jewish people, and the Jewish people must fight for its place in it."

Referring to Israel's chances of victory in the war against Hamas and Hezbollah, Netanyahu stated in his address, "We have won, we have prevailed. We have built cities, we built industry, we have built infrastructure."

Immigrants welcomed to Israel

"We are a very powerful country. We are applying only a fraction of our power," Netanyahu added.

Following the speech, Netanyahu commented on the continued threat of rockets raining on northern Israeli cities from Lebanon.

"We must stop the rockets to protect these olim," Netanyahu told WND.

At a farewell ceremony for the emigrating American citizens in New York's John F. Kennedy international airport, Israel's consul general in New York, stated, "The fact that you are making Aliyah at this point in time is a vote of confidence and security in the state of Israel and the victory over terrorism."

While many of the new Israelis are moving to locations out of range of Katyusha rockets from the north and Qassam rockets from the south, several are moving to cities recently bombarded, including Haifa and Ashkelon.

Yet despite the rocket threat, most of the new residents offered statements of confidence regarding their personal and, now, national security.

Sammy Capuano, who arrived on the flight with his wife Shiri and their six-month-old son from Aventura, Fla., told WND that despite the ongoing violence, "it's a feeling of relief to be in Israel."

"God could have put Israel in Texas or the Bahamas," Capuano said. "But God put us here amongst our enemies to teach us that our security comes from one source: from following God's commandments.

Nachum Kligman was one of hundreds of guests ushering the arrival of immigrants at Ben Gurion Airport. He was there with his family to welcome his parents on their Aliyah. Kligman himself made Aliyah on Nefesh B'Nefesh's inaugural flight in July 2002.

Kligman is not concerned about the threat to his safety in Israel, citing the terror threat as a primary component of his decision to move to Israel.

"We made Aliyah in response to 9-11," he said. "When 9-11 happened, that is when I knew it was time to move to Israel. God was sending me a message."

Exactly one year to the day after the largest terror attack in U.S. history, Kligman and his wife welcomed the birth of a baby boy, Moshe Shlomo. "We heard God's message in 2001, and He rewarded us in 2002."

Two additional immigrant flights are arriving from France next week, and a third European flight is departing Great Britain in August.

The flights are coordinated in conjunction with the Jewish Agency for Israel, a non-governmental agency focused on bringing Jews to live in Israel from around the world, on behalf of the state. Bringing one million additional Jews to Israel was one of former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's primary stated goals.

Shlomo Riskin, rabbi of Israel's Efrata community, made Aliyah from the U.S. 20 years ago. His community has been a popular landing ground for many Americans, including several on yesterday's flight who have left the comforts of America for a new home in Israel.

During the welcome ceremony, Riskin told the new immigrants, "If Israel was Disneyland, we would come for fun, in the sun. But this is the motherland, and we will come when our mother needs us."

Riskin added, "Israel is the safest place in the world for Jews."
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Zechariah 8:7-9 Thus says the Lord of hosts: Behold, I will save My people from the east country and from the west [the country of the going down of the sun]. 8 And I will bring them [home] and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God in truth and faithfulness and in righteousness. 9 Thus says the Lord of hosts: Let your hands be strong and hardened, you who in these days hear these words from the mouths of the prophets who on the day that the foundation of the house of the Lord of hosts was laid foretold that the temple should be rebuilt.

Zechariah 10:10 I will bring them [all Israel] home again from the land of Egypt and gather them out of Assyria, and I will bring them into the land [on the east and on the west of the Jordan, into] Gilead and Lebanon, and room enough shall not be found for them.

Isaiah 43:5-6 Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east [where they are dispersed] and gather you from the west. 6 I will say to the north, Give up! and to the south, Keep not back. Bring My sons from afar and My daughters from the ends of the earth--

As time winds down, we will be seeing things happen faster, and faster.  This is so exciting to watch prophecy, happening right before our eyes!!!!

AMEN!!!!!

[Soldier4Christ]

Amen brother it is indeed exciting.

[ibTina]

I am very happy for them... a wee bit jealous cause I have always wanted to go see the Holy land, but my heart aches to see all the violence that is happening there.

[Amorus]

Amen brother it is indeed exciting.

Another Amen!

[Shammu]

 Amidst War, 650 French Jews Move to Israel in One Day
14:29 Jul 25, '06 / 29 Tammuz 5766
by Ezra HaLevi

Despite the Re-Engagement War, 650 French Jews arrived on Aliyah (immigrating to Israel) Tuesday - the largest number to arrive in a single day since 1971.

The new immigrants arrived on two chartered Israir flights, one with 500 passengers from Paris and the other with 150 Jews from Marseille. They arrive in Ben Gurion Airport Tuesday afternoon and were greeted by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.

The immigrants have received logistical assistance from AMI - the French Aliyah organization, similar to its North American (and British) counterpart Nefesh b'Nefesh.

Similar to the lavish ceremonies organized by Nefesh b'Nefesh, the French arrivals were greeted with refreshments and a large stage set up at the airport, with hundreds of friends, relatives and Aliyah enthusiasts on hand to greet them.

AMI reports that many of the new immigrants will be moving to northern Israel, and like the planeload of North Americans that arrived last week, refused to postpone their plans due to the two-front war that has two million Israelis living in bomb shelters and temporary quarters.

Recent polls have shown that more half of young French Jews do not see themselves staying in France in the future.

Amidst War, 650 French Jews Move to Israel in One Day
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Jesus is gathering his children of Israel.

[Soldier4Christ]

Here you go brother. The yearly totals.

N.America, France set to lead immigration to Israel

LOD, Israel (Reuters) - Immigration to Israel is expected to post a three-year high in 2006, boosted by a jump in those moving to the Jewish state from North America and France, Israel's agency for immigration said on Thursday.

An estimated 24,000 people are expected to make "aliya", the Hebrew word for immigrating to Israel, this year, its highest figure since 2003 and up from 22,657 in 2005, the Jewish Agency said.

"This is actually proof that people realize that the center of Jewish life is in Israel," agency chairman Zeev Bielski told Reuters. "To be part of the creation of the Jewish state is something you can do only by living in Israel."

Nearly 250 North Americans landed in Israel on Thursday on the first of seven planeloads that will bring an expected 3,400 new immigrants from the United States and Canada, the most since 1983 and well above last year's 2,987.

Immigration from France is also expected to reach 3,500 people in 2006, the highest level since 1971, the agency said.

Immigration earlier in the decade had dropped sharply from about 70,000 per year in the 1990s, mostly from former Soviet states, due to Palestinian-Israeli violence. It posted its first yearly gain in 2005 since 1999.

"You are showing Israel's enemies ... no one will stop Jews from calling Israel their home," Tony Gelbart, a co-founder of the Nefesh B'Nefesh private immigration agency, told the immigrants at Ben Gurion International Airport.

Israeli President Moshe Katsav said rising immigration was a signal to Israel's Arab neighbors that making peace was a far better option than trying to destroy the Jewish state.

Israel's government places great significance on immigration amid concerns that without an influx of foreign Jews the country's Arab minority, which has a far higher birth rate, could eventually outnumber the Jewish population.

Jews constitute 76 percent of Israel's population of 7.04 million people, while Arabs make up some 20 percent.

Among those who immigrated to Israel on Thursday was Ben Kurtzer, brother of former U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Dan Kurtzer, with his wife and five children from Dallas.

"Whenever we came to Israel in the past, we always felt that this is home and that we were temporarily living in the United States," said Kurtzer.


The following link shows the total immigration numbers of Jews into Israel by year since 1948 up and including 2004.

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Immigration/Immigration_to_Israel.html

[Shammu]

 Massive Western Aliyah This Week, Despite Month of War
13:34 Aug 09, '06 / 15 Av 5766
by Ezra HaLevi

      Despite the two-front war, the thousands of missiles, and the evacuation of northern communities, more than 800 North American and British Jews are moving to Israel this week.



After a month of war, and even though they have had plenty of time to postpone or reschedule their Aliyah (immigration to Israel), four planeloads of Jews are scheduled to arrive in Ben Gurion airport in the coming week – the first on Thursday.

On Wednesday, August 16th – the one year anniversary of the forced eviction of the Jews of Gaza – three simultaneous flights will arrive. Embodying the Jewish prayer that the nation be gathered “from the four corners of the Earth,” the planes will depart from Canada, America and England – all arriving simultaneously in the Holy Land.

The August 16, 2006 influx will constitute the largest number of Jews in history making Aliyah to Israel from Western countries in a single day.

Overall this summer, 3,000 North American and British Jews are moving to Israel on specially chartered flights organized by the Nefesh b'Nefesh Aliyah assistance organization, in close cooperation with the Jewish Agency.

Greeting the arrivals Thursday will be Minister of Public Security and former Shabak Chief Avi Dichter (Kadima) and Minister of Immigrant Absorption Ze'ev Boim (Kadima). Opposition leader MK Binyamin Netanyahu greeted the last group of arrivals last month.

Visit the Nefesh b'Nefesh web site to learn about immigrating to Israel or sign up to greet the new immigrants upon their arrival.

Massive Western Aliyah This Week, Despite Month of War

[Shammu]

243 N. American Immigrants Arrive in Israel Thursday
14:16 Aug 10, '06 / 16 Av 5766
by Ezra HaLevi

The first chartered plane of a record-setting week of Western Aliyah arrived in Israel Thursday, with not a single one of the 243 immigrants signed up backing out or postponing due to the war.



The plane touched down and pulled alongside a special hangar near Ben Gurion Airport’s Terminal 1, where the new immigrants were greeted by hundreds of well wishers, family, friends, IDF soldiers, Public Security Minister Avi Dichter and prominent American Aliyah supporter Rabbi Hershel Schachter.

The flight was the 18th chartered flight of immigrants organized by the Nefesh b’Nefesh Aliyah assistance organization, together with the Jewish Agency.

“A few months ago, 243 people registered to be a part of this flight today,” Nefesh b’Nefesh co-founder Rabbi Yehoshua Fass said. “They listened to the news and watched the scenes of war on television. But today, that plane landed with 243 olim (immigrants to Israel). We asked G-d to comfort the Jewish people on [the fast of] Tisha B’av last week. Not one person cancelled, and it brings great comfort to all of Israel.”

At every welcoming ceremony, one of the arriving families takes the stage and receives their Aliyah identity card, holding it up and saying a few words. Wednesday, as people awoke to the news of 15 fallen reservists in battles in Lebanon, Harold Sternlicht, one of the new immigrants said: “For many years people have come to Israel running away from things – the Holocaust, persecution. Today we are running to Israel!”

The audience of new and veteran olim cheered and IDF soldiers who had been brought to the ceremony to greet the arrivals looked on in awe. “This is extremely emotional,” said Rachel, who added that when Hizbullah chief Hassan Nasrallah turns on his television and sees the new arrivals, “he will see that the nation of Israel is stronger than he ever imagined.”

Judy, another soldier, herself came on Aliyah from Los Angeles almost two years ago. She has been in the IDF for a year, in a soldier/teacher program working with underprivileged kids. She says that the sight of crowds of new immigrants reminds her of why she chose to make Israel her home.

Kim Richardson, 21, is arriving from Poughkeepsie, New York. She is joining her sister, Jen, who moved to Israel two years ago. Both sisters say they never thought about moving to Israel while growing up, but attended a program called Netiv their freshman year of college, during which they worked on Kibbutz Saad, studied at Hebrew University and fell in love with the Jewish state. “The hair stylist I went to before I boarded the plane yesterday understood why I decided to move here the best,” Kim said. “His name was Hugo, and he told me, ‘It’s all about your generation – you can change the world.’”

243 N. American Immigrants Arrive in Israel Thursday

[airIam2worship]

[quote author=DreamWeaver link=topic=12364.msg159723#msg159723


Riskin added, "Israel is the safest place in the world for Jews."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Zechariah 8:7-9 Thus says the Lord of hosts: Behold, I will save My people from the east country and from the west [the country of the going down of the sun]. 8 And I will bring them [home] and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God in truth and faithfulness and in righteousness. 9 Thus says the Lord of hosts: Let your hands be strong and hardened, you who in these days hear these words from the mouths of the prophets who on the day that the foundation of the house of the Lord of hosts was laid foretold that the temple should be rebuilt.

Zechariah 10:10 I will bring them [all Israel] home again from the land of Egypt and gather them out of Assyria, and I will bring them into the land [on the east and on the west of the Jordan, into] Gilead and Lebanon, and room enough shall not be found for them.

Isaiah 43:5-6 Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east [where they are dispersed] and gather you from the west. 6 I will say to the north, Give up! and to the south, Keep not back. Bring My sons from afar and My daughters from the ends of the earth--

As time winds down, we will be seeing things happen faster, and faster.  This is so exciting to watch prophecy, happening right before our eyes!!!!

AMEN!!!!!
[/quote]

Amen, prophecy being fulfilled!!!! Glory to God.

[ibTina]

Amen, prophecy being fulfilled!!!! Glory to God.

Praise GOD!!!!