Israel has welcomed 13,391 new immigrants from Ukraine since the outset of the Russian invasion on February 10, among them 427 who have arrived in the past 24 hours.
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Their arrival is part of "Operation Coming Home" – through which all those who are entitled to make aliyah (immigrate to Israel) based on the Law of Return can receive emergency acceptance into the country.
To be eligible to immigrate to Israel under the Law of Return, one must either have at least one Jewish grandparent or be married to a Jew, whether or not they are considered Jewish under Orthodox interpretations of Jewish law.
Meanwhile, at least 390 new immigrants from Ukraine are expected to arrive on flights from Kishinev, the capital of Moldova; Budapest, the capital of Hungary; and Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, over the next 24 hours.
It should be noted that while around 200,000 potential immigrants from Ukraine meet the criteria for aliya according to the Law of Return (some 43,000 of them identify as Jewish or with no other religion), the potential for immigration from Russia is at least three times as much (some 200,000 potential immigrants who identify as Jewish or with no other religion).
Since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, Israel's relative passivity in terms of absorbing immigrants and refugees, compared to European countries, has often highlighted its relative "unattractiveness" in the eyes of potential immigrants – which is particularly illustrated in the gap between those who have expressed an interest in moving to Israel and those who have actually done so.
MK Yom Tov Kalfon (Yamina), the chairman of the Knesset Constitution Committee's Subcommittee on People Eligible for Citizenship Under the Law of Return and Relations with the Diaspora, said: "The efforts to bring Ukrainian Jews to Israel are insufficient. Against the 'competition' from countries such as Germany, which have a type of law of return for Jews, it is imperative to be proactive and physically reach all those who are eligible for [aliyah] and are leaving Ukraine, to convince them to come here."
Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked, also of the Yamina party, recently estimated that in the coming months Israel will absorb thousands of olim (immigrants), but that it will be an immense challenge "requiring all political parties to come together."
In the meantime, many hotels across the country are preparing to host Passover seders on Friday night for new immigrants.
Aliyah and Integration Minister Pnina Tamano-Shata has chosen to spend her Passover seder with new immigrants at the Dan Panorama Hotel in Tel Aviv.
"There's much work still to be done. For new immigrants, the absorption process includes professional accompaniment and the numerous benefits we grant them – for example, subsidizing their monthly rent for the first year in Israel. I chose to celebrate Passover with the new olim and to sing 'Why is tonight different from all other nights?' with them – because for them, essentially everything has changed."
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