Global Weekly Aliyah News: August 28, 2020

Aliyah of Small and Large Groups Continues

Aliyah and Integration Minister Pnina Tamano-Shata addressed the Knesset Aliyah, Absorption and

Diaspora Committee on Wednesday morning, giving details of her plans to facilitate the Aliyah of

bring 4,500 members of the Falash Mura community in Ethiopia to Israel by the end of 2020, to be

followed by all the remaining members of the community by 2023. Her plans received warm support

from members of the Committee, with one member pointing out that living conditions for those

who are waiting to come to Israel in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa and the city of Gondor are

deteriorating rapidly in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, lending urgency to plans to bring them

to Israel as soon as possible.

The Committee was meeting a day after Tamano-Shata told reporters that she is also determined to

bring an additional 722 members of India’s Bnei Menashe community to Israel. The community was

recognized as being descended from the Biblical Tribe of Menashe in 2005 by then-Sephardi Chief

Rabbi Shlomo Atar, and since then around 4,000 have come to Israel under the Law of Return.

These new immigrants will join several tens of thousands of others who are currently in the

advanced planning stages of making Aliyah to Israel in the coming months.

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Israel’s Northern Border Heating Up

IDF units deployed along Israel’s northern border were on high alert Wednesday following an

incident the previous day in which a patrol came under fire from what was believed to be operatives

of the Iranian-backed Lebanese Shi’ite terrorist group Hezbollah. Israeli aircraft retaliated by

attacking Hezbollah positions along the border, while the IDF issued a statement that it held the

Lebanese government “responsible for what is done in its territory.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that “Israel sees with great concern the shooting on Israeli

forces by Hezbollah. We will not tolerate any aggression on our citizens and retaliate with great

force to any attach against us. Hezbollah's aggression is a danger for the state of Lebanon.”

The statement from Netanyahu also came a day after he spoke by telephone with Russian President

Vladimir Putin, after which he issued a statement that “I talked to [Putin] about Syria and ensuring

the air force’s freedom to act in that area. It’s very important for Israeli security”. A Kremlin

statement also included a reference to agreement between the two leaders on “continuing

coordination in the Syrian sector to counter international terrorism.”

Israeli Students Prepare to Head Back to School

A decision was announced this week that Israeli schools will open on 1 September as planned,

despite the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. However, many schools are including remote learning in their

plans, although the Ministry of Education has noted that many children will have a difficult time

participating in these plans due to a lack of computers at home. The Education Ministry has plans to

buy and distribute laptops to students who need them, but the budget for these plans has not yet

been approved.

Israel and the UAE Takes More Steps Towards Normalization

The normalization between Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is set to take a giant step

forward on Monday when National Security Adviser Meir Ben Shabbat is scheduled to lead a

delegation of senior Israeli officials and business executives to Abu Dhabi aboard an El Al jet, the first

direct commercial flight between Israel and the UAE. Several senior US officials will also be aboard

the flight, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu explained the Israeli delegation will “act, together

with the American team and the parallel Emirati team, to promote peace and normalization

between Israel and the UAE…I hope that more countries in our region will join the circle of peace.”

Analysis – What Does All This Mean?

The great novel “Tale of Two Cities” by Charles Dickens begins with the famous words “it was the

best of times, it was the worst of times.” These words seem very appropriate in Israel today. The

COVID-19 virus and its attendant economic crisis continues to make life difficult for everyone here,

including children, while the fragile security situation on both the northern and southern borders

plays its usual role in keeping everyone on edge. However, the diplomatic breakthrough with the

UAE and its promise of an economic boom gives hope that things might soon improve, even as

Israel’s diplomatic standing with traditional foes such as Russia provide a sense of security in some

areas which were unthinkable a generation ago.

Amidst all this good and bad news, large numbers of Jews from many countries all over the world,

including tiny communities in India and Ethiopia as well as the millions who live in North America

and Europe, continue to inquire about ways they can move to Israel and begin a new life in their

ancient homeland.

The Aliyah Return Center was established to assist the government of Israel and the Jewish Agency

in the massive task of helping Jews have a soft landing when they arrive in Israel and prepare them

to live, work, grow and thrive here. We give these new immigrants much more than a comfortable

room to live in for their first few months here, we also give them a sense of security and confidence

which they will need to learn a new language, find a job and a permanent place to live, serve in the

IDF, send their children to school (or go to school themselves) and otherwise begin to live as citizens

of the State of Israel.

Please help us as we continue building the Aliyah Return Center. There is much work to be done, and

your prayers and support are what make it possible.

I will put My Spirit within you and you will come to life, and I will place you on your own land. Then

you will know that I, the Lord, have spoken and done it,” declares the Lord.’” Ezekial 37:14