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The longstanding Jewish-American aid organization HIAS, which also operates in Israel, announced extensive layoffs of approximately 40% of its workforce and the closure of international offices. This decision follows cuts to government foreign aid funding under the Trump administration.
The world’s oldest refugee agency, employing nearly 2,000 people, stated that employees in its Israeli branch who worked with asylum seekers from Eritrea and South Sudan would be among those laid off.
HIAS President Mark Hetfield described the situation as a "death blow" to the refugee aid system and warned that "the consequences will be felt within the Jewish community and in interfaith relations." The funding cuts stem from sharp reductions in foreign aid under the Trump administration, specifically with huge slashes on USAID, which led to the termination of refugee program budgets in the U.S. and globally.
Since Donald Trump assumed the presidency, government funding for aid agencies has been halted, resulting in the dismissal of hundreds of employees and the closure of HIAS’s international offices. Additionally, the administration canceled contracts with refugee resettlement organizations, which previously funded on-the-ground operations, leaving HIAS with financial obligations it could no longer meet.
Due to the financial crisis, the organization has been forced to transition to a volunteer-based model. However, leadership warns that donations alone will not be sufficient to bridge the funding gap. In Israel, despite support primarily coming from private donations and the Jewish Agency, the crisis has compelled HIAS to reduce services for asylum seekers.
At the organization’s Tel Aviv branch, there are concerns the cuts will significantly impact asylum seekers from Eritrea and South Sudan, exacerbating their economic vulnerability, which has worsened since the start of the Gaza war. HIAS Israel, which has been active since before the establishment of the state, runs a variety of aid programs, including legal assistance through volunteer lawyers, integration into the workforce, prevention of gender-based violence, and emergency aid. Additionally, the organization facilitates refugee resettlement in Canada through a program supported by the U.S. government in collaboration with a resettlement center in Austria.
Following the halt of the U.S. refugee resettlement program, HIAS announced it was forced to freeze the department that assisted refugees in Israel seeking new lives in the U.S. while processing their cases. “We will continue to fight for refugee rights and assist immigrants and asylum seekers in Israel,” the organization stated.
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Following the deadly Hamas terror attack on October 7, which displaced thousands of Israelis from their homes in the south and north of the country, HIAS established an emergency response system within 24 hours. The organization conducted a rapid needs assessment among displaced communities and has since provided essential supplies, financial aid, healthcare services, and psychological support, particularly to vulnerable populations lacking adequate government assistance.
140 years of supporting refugees
HIAS was founded in 1881 in New York as the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society to support Jews fleeing persecution and poverty in Eastern Europe. The organization’s founders were inspired by Jewish traditions and biblical texts, as well as the Jewish people’s history of oppression and diaspora.
Over the years, HIAS has assisted millions of refugees, including Jews fleeing pogroms in Russia, Holocaust survivors, Vietnamese refugees, and migrants from Muslim-majority countries. While the organization previously focused on resettling Jews from the Soviet Union, in recent years, it has become a key player in aiding non-Jewish refugees.
Today, HIAS operates in 22 countries across five continents, assisting refugees from diverse religious and cultural backgrounds. Its staff is also diverse in composition.
In the global Jewish community, there is concern that the cessation of refugee aid will not only harm vulnerable populations but also damage the moral standing and reputation of the Jewish community, which has long regarded refugee assistance as a core value. This is particularly true in the United States, where fears have been raised about the impact on the Jewish community’s relationships with other minority groups. HIAS has played a central role in fostering interfaith and intercommunity partnerships.
Senior officials within the organization warn that the consequences of the crisis will be felt for years to come, as HIAS faces the most significant challenge in its history.