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The dry data, which indicate a 235% increase in antisemitic incidents worldwide since October 7, hide behind them this alarming insight: it is not easy to be a Jew outside of Israel. This is what the chairman of the World Zionist Organization, Yaakov Hagoel, told Ynet Live in a special interview on Sunday.
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"We see it everywhere, Jews and Israelis report it, and it's right in front of our eyes, this antisemitism," according to Hagoel. "What happened on October 7 is not a war only against the State of Israel, it's a war against the Jewish people. We saw it already that day on the social media networks and, from there, in a very timed and very professional way, it went straight to the streets. Today it is not easy to be a Jew outside of Israel. It is not easy to raise children, it is not easy to send them to Jewish kindergartens, and most Jews avoid doing this most of the time. Jews remove mezuzas from their houses and we need to understand that this event is not only an Israeli event, there is a war here against the entire Jewish people."
"The figure that was published, 235%, is compared to the same period last year. There is an increase in the U.S., and we also see that in France there is a 600% increase in antisemitic incidents compared to the same period last year. But I want to say this, that overall, the increase in antisemitic incidents is all over the world, even in places where there are no Jews. The statement against Jews is a very strong and disgraceful statement. We need to strengthen the entire nation, and those who are interested in immigrating to Israel, of course help them," he also said.
Do you feel a significant movement of people from places where they may have been comfortable before, and now you are already checking the possibility of coming here?
"Definitely. On a practical level, in the last three months we have seen the opening of cases and an increase in interest which is very large, an increase of hundreds of percent, all over the world, and the most heartwarming thing is that, since the war, over 4,000 Jews have immigrated to Israel. These are people who, during the war, packed up their belongings and immigrated to Israel. The vast majority are people who decided on this before and it was a process they intended, but they did not cancel, and did it because this is the home of all of us. Despite the fact that there is a war here, people immigrate here. I am currently in the middle of accepting solidarity delegations to Israel, tens of thousands of Jews are coming here to come and strengthen us, and I say - we are one people. This trouble of ours, the antisemitic trouble, is a trouble both in Israel and outside Israel. We need to get stronger, unite, understand that we have one nation and only together will we succeed to get through this difficult war."