Over 200 new immigrants from North America land in Israel, August 16, 2023
(Video: Nefesh B'Nefesh)
Since the beginning of the year, the number of young people from North America moving to Israel has been just a third of what it has averaged over the past decade (excluding the COVID-19 years), according to Nefesh B’Nefesh, a nonprofit organization that promotes, encourages and facilitates Aliyah from the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.
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This last June and July saw about a third of the usual Aliyah for the respective time period, while August saw a slight increase, with the number of newcomers reaching about half of the decade's average.
Conversely, there has been an increase in immigration among pensioners who seem to be unaffected by the current instability in Israel. They have been planning their move for a long time and want to join their children and grandchildren who have already moved there.
Aliyah among families with children also remains steady since most of these families plan their move to Israel a year or more in advance and enroll their children in educational institutions.
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Man flies 'welcome home' sign as he greets new Olim at Ben Gurion Airport
(Photo: Netanel Cohen)
"There is a discourse of instability. More and more people are telling us that they are not moving," say concerned officials at Nefesh B'Nefesh, "Israel is competing with other destinations for immigration.
Choosing to immigrate works well when you can be a lighthouse and there are attractive factors. In a period where these attractive factors are diminishing, there is a slowdown. The immigration isn't coming to a complete halt. By the end of the year, we will likely reach around 3,000 immigrants, but that will be 10-15% less than previous years, and that hurts us."
The decline in the immigration of young people is not the only worrying matter. There has also been a decrease in donations from philanthropists. "A donor, who considers himself a staunch Zionist, announced that due to the current situation, he will freeze the funds he had pledged to transfer," says a source. "The donors are saying that Israel has lost its charm. There are also people who are disturbed by the economic situation."
However, there are also a few glimmers of hope: 215 new immigrants from the U.S. and Canada arrived in Israel on Wednesday, of which about a quarter are young men and women expected to enlist in the IDF as lone soldiers. Some of the excited Olim kneeled down immediately upon disembarking from the plane and kissed the soil of the Land of Israel.