Joshua said, "it is a very very good Land"
I don't often pat myself on the back - but today I'll make an exception. But I'm not only 'yeah'ing myself. I'm celebrating with about three million others - (yes, I'm in good company) - we all have something in common. We've all made Aliyah to Israel since inception of the state, sixty years ago.

Reading an INN article about international Aliyah day, initiated by my friend Yishai Fleisher, I was thrilled to see how many Jews have decided to make Eretz Yisrael their home. Of course, I'll be even happier when another 3,000,000 come over, and hopefully it won't take another sixty years. It shouldn't take more than five or ten years, at most. Actually, I wouldn't mind if they all came over tomorrow.

Every once in a while visitors here in Hebron, or in the US during speaking engagements, ask me what they can do for Israel. There's a limit how many times you can tell people to contribute or write letters to the editor. So when they push me into a corner I tell them: If you really want to help Israel, come live here. There's nothing more important a Jew can do than to come live in Israel. Another million Jews here, and the Arabs will start to get the message. Another half a million or so in Judea and Samaria and the Arabs will leave, voluntarily. But more importantly, having nothing to do with Arabs, we will be home, letting G-d know that we appreciate the unbelievable gift He gave us - The Land of Israel.

Today was the anniversary of the death of one of the first people to realize this - Joshua. He was one of the two spys Moses sent to Israel to search out the land. Only he, together with Kalev, realized how good the land really is, and tore their clothes when the other 10 spys slandered Eretz Yisrael. He said it is "a very very good land."

Today, for the first time, thanks to Yishai's great idea, Israel recognized all 3,000,000 of us who made the move, because we wanted to - because we WANT to be in Israel, and nowhere else.  All of you who are reading this in "Chul" (Chutz l'Aretz - Outside of Israel) are invited to be among the next batch of 3,000,000. Eventually you will all come over, so why not now?! - The more the merrier and the faster the better.

Welcome home!