The municipality of Eilat, Israel\'s southern port city, together with the Jewish Agency, has drafted a comprehensive program for the long-term absorption of Argentinean olim (new immigrants) in the city. The program seeks to increase Eilat\'s immigrant population from 8,000 to 10,000 within two years; its total population is 52,000. The detailed program gives specific responsibilities to each member of Eilat\'s Immigrant Absorption Forum, which includes representatives of the Municipality and its Social Welfare and Education Departments, the Jewish Agency, the Ministry of Immigrant Absorption, the Eilat Community Center, and members of the city’s business community.
In other immigration news, the Jewish Agency has collected 16 million shekels from Jewish communities throughout the world for a new \"Fund for the Victims of Terror in Israel\" - which will concentrate on assistance to Israeli terrorist victims who are new immigrants. The fund will operate in conjunction with the National Insurance Institute, the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Immigrant Absorption, and local authorities.
Despite the violence, 4,712 new immigrants have arrived in Israel since the beginning of the current calendar year, including 720 this past week: 485 of the latter are from the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, 89 are from Ethiopia, and the others are from France, England, South Africa, Argentina, Brazil, Peru, the U.S., Canada, and India.
Even former American mediator Dennis Ross is getting in on the act. Speaking to more than 800 delegates from the Jewish Council for Public Affairs and the Hillel Spitzer Forum, Ross said, “If you are a supporter of Israel, go to Israel. If you are a supporter of peace, go to Israel. There has to be a demonstration to show that violence does not work.”
In other immigration news, the Jewish Agency has collected 16 million shekels from Jewish communities throughout the world for a new \"Fund for the Victims of Terror in Israel\" - which will concentrate on assistance to Israeli terrorist victims who are new immigrants. The fund will operate in conjunction with the National Insurance Institute, the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Immigrant Absorption, and local authorities.
Despite the violence, 4,712 new immigrants have arrived in Israel since the beginning of the current calendar year, including 720 this past week: 485 of the latter are from the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, 89 are from Ethiopia, and the others are from France, England, South Africa, Argentina, Brazil, Peru, the U.S., Canada, and India.
Even former American mediator Dennis Ross is getting in on the act. Speaking to more than 800 delegates from the Jewish Council for Public Affairs and the Hillel Spitzer Forum, Ross said, “If you are a supporter of Israel, go to Israel. If you are a supporter of peace, go to Israel. There has to be a demonstration to show that violence does not work.”