Deputy Absorption Minister Yuli Edelstein (Yisrael B\'Aliyah) has some strong words against the Jewish Agency. He said that in order to justify its existence, \"the Agency\'s people [in the former Soviet Union] turn over every stone to find eligible candidates for aliyah according to the Law of Return - even among those who are not Jewish and who have no connection to Israel.\" Speaking with Arutz-7\'s Haggai Seri, Edelstein said,
\"The Jewish Agency finds non-Jewish grandchildren of a Jew who [then] makes aliyah with his entire non-Jewish family - people who never dreamt of coming to Israel until the Agency people found them.\" He implied that there are many well-established, nearly-assimilated Jews in Russia whom it would be harder to convince to make aliyah, \"and it\'s easier for the Agency to go to people who are unemployed and invite them to come to Israel.\"
Jewish Agency spokesman Ephraim Lapid rebuffed the criticism, and said, \"Thousands of people throughout the former Soviet Union are taking special courses for Jewish, Zionist, and Israeli identity, including those who are not Jewish according to Jewish Law.\" Magda HaLevy, Chairperson of Emunah Women\'s Absorption Committee, told Arutz-7 today, \"I agree totally with Edelstein, because I see again and again that in the aliyah we receive via the Jewish Agency, most of them are non-Jews who have no connection with the People, Land, or State of Israel. Worst of all is that, contrary to what Jewish Agency Chairman Meridor said, they have absolutely no desire to convert at all. Conversion is not [the issue].\"
\"The Jewish Agency finds non-Jewish grandchildren of a Jew who [then] makes aliyah with his entire non-Jewish family - people who never dreamt of coming to Israel until the Agency people found them.\" He implied that there are many well-established, nearly-assimilated Jews in Russia whom it would be harder to convince to make aliyah, \"and it\'s easier for the Agency to go to people who are unemployed and invite them to come to Israel.\"
Jewish Agency spokesman Ephraim Lapid rebuffed the criticism, and said, \"Thousands of people throughout the former Soviet Union are taking special courses for Jewish, Zionist, and Israeli identity, including those who are not Jewish according to Jewish Law.\" Magda HaLevy, Chairperson of Emunah Women\'s Absorption Committee, told Arutz-7 today, \"I agree totally with Edelstein, because I see again and again that in the aliyah we receive via the Jewish Agency, most of them are non-Jews who have no connection with the People, Land, or State of Israel. Worst of all is that, contrary to what Jewish Agency Chairman Meridor said, they have absolutely no desire to convert at all. Conversion is not [the issue].\"