Former Soviet Jewish refusenik Yosef Mendelevich may have been expected to rejoice at the news of the hundreds of immigrants arriving from Russia this week. After all, he was imprisoned for some ten years in Soviet Russia for the "crime" of fighting for Jews' right to immigrate to Israel. He was not overjoyed at the news, however, and he told Arutz-7's Tamar Yonah yesterday why:
"Unfortunately, the Jewish Agency is making every effort to bring to Israel everyone who could possibly have a legal right to Israeli citizenship - such as a Jewish man's non-Jewish grandchildren - instead of working specifically to bring Jews. The Jewish Agency, by definition, should be working with Jews, and really should have nothing to do with others who may have a right to live here. The Jewish Agency is not a government body, nor does it protect the gates of Israel; its job is solely to bring in Jews..."
Mendelevich said that the above policy is based on Jewish Agency Chairman Salai Meridor's ideology "that he must do whatever he can to offset the Arab demographic threat - even at the cost of bringing in non-Jews. This is a grave mistake."
Mendelevich suggested that individual citizens who are concerned about the growing number of non-Jewish Russian immigrants, their impact on the Jewish character of the State, and increasing incidents of Russian anti-Semitism within Israel - should try to contact Knesset Members:
"The goal must be to obtain a Knesset majority to change the Law of Return so that automatic citizenship will be granted only to Jews and their immediate family members... Prime Minister Sharon should also be contacted, as Agency Chairman Meridor is a representative of the Likud party, and Sharon should be able to have an influence on him... In addition, many of the dozens of little Jewish Agency centers throughout Russia and the Ukraine should be closed, and only the ones in the large cities should be left open. This will help attract fewer non-Jews... In addition, the policy of sending Christian emissaries to try to attract people to come on aliyah [immigration] should be stopped; it is clear that these emissaries are attracting many non-Jews..."
"Unfortunately, the Jewish Agency is making every effort to bring to Israel everyone who could possibly have a legal right to Israeli citizenship - such as a Jewish man's non-Jewish grandchildren - instead of working specifically to bring Jews. The Jewish Agency, by definition, should be working with Jews, and really should have nothing to do with others who may have a right to live here. The Jewish Agency is not a government body, nor does it protect the gates of Israel; its job is solely to bring in Jews..."
Mendelevich said that the above policy is based on Jewish Agency Chairman Salai Meridor's ideology "that he must do whatever he can to offset the Arab demographic threat - even at the cost of bringing in non-Jews. This is a grave mistake."
Mendelevich suggested that individual citizens who are concerned about the growing number of non-Jewish Russian immigrants, their impact on the Jewish character of the State, and increasing incidents of Russian anti-Semitism within Israel - should try to contact Knesset Members:
"The goal must be to obtain a Knesset majority to change the Law of Return so that automatic citizenship will be granted only to Jews and their immediate family members... Prime Minister Sharon should also be contacted, as Agency Chairman Meridor is a representative of the Likud party, and Sharon should be able to have an influence on him... In addition, many of the dozens of little Jewish Agency centers throughout Russia and the Ukraine should be closed, and only the ones in the large cities should be left open. This will help attract fewer non-Jews... In addition, the policy of sending Christian emissaries to try to attract people to come on aliyah [immigration] should be stopped; it is clear that these emissaries are attracting many non-Jews..."