This week, Israel marks Diaspora Week, with the main event held in Jerusalem Monday.
During the event, Diaspora Affairs Minister Nachman Shai (Labor) spoke with Israel National News about the importance of maintaining and strengthening ties between the Jewish state and Jewish communities abroad.
“We would like to build the relationship between Israel and the Diaspora for new generations of Israelis, people who were born here, who no longer have relatives outside of Israel.”
With more native-born Israelis and smaller proportion of Israel’s population being foreign-born, the connection between Israel and the Diaspora, Shai said, “isn’t natural any longer, so we have to work on it artificially to build the relationship.”
“We are giving some focus on what it means to be part of a global Jewish community, what it means to be an Israeli citizen of that global community,” said Tziona Koenig-Yair, Director-General of the Diaspora Affairs Ministry.
During the event, Ofer Gutman, CEO of Masa Israel Journey, said the relationship between the Jewish state and the Diaspora is vital for Israel’s survival.
“Israel’s connection to world Jewry is so important for its survival.”
“World Jewry has to be connected to Israel. This week is a show of that deep connection between the two parts of the Jewish people.”
Religious Zionist Party MK Simcha Rothman said Israel must make Diaspora Jews feel welcome in the Jewish state.
“Israel is supposed to be the homeland of the Jewish people. If Israel wants to serve this purpose, it has to welcome Diaspora Jews, first to make Aliyah, but also those who did not choose yet to make Aliyah, so that they feel that Israel is their home away from home.”