Moving to Israel

As most people have probably been reading about the dangerous situation in Iran (we wrote about it here last week) it has come as no surprise to many that Israel has been prominently brought to the spotlight. This occurred again the other day, not in the usual “it’s the Jews and Israels fault” sort of way but in a cry for help.

It seems the Iranian anti-regime activists are hoping for an Israeli technological hand to help them fight the Islamic Republic. The dissidents have appealed to Israel to help opposition television and radio stations which are blocked and being jammed by the Islamic Republic (Nokia and Siemens) resume broadcast to Iran. Hundreds have been reported dead and thousands injured in the protests that began after the so called “election” a few weeks ago produced the same rogue regime that has been leading Iran until now.

We here in Israel are no strangers to the homicidal tendencies of the mullah’s paid terrorist Hamas and Hizbullah gangs and of course should do all we can to help those in need when facing these same criminals.

Let’s hope Israel’s technology can indeed help the situation in Iran and, equally as important, let’s hope the Israels and Americas of the world will be able to, please Hashem, stand up to all the evil forces out there and put the global and local terror threat that Iran provides to rest for good.

Ari

As a major proponent of Aliyah and moving to Israel my views often get skewed and “one track minded.” I guess that’s why when I read the news this morning my thoughts were not “this is a major story” but “and yet another reason to move to Israel.”

It seems that madness continues to ensue in Iran after the “election” results were anounced last week. For those of you who haven’t heard, the dictator Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was declared the winner in the elections despite widespread belief that the results were, shall we say, less than fair.

The incredible thing is how Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s top Muslim leader, has accused “dirty Zionists” and “Zionist media” for being behind charges that the results of the election were rigged. If it weren’t so dangerous it would be almost comic how everything seems to be the fault of the Jews and Israel. At this point, when I hear an accusation so absurd and rediculous  being thrown at us I can think of nothing but how it’s got to be a sign to come home. Such a comment by anyone against any other people would be considered utter rubbish and over the top. The fact that he is able to say such a thing just makes me want to do the opposite and be in Israel.

Ari

As many of you probably know, there are no shortage of bureaucracy issues here in Israel. Today I was reminded of that by reader and prospective Oleh Gene Maltsev.

Gene wrote in to tell me about an experience at the Ministry of Interior here in Jerusalem and what had transpired. Needless to say the event was colored with the seemingly all too common runarounds, lack of customer service and general rudeness.

While I am happy to report that Gene did ultimately get the visa extension sought, as was hoped, without any significant issues to speak of and that many of us know that such attitude is often expected at many of Israel’s governement offices, this does by no means excuse this activiy.

People such as Gene face enough challenges when considering Aliyah and moving to Israel that crude treatment by our own brothers and sisters should not have to be added to the list.

Ari

While constantly searching for Aliyah facts and figures I remember that sometimes the best way of getting the whole moving to Israel overview is by looking at some basic, raw numbers. With that in mind I wanted to point out to everyone this fantastic summary of the Aliyah numbers for 2008 courtesy of an article found at the Support Association for Zionism (SAZ).

While serving as a terrific guide for viewing the past year in Aliyah, it is also important to note what the report says. With the exceptions of North America, South Africa and Oceania, Aliyah was down in all other locations compared to 2007 while also being a 22% overall decrease compared to the number that arrived during the same period last year.

These are discouraging numbers so let’s continue to spread the word to all our brothers and sisters: we want you to come home now!

May Hashem soon bring the day where all the Jewish people are back where they belong.

 Ari

As promoting moving to Israel and making Aliyah is the primary purpose of this blog, I often try to point out some of the negative aspects of life outside of the Holy Land that make life so hard on the Jewish people. Unfortunately, there are often no shortage of examples to come up with and today is no exception.

It seems that Canada’s York University, celebrating its 50th anniversary, is allowing a pro-Arab group to stage a conference questioning Israel’s right to exist.  Several of the scheduled speakers were involved in Israel Apartheid Week activities and are active in the Israeli boycott movement.

The university is using the all too common mantra of “academic freedom” as defense of the event that promotes hatred and encourages the destruction of the Jewish State.

Although we seem to take it for granted that the west’s universities, supposedly the foremost intellectuals and some of the most powerful voices in the world, regularly sponsor and encourage such events, we should never forget exactly what is happening outside of Israel - where our best “friends” (U.S., Canada, etc.) are the proud hosts of these horrid functions.

Ari

With all the troubles and concerns going on in the world today and with the relationship between the new governments of Israel and the U.S. still not on a stable footing, Arutz Sheva did a great job today to remind everyone that the issue of Jonathan Pollard must not get left behind. As the article says:

“Pollard, who has been in American prison since 1985, was not convicted of treason, but rather of one count of passing classified information to a friendly country – Israel. He is credited with having informed Israel of Iraq’s Scud missile plans, enabling Israel to prepare in advance of the dozens of Iraqi attacks in 1991.”

The article quotes activists  asking the government not to let up in its efforts to free Pollard while encouraging the public should do its share to show him solidarity by writing him letters.

We should always keep the issue of Jonathan Pollard in our minds and in our prayers and daven that his release should be, G-d willing, immediately forthcoming.

Ari

As the relationship between the leaders of Israel and America is always considered important to the well being of Jews around the globe and the free world in general, the public looks on with great anticipation as Israel’s Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu gets ready to meet with the new American President Barack Obama next week in Washington, D.C.

While we hope for the best and pray that Bibi is ready to engage the new administration from a position of strength knowing he has G-d on his side, the unfortunate reality is that we’ve seen so many of these negotiations over the years and the Israeli side has frequently relented to many of the American demands for the “sake of peace.” David Wilder, who is always a fantastic read, provides a great break down and analysis on the eve of the latest round of Israel and American meetings.

Let’s hope Bibi is up to the task.

 Ari

I wanted to point out a fantastic interview from the Jerusalem Post with newly appointed Strategic Affairs Minister Moshe Ya’alon. The sit down was done by veteran writer Yaakov Katz and is one of the finest pieces of journalism I’ve seen in some time.

Katz asks some very pointed questions and Ya’alon, former commander of the IDF who four years ago completed an illustrious 37-year military career, is extremely candid and forthcoming on some of the important security issues facing Israel and the world today.

This is highly recommended reading for everyone and you are all encouraged to pass this along to everyone you know. Enjoy.

 Ari

As this blog is always trying to promote Aliyah and moving to Israel, we also like to keep tabs on Olim to get their feel for the pulse of immigrants throughout the country. On that note, it was interesting to see the news that a group of immigrant academics has written to Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, urging him to take a clear stand in opposition to the creation of a Palestinian state in Israel.

The group, consisting of many of the Russian-speaking community in Israel, said such a state would be ”foreign to and hostile to the Jewish people… inside [Israel’s] historical borders and adjacent to its largest cities.”

While the ceation of a PA state has been the subject of debate for what seems like an eternity here in Israel, it is important to point out the feeling from this group of immigrants who, like many of us who have made Aliyah in the past, make up a large, core group of the citizens of the country and it is therefore always crucial to let our voices and opinions be heard. Vital decisions for the welfare of the country could depend on it.

Ari

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about how US President Barack Obama, along with his family, attended the second night Passover Seder in the White House with staff and friends. This is believed to be the first White House Seder attended by an American president. I also noted how we must look closely before celebrating such an event as being a positive occurrence for Israel and the Jewish people by noting that it was former President Jimmy Carter, hardly a friend of Jews of the world, who had set the closest precedence to this and we all know how his reign of terror played out (and, unfortunately with his world wide influence, continues to play out to this day).

Therefore, I thought it was interesting to point out an article by Carol Schwartz entitled “Seder in the White House, Oy Vey” that takes this point further and brings in examples throughout history telling us to beware of what such an event can mean. It is a truly chilling account as it makes us look at our own past and see how we are potentially putting ourselves in great danger once again when we take our supposed “great relations” with our host (and foreign) government and assume that it bodes well for our long term future there.

As Carol closes her article “Let us not forget our history and let us remember that history has a way of repeating itself. (May G-d protect us.)”

Ari