A new wave of Ukrainian Jews and about one in 8 Russian Jews have “made aliyah” or emigrated to Israel.
A stopover at Jerusalem’s only boxing club is like traveling back in time: the former bomb shelter in a working-class Jerusalem community is old-school paraphernalia, and a CD disco from the 1970s provides the soundtrack to the workouts.
This is the kingdom of Gershon Luxemburg, better known as Grisha, a 78-year-old compatible man who barks orders while chewing minty gum. Born in Uzbekistan, the former Russian champion came to Israel in his youth; Today he trains new Russian-speaking emigrants.
“I learned to box as a child, so I can protect myself when I get beaten at school because I’m Jewish,” Luxemburg said. “I fought in Lebanon and in the Yom Kippur War. Jews are not afraid to fight for protection. “But no one needs to die because of Putin’s war in Ukraine.
When Russia invaded Ukraine in February, Israel was ready for a new wave of immigration from the former Soviet state. About 13,000 Ukrainians of Jewish origin have made aliyah or emigrated since. Unexpectedly, twice as many Russia arrived as one in 8 Russian Jews left the country.
Since the announcement of Vladimir Putin’s mobilization in September, their numbers have continued to grow. Last week, Alla Pugacheva, the queen of Soviet pop, reiterated her denunciation of the war and announced that she had come to Israel with her husband, who has Jewish ancestry. roots.
Mikhael, who has been attending the Grisha gymnasium for two years, was born and raised in Moscow. Working in Israel’s tech industry, now he can’t make a stopover at the home of his mother and sister, who still live in the Russian capital.
“I can’t get past the house now. I want to make aliyah and I am satisfied here. I did my service in the Israeli army. But in Russia it is not the same. I don’t need to be a component of it,” he said. Said a 33-year-old man.
Israel’s Law of Return, much vilified by Palestinians, to whom it does not apply, gives other Jewish-born people, converts, spouses of Jews, and those with Jewish parents or grandparents the right to settle in the country and obtain Israeli citizenship.
Since 1950, Israel has seen several waves of immigration from countries such as Sudan, Ethiopia and Yemen, as well as an influx of more than a million people after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1989.
For Yuli Edelstein, a Ukrainian-born and rejected Knesset member who spent 3 years in a Siberian penal colony, there is a sense that history repeats itself.
“Danger has been part of the Jewish holiday in Russia for generations. No one will ever do it,” he said.
“When I left Russia, I was very young and knew very little about my Jewish roots and Israel. But he had a destiny. This time, other people leave in a hurry, driven by fear.
The aliyah procedure for Ukrainians, who are classified as refugees, has been accelerated, but an unforeseen request from Russia has beaten the Jewish Agency, the quasi-governmental framework that facilitates immigration. In addition to the 26,000 Russians who have already arrived in Israel so far this year, 35,000 are waiting for the paperwork to be processed.
Israel’s Aliyah and Integration Ministry, Foreign Ministry and Treasury met after Putin’s army call to discuss emergency budgets, accommodation features and arranging flights for newcomers.
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The paintings of the Jewish Agency, however, are threatened. In July, Russia’s Justice Ministry shut down the organization for violating Russian privacy laws, sparking a diplomatic dispute.
Despite pressure from its Western allies to take a firm stance, Israel has tried to remain impartial in the war in Ukraine as it relies on Moscow to facilitate its military operations in Syria. However, the risk of closing the Jewish Agency’s offices prompted Israel to interim Prime Minister Yair Lapid to warn that such a move would deal a severe blow to bilateral relations. A case is slowly moving forward in a Moscow court and the agency’s long-term is uncertain.
“It is not entirely transparent what the Russians hope to achieve by attacking the Jewish Agency. Government is not monolithic. . . Perhaps one branch is looking to curb emigration and another is aware of the imaginable diplomatic implications,” he said. a source related to the factor who asked not to be named to avoid jeopardizing the Jewish Agency case.
“It’s hard to expect what will happen next, but there are two conflicting outcomes: other people will be afraid to run as candidates for aliyah, now it’s frowned upon by the government, or it will lead to a bigger one accumulating numbers. “
Putin’s mobilization has sparked a flood of flights to Israel, where Russian citizens are welcomed as tourists. Five new personal agencies also opened their doors to help Russians make aliyah, and Agence France News reported that city management offices across the country have noticed a dramatic increase in the number of other people seeking documents to help their Jewish heritage claims. Many of those asking the government for help are mothers desperate to get their children out of the country.
“I was given an Israeli passport many years ago because I knew something like this was possible. I knew the dark days of the Soviet Union could return,” said Anna Klatis, a journalism professor at Moscow State University, who left for Jerusalem with her 16-year-old daughter in February.
“It’s hard for my daughter to adjust to a new position and learn Hebrew for school. But I couldn’t let her grow up in a position where freedoms are disappearing.