Israel made an impassioned call to French Jews to immigrate to Israel, after the latest terrorist attack in France at a factory in Lyon on Friday.
“To all the Jews of France I say: Come home!” Israeli Immigrant Absorption Minister Ze’ev Elkin said, amid news that a radical Islamic terrorist attacked a U.S. chemical firm in France, killing one.
“Antisemitism is growing, terrorism is rising and according to reports ISIS is committing murder in broad daylight,” said Elkin.
He said Israel was prepared to absorb French Jewish immigrants “with open arms,” adding that Israel was expecting a wave of immigration.
“The absorption staff at Ben Gurion International Airport are expected to work overtime this summer,” he said, calling immigration absorption a “primary concern for the Israeli government.”
According to Tablet magazine, French Jewish immigration to Israel was up 25 percent in 2015, compared to the same period in 2014.
Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu had called on French Jews to immigrate to Israel after terrorists attacked a kosher supermarket in Paris this year, killing four hostages. Israel’s Law of Return allows Jews worldwide to obtain Israeli citizenship.
French President Francois Hollande rebuffed the Israeli call however, insisting France was safe for its Jewish population, which numbers close to half a million souls.
{Matzav.com}
