Migration to Israel is lowest in 15 years

Official statements showed that the migration to occupied Palestine registered its lowest levels in 15 years in the year 2004, continuing its decrease since 1990s when one million Jews arrived from the former Soviet Union.

The annual migration figures which are issued by the government are closely followed up in Israel for fears that the Arab demographic bloc will be predominant over the Jews in future. After the number if emigrants to Israel jumped between 70,000 to 200,000 following the collapse of the Soviet bloc, the number receded since 2000 because of the Palestinian Intifanda and the weakness of the economy.

The Israeli central statistics bureau said that number of expatriate decreased by 10% in 2004 to 21,000.

The migration from France came amid the increase in the attacks against Semitism, some 2000 Jews migrated to Israel from France in 2000 representing an increase of 12%.