A groundswell of concern is building about the continuing
immigration from the former Soviet Union, which is now
bringing in many more non-Jews than Jews. Warnings are being
issued about the dangers that this brings for the Jewish
community in Israel.
Yigal Yehudi spoke in Yerushalayim about the issue to a group
of Western immigrants, discussing the massive immigration of
non-Jews from the former Soviet Union and the consequences
this has for Israeli society. The lecture was entitled, "A
Conspiracy of Silence."
A petition is being circulated in English for presentation to
the authorities to take action. It reads:
"We, the undersigned olim from Western countries, hereby
protest the fact that the Israeli government is encouraging a
mass immigration of non-Jews to our homeland of Israel from
the C.I.S. (the former U.S.S.R.).
"We strongly request that the Israeli government take all the
necessary actions to stop this disaster and protect the
Jewish character of Israel. Our aspirations in moving to
Israel must be preserved."
Immigrants from the former Soviet Union also published a
public appeal for a change in the Law of Return.
According to official Ministry of Interior statistics for the
months January-March 1999, 56.6% of the immigrants from the
C.I.S. [former U.S.S.R.] were registered as not Jewish. This
compares to a rate of 25-30% in the early 1990s, which is
already a high rate.
In addition the Ministry has no way to effectively determine
if those claiming to be Jews are in fact Jewish, so the true
figures are considerably worse.
The letter reads:
We are a group of former Soviet Jews who started coming to
Israel in the early 1970s and still continue to arrive today.
We live in Israel, along with our families, as proud Israeli
citizens.
The struggle of "refuseniks" and activists in the Soviet
Union opened up the immigration gates, and with tremendous
joy we are witnessing the arrival of our brethren joining us
in our homeland.
But, in recent years, with the worsening economic situation
in the C.I.S. (as it is now called), we also became witness
to an increased number of non-Jews coming into Israel under
false pretenses.
The current situation involves hundreds of thousands of non-
Jews, people who have no connection to the Jewish people at
any level, arriving at Israel's borders in droves.
In many cities of the C.I.S., Russian passports with Jewish-
sounding names, altered to "prove" Jewish ancestry, are being
sold on the black market, making a "Jewish passport" a hot
item in Russia.
Frighteningly, upon their arrival, these individuals are
talking about their scam openly, even advising their friends
back home (non-Jewish, of course), how they, too, may legally
(through falsehoods and lies) enter Israel.
In the streets of Israel, the word Zhid, a derogatory
term for Jew, is used, along with such phrases as "Hitler
should have finished you off," more and more often. We are
also witnessing an increase in the crime rate among those
"new immigrants" because many of them have criminal records,
which go unchecked.
In addition, some immigration authorities, in a frantic rush
to bump up their numbers (and earn commensurate bonuses), do
not even bother to verify that these people have any Jewish
ancestry, as required by The Law of Return!
Here are two worrisome examples:
In Ashkelon, Ashdod, and other Israeli cities, antisemitic
graffiti (in Russian) has been defacing property. This would
be distressful anywhere in the world; but in Israel itself,
the only Jewish state, the Holy Land, the one place where
Jews are supposed to consider themselves safe, it is nothing
less than an outrage.
If that wasn't enough, a guide at the Museum of the Diaspora
in Tel Aviv relates an incident in which he was giving a tour
to a group of new immigrants from the C.I.S., students of an
ulpan, when he was asked why matzo was not
included in the exhibits in the museum. When he replied that
everyone knows what matzo looks like, the group
responded, "We know why you don't show it. It's because you
people make it by using our Christian blood!"
These incidents are becoming more and more frequent,
worrisome and offensive.
It is important to note that the antisemitic elements in the
C.I.S., from which Jews fled to escape persecution, are the
same people who are now immigrating to Israel en
masse.
Ironically, the Law of Return has loopholes that actually
allow this flagrant abuse. It is not right. It is not fair.
It is dangerous.
This is why we need your help. Get in touch with Israeli
officials; write your government representatives; make them
aware of this flouting of this law. The intent was to help
Jews from all over the world and to welcome them home. It was
not for cheaters, liars, antisemites and criminals to bully
their way.
Please help amend this Law Of Return to ensure that we retain
a Jewish state. This is a most urgent matter.
In the 1970s, YOU Western Jews, along with other activists,
helped us in our struggle to reunite with our people. Without
you we would not have been able to make it. Sad to say, we
are once again in need of your assistance. We desperately
appeal to you now -- to join us in raising your voice, and
expressing your outrage, your anger, and your fear, to
prevent a concrete threat to Israel's Jewish majority and
character.
Friends, this is not a political issue, neither a left nor
right wing concern. It is a Jewish concern. It should
be on the minds and in the hearts of all who are involved
with, worried about, or anxious for the future of the state
of Israel.
This appeal is representative of the feelings of the
overwhelming majority of the Jewish population in Israel, but
we chose to include only 18 signatures as a sign of life, or
Chai, for the Jewish community, both inside Israel and
outside it.
Thank you for your attention.
The letter was signed by prominent Russian activists.
Yigal Yehudi - Minsk - Former refusenik. In Israel since
1979
Eliahu Goldin - Minsk - Former aliya activist and refusenik.
In Israel since 1979
Victor Polsky - Moscow - Former aliya activist and refusenik.
In Israel since 1974
Arie Vitka - Pavlograd - Former prisoner of Zion. In Israel
since 1976
Yuli Nudelman - Moscow - Former aliya activist and refusenik.
In Israel since 1971
Mark Nepomniashiy - Odessa - Former prisoner of Zion. In
Israel since 1987
Hanna Nepomniashiy - Odessa - Former refusenik and
underground Hebrew teacher. In Israel since 1987
Yehudit Nepomniashiy - Odessa - Former refusenik and
underground Torah teacher. In Israel since 1987
Victoria Eidem - Minsk - Former youth aliya activist and
refusenik. In Israel since 1987
Hanoch Feldman - Minsk - Former refusenik. In Israel since
1987
Valeria Frekhtman - Kazan - Former aliya activist. In Israel
since 1988
Mordekhai Kagan - Minsk - Former refusenik. In Israel since
1990
Mikhail Kagan - Minsk - Former refusenik. In Israel since
1990
Solomon Kagan - Minsk - Former refusenik. In Israel since
1991
Mikhail Babel - Moscow - Former aliya activist and refusenik.
In Israel since 1973
Israel Gorelik - Bobruysk - Former youth aliya activist and
refusenik. In Israel since 1988
Dov Eizenshtadt - Minsk - Former refusenik. In Israel since
1987
Bronia Eizenshtadt - Minsk - Former refusenik. In Israel
since 1987
