Article

2005-03-08 Europe

Survey: 60,000 French Jews want to move to Israel

Archived material is restricted to Rantburg regulars and members. If you need access email fred.pruitt=at=gmail.com with your nick to be added to the members list. There is no charge to join Rantburg as a member.

Posted by Steve White 2005-03-08 00:00:00 AM|| || Front Page|| [3 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 1. France, for its problems is an advanced first world country - GDP per capita similar to Israel, if not higher. Not a sh*thole (other than geopolitically)

2. While antisemitic incidents have increased, and are nasty, its not like people are being killed except for rare, international headline grabbing incidents. Look, how many people stayed in or moved TO new york during its high crime years? Is living in Paris, or even Marseilles, NOW, more dangerous than living in New York in the late 70s? Is it more dangerous than living in Tel Aviv in 2002?
And of course the more affluent can insulate themselves - why would an affluent French Jew go near the banlieus? Its the less affluent, sephardic and orthodox French jews who are more exposed.

3. Making aliyah is a BIG decision. It involves uprooting ones whole life, to move to a country that is different in many ways - and the change of language is a huge issue, and bigger the older you are. Finding job in Israel is a big issue, even if you know Hebrew, depending on your field. And of course the language thing is even harder for the French than it would be for an American - English is virtually the second language there (more so that Arabic, the official second language) and an anglophone can get a job in international business there - for a francophone its that much harder. I saw an article some months back on French Jewish families that had moved, but the breadwinner kept his job in Paris, and visited the family in Israel on weekends.

It does look like french aliyah may increase, and thats good, and it will get easier as there are more French Jews in Israel. But I wouldnt derogate people making hesitating.

Posted by liberalhawk 2005-03-08 11:13:13 AM|| 2005-03-08 11:13:13 AM|| Front Page Top

#2 And considering there are only 58,000 Jews in Phrawnce.... ;-p

Posted by Barbara Skolaut 2005-03-08 8:18:59 PM|| 2005-03-08 8:18:59 PM|| Front Page Top

17:52 Xbalanke
17:52 Xbalanke
17:04 Crerert Ebbeting3481
17:03 Crerert Ebbeting3481
23:54 Brett
23:49 Sobiesky
23:45 Frank G
23:28 SC88
23:02 Raj
22:45 Frank G
22:39 Ted Kennedy
22:38 Paul Moloney
22:33 CrazyFool
22:22 Frank G
22:19 phil_b
22:18 2b
22:18 Aris Katsaris
22:16 Paul Reubens
22:16 trailing wife
22:14 Frank G
22:13 Eric Jablow
22:10 trailing wife
22:06 Atomic Conspiracy
22:06 Frank G