From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, July 7, 2026
128 immigrants arrive from France, as French aliyah sees continued growth
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleZev Stub is the Times of Israel's Diaspora Affairs correspondent.
A group of 128 new immigrants from France arrived at Ben Gurion Airport yesterday on a special flight, as immigration from the country is expected to increase for the third straight year, the Immigration and Absorption Ministry says.
Some 3,357 new immigrants arrived from France in 2025, more than three times the 1,097 who came in 2023, the ministry says. So far this year, 790 immigrants have arrived from France, compared to 690 at this time last year, indicating a continued upward trend, it says.
In total, more than 6,500 people have immigrated to Israel from France since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack, the ministry says, in the face of rising antisemitism in the country.
About 2,500 French Jews have opened immigration files at the Jewish Agency’s Global Aliyah Center since the beginning of 2026, an increase of 30% percent compared to the same period last year, the ministry adds. Not everyone who opens a file ultimately moves to Israel.
The flight marked the beginning of the summer immigration season to Israel, with thousands of new immigrants from around the world expected to arrive in July and August, the ministry says.
A total of 22,522 new immigrants arrived in 2025, including some 8,500 from Western countries like the United States, France, Britain, and Canada, the ministry has said.
The Central Bureau of Statistics has previously said more than 69,000 Israelis left the country in 2025, indicating a negative migration balance for the second straight year.
The Times of Israel Community.