Immigration and Absorption Minister Pnina Tamano-Shata yesterday greeted 140 new immigrants from France as they arrived at Ben Gurion Airport despite the coronavirus pandemic.
The flight was arranged by the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews.
“In 2020, we will welcome over ten thousand olim from all over the world,” Tamano-Shata said. “It is a great privilege for me… to manage aliyah during this challenging time.”
She added: “I congratulate our brothers and sisters from France, who are Zionists and full of love for this country… every Jew should know that the gates of this country are still open, even during an emergency or crisis.”
Immigration and Absorption Minister Pnina Tamano-Shata (right) is seen with new French immigrants to Israel at Ben Gurion Airport on August 3, 2020 (Olivier Fitoussi)
Mixed with the happiness of the new immigrants’ arrival are grim descriptions by some of rising anti-Semitic sentiments in France, and the difficulty of displaying Jewish symbols in public.
Lionel Giuili, 41, said he did not experience any violence, but “if, for example, while I was sitting and eating in my store and I heard someone enter the store, I automatically took off my kippah. Neither I nor my children walked around the street with Jewish symbols… I feel free in Israel, and I no longer have to hide my Jewish identity. This reflex I developed that made me take my kippah off and put it in my pocket will no longer be necessary as I will be living in Israel.”
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Tuesday, August 4, 2020
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