Abie Nathan, who has been engaged in various projects on behalf of Arab-Israeli peace, is undertaking a new project: helping Israelis who left Israel (yordim) to return home.
At a press conference here yesterday, Nathan disclosed that on September 5 a special El Al flight will leave for Israel with 450 returning Israelis aboard. “Each Israeli on this flight would pay only $200 for his one-way ticket to Israel,” Nathan said. He said that he personally contributed $10,000 for the operation while the aliya department of the World Zionist Organization matched his contribution.
According to Nathan, the hiring of the special flight would cost $150,000. The crew of the flight agreed to volunteer their services, Nathan said. He said that Israel’s Ministry of Absorption also agreed to join the project and will contribute some $40,000.
Nathan, who is currently running for Mayor of Tel Aviv, said that he decided to undertake this project because he wanted to show the yordim that they are welcome back home. “We have to encourage Israelis abroad to return home and to show them that the doors of Israel are open to them,” Nathan declared.
The press conference was sponsored by the WZO’s aliya department and was attended by Moshe Shechter, director of the North American Aliya Center.
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