Aliya Month–a concentrated effort to persuade Canadian Jews to emigrate to Israel–was opened officially here Sunday by Israel’s Minister of Absorption, Natan Peled. “It is a strange fact that Jews crash out of the gates of countries from which they are forbidden to leave while very few leave countries like the U.S., Canada or Europe where they are free to go at any time,” Peled told an audience at Shaarei Zion Synagogue. The Israeli Cabinet member also addressed the congregation at the Spanish-Portuguese Synagogue and met with students at the Hillel foundations on the campuses of McGill and Sir George Williams Universities. He was accompanied by leaders of the Canadian Zionist Federation.
Peled contended that Jews who leave Israel have no serious reasons for doing so. He observed that “the 142 Jews from Russia now in Vienna left Israel over trifling objections.” He said he spoke to them and suspected that some had from the beginning intended to play into the hands of the Soviets. “They came only for that purpose,” he said. Insisting to his audience that “Israel needs you as much as you need Israel,” Peled asked, “How long will Soviet Jews prefer Israel to Canada and the United States if Canadian and American Jews are hesitant to make their aliya to Israel?”
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