Political developments in North Africa have reached a point where the danger to the Jewish population is so great that Israel must plan on accepting 100,000 North African Jews this year, Yehuda Braginsky, new head of the Jewish Agency absorption department, said today.
He revealed that 20,000 more Jews are expected to arrive from North Africa by the end of September, bringing the year’s total at that point to 54,000. The first year’s absorption costs for each family, he estimated, comes to about 7,000 pounds. The 20,000 families composing the 100,000 anticipated immigrants will cost 140,000,000 pounds, he underscored.
He made a twofold plea for financial assistance: to the Jews of Israel and to world Jewry outside Israel. To Jews abroad he appealed for the greatest possible fund-raising efforts. The Israelis he urged to make greater economic sacrifices to be able to meet the costs of admitting new immigrants, even to the extent of foregoing housing construction currently in the planning stage.
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