More than 10,000 recent immigrants from the republics of the former Soviet Union demonstrated here this week to protest government inaction in solving problems they face in employment and housing.
The immigrants, who massed Tuesday outside the Prime Minister’s Office, said the government’s mishandling of immigrant absorption is discouraging Jews in the former Soviet Union from coming.
The demonstration, which newspapers said was the largest protest by immigrants in the country’s history, came as the government released its monthly aliyah figures, which showed a drop from the previous month.
Preliminary figures indicate there were 4,801 immigrants to Israel in April, including 4,060 from the former Soviet republics. About 350 more from the republics are believed to have immigrated, but have not yet been included in the official tally due to a bureaucratic delay.
Even with the added 350, the total would be substantially lower than March’s figure of 6,120.
Jewish Agency spokesman Yehuda Weinraub said the numbers were down last month for “technical reasons,” such as flight postponements because of the Passover holiday, and were expected to rise again this month.
In New York, the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society said some 3,379 Jews from the ex-Soviet republics arrive in the United States last month under the government’s refugee program, up from 2,979 in March.
‘ACTS AS IF OLIM DON’T EXIST’
Here in Jerusalem, protesting immigrants complained bitterly Tuesday about high rates of unemployment, difficulties in finding housing and a general government outlook that they say neglects their needs.
The immigrants called for more investment to develop industry and allow immigrants to work in the high-technology fields for which many are trained.
“This government acts as if olim don’t exist in this country,” said one newcomer, using the Hebrew word for immigrants. This is why “about 10,000 olim are here to say ‘no more.'”
The government defended itself by pointing to the slight drop in unemployment among immigrants during the past two years and new mortgage programs that have been implemented to ease the housing problem.
Absorption Minister Yair Tsaban came out to address the protesters, who jeered him as he promised more government action. Adding to the immigrants’ gripes, it was reported this week that more than half of recent immigrants from the former Soviet Union who have entered the Israeli army complain of an “insulting attitude” on the part of their commanding officers.
The army unit that conducted the survey said that the complaints stem from a lack of knowledge on both sides and insensitivity on the part of the officers.
As the government tries to respond to the immigrants’ needs, the Jewish Agency is working to bring more Jews to Israel.
The agency announced this week that it was organizing direct flights to Israel from the northern Caucasian region of the former Soviet Union because of the rise in ethnic tension there.
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