Immigration to Israel has eased off slightly during the last quarter, Joshua Shai, director-general of the Israeli Immigration Department, told a press conference here yesterday. Mr. Shai revealed that the total number of immigrants who arrived in the last three months was 50,000.
He announced that the Jewish state’s population has increased by 44 percent since its declaration of independence and that there are now 940,000 persons living in the country, with every expectation that over 1,000,000 will be living here by the and of 19.49. He denied reports that many persons were leaving Israel. As for the Arab refugees who wished to return to their families in Israel, Mr. Shai said that a total of 600 applications asking the return of 1,700 persons had been filed with government bureaus from August 1-15.
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