The Jewish Agency, again boosting 1959 immigration estimates, predicted today that the total this year will surpass 80,000 newcomers and may even approach 100,000.
The Israel budget drafted several weeks ago assumed an immigration of 40,000.But Dov Joseph, Jewish Agency treasurer, predicted earlier this week that the total would be above 50,000.The increase was understood to be due to the latest developments in several East European countries which have liberalized exit policies for Jews to a larger extent than had been expected.
The impact of the corresponding absorption burdens has led officials to plan a special effort to increase income from the United Jewish Appeal. Levi Eshkol, Israel’s Finance Minister, who is now in the United States, will be followed next week by Avraham Harman. Jewish Agency executive member, and it was considered possible that Mrs. Golda Meir, Israel’s Foreign Minister, would soon make another visit to the United States.
It was also reported that it has been suggested that even Prime Minister David Ben Gurion should visit the United States for that purpose, in order to stimulate maximum aid of U.S. Jewry for the absorption of the newcomers.
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