The Israel Parliament today approved a motion to debate the issue of emigration from Israel which, according to current estimates, has totaled 145, 000 since the establishment of the Jewish State in 1948.
Finance Minister Levi Eshkol, speaking for the Government, supported the proposal for the debate but warned against any discussions which would create the impression that the departures might be justified.
Benjamin Avniel, Herut deputy who proposed the debate, called the emigration “grave” and said the problem was not merely one of quantity but also of quality. He said that while in 1955, one quarter of the emigrants were made up of veteran settlers and sabras, last year, they accounted for 40 percent and that three-fourths of them were under 45.
Noting that incoming migration was diminishing, with only 20, 000 newcomers expected this year, he said the problem was “most acute,” particularly since the emigrees included many skilled workers and professionals.
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