President Yitzhak Navon said today that the phenomenon of “yerida” — the emigration of Israelis who settle permanently abroad — stemmed from a lack of deep roots rather than economic problems or fear that Israel is not secure.
Addressing the annual meeting of the Haifa Technion’s Board of Governors, Navon observed that it takes time for a nation which is composed, in its largest part, of immigrants, to become family rooted. “We must not forget that within a few decades, the tiny 700,000 strong yishuv in Israel has reached 3.5 million so that the great majority of the nation is made up of new immigrants, their sons and grandchildren, “Navon said.
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