Louis Picus, chairman of the World Zionist Organization Executive, said today that the cause for the decline in aliya from the Western nations, particularly the United States, stemmed from objective conditions in those countries and in Israel. Pincus spoke at the meeting of the Zionist General Council (Actions Committee) where the reduced immigration rate from the affluent West and the state of Jewish education in the diaspora were major agenda items.
Pincus attributed the decline in immigration from the U.S. to a waning of emotional fervor among Jews as the Six-Day War receded into history and to the fact that America was “regaining its social equilibrium,” On the other hand, he said, Israeli society was viewed as more materialistic and less idealistic. He urged olim to speak out against faults they found in Israeli society and said if they did so “constructively, not carpingly” they would be listened to.
Pincus quoted Mrs. Charlotte Jacobson, chairman of the American section – WZO, who said that American Jews who visited loved Israel but didn’t like Israelis. He also quoted Gen. Haim Herzog, former Israeli intelligence chief and a prominent radio and tv commentator, who told the General Council meeting Monday that Israeli society was too cold in welcoming new immigrants. Pincus asked why Herzog had not offered his criticism over the mass media.
The WZO chairman said he would seek “at the highest levels” the cancellation of new customs duties which reduced the privileges previously enjoyed by immigrants. The new regulations allow newcomers to bring in items duty free only from their countries of origin and abolished the duty-free parcels they were allowed to receive from abroad during their first three years in the country. Pincus called the new regulations ill conceived. He said they rightly irritated new immigrants who felt they were being punished for the offenses of a few.
At an earlier session, Rabbi Mordechai Kirschblum, associate head of the WZO’s aliya department, reported that Israel received some 6000 olim from the U.S. in 1972 compared to 8000 the year before. He said aliya from France was 2350 last year compared to 3280 in 1971 and over 5000 three years ago.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
