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Turkish Jews Return from Israel to Istanbul; Cannot Adapt Themselves to Life There

July 21, 1949
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A total of 1,000 Jews, most of them young men and women, emigrated from Turkey en route to Israel during the month of June, it was reported today. The figure for last month represents a considerable reduction in the number of Turkish Jews immigrating to the Jewish state since the start of large-scale migration to Israel last October. To date a total of approximately 20.,000 Turkish Jews, most of whom were economically insecure, have proceeded to the new state.

Meanwhile, a number of Turkish newspapers in Istanbul have launched a drive to prove that life in Israel is “intolerable” because of the economic difficulties which the Jewish state is now passing through. The papers claim that Turkish Jews who settled in Israel are living under “miserable conditions.”

Precipitating the campaign was the return to this country of a small number of Turkish Jews who recently immigrated to Israel. These Jews–the first such group to return to Turkey–were reported to have complained that they could not adapt them selves to life in Israel because of the present hardships there.

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