Strangers in Zion?

Four in five immigrants to Israel feel alienated from their adopted homeland, a study showed. Ma’ariv on Tuesday published results of a poll that found that 80 percent of “new olim” – a term usually reserved for someone who immigrated within the past two to 10 years – do not identify as Israeli.This sentiment is most pronounced – 85 percent – among Jews born in western Europe or the United States, and least pronounced – 76.5 percent – among those with origins in the former Soviet Union. But North American immigrants tend to be the most satisfied in Israel, with more than 90 percent saying they are happy in their new home. Among Russian-speaking immigrants, the satisfaction rate is 68 percent.The poll found that Zionism is the biggest stated motivator among Ethiopian immigrants, with more than 70 percent citing their desire to live as Jews in the Jewish state. That attitude is shared by just half of immigrants from the West and 15 percent of immigrants from the former Soviet Union.The poll was conducted ahead of a debate by the Knesset Absorption Committee. Ma’ariv did not provide the number of respondents or a margin of error.