How many people made Aliyah since outbreak of war?

Even as Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza rages, the flow of immigration to Israel hasn't stopped. Since October 7, more than 3,000 new Olim have arrived in Israel, including young men and women who are about to enlist in the IDF, according to recent data from the Jewish Agency.

The changing global situation amid a marked rise in antisemitism also led to an increase in Jews' interest in immigrating to Israel. According to the agency's data, since the beginning of the war against Hamas on October 7, there has been a 380% spike in the number of immigration cases from France, with 1,360 cases opened compared to about 280 in the same period last year.

A significant increase in the opening of immigration cases was also recorded in large Jewish communities in North America. Immigration files in the U.S. were opened for approximately 1,890 people, an increase of 94% compared to the same time last year. In Canada, an increase of 147% was recorded with about 250 cases.

According to the data of the "Nefesh B'Nefesh" organization, which accompanies immigrants from North America, the last week of 2023 was marked by about 200 new immigrants from the region. An analysis of the data shows that half of the applicants for immigration stated in their application forms that the main reason for their immigration was "Zionism", while the issue of antisemitism seems marginal and was found to be relevant in only less than 6% of all applications.

Nefesh B'Nefesh co-founder and chairman Tony Gelbart says that "these are Jews who planned the move in the last year and not only did the war not cause them to cancel their plans, it intensified the urgency to come to Israel, out of a sense of belonging and solidarity with the people of Israel. In light of the surge in immigration cases, we enter 2024 with cautious optimism, and together with our partners are highly prepared to receive each and every immigrant who chooses the State of Israel as their home."