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Coronavirus Pandemic Sparks Wave of Jewish Interest in Immigration to Israel

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JERUSALEM, Israel - The global coronavirus pandemic hasn’t dulled the Jewish people’s desire to return to their biblical homeland.

The number of North Americans who have applied to immigrate to Israel during April rose 50 percent compared to the same month last year despite the outbreak, Nefesh B’Nefesh reported

Nefesh B’Nefesh promotes Jewish immigration to Israel from the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom – also known as “making Aliyah.”

The organization said the trend has continued in the first few days of May and The Jewish Agency, which also helps organize Aliyah, is expecting more.

“We assumed there would be a clear upsurge in Aliyah – immigration to Israel following the coronavirus crisis,” Jewish Agency Chairman Isaac Herzog told i24 News.

Herzog said the agency’s Aliyah hotline is receiving at least 1,000 calls a day from Jews inquiring about moving to Israel.

“Israel’s image, Israel’s decision-making process throughout the crisis is impressive and has impressed many people,” said Herzog.

He explained that the Jewish world has been under increased stress since the outbreak began and many are looking to return to the land of their forefathers.

The Jewish Agency believes there will be a 30 percent increase in new immigrants over the next two years because of the pandemic, The Jerusalem Post reports.

The agency is calling on the Israeli government to allot more funds to support what Herzog expects to be 100,000 new immigrants.

Although international travel has decreased dramatically, Jews have still made Aliyah amid Israel’s coronavirus outbreak.

According to The Post, since the beginning of March, some 1,300 immigrants have arrived in Israel. Their first stop is a quarantine hotel for two weeks.

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About The Author

Emily
Jones

Emily Jones is a multi-media journalist for CBN News in Jerusalem. Before she moved to the Middle East in 2019, she spent years regularly traveling to the region to study the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, meet with government officials, and raise awareness about Christian persecution. During her college years, Emily served as president of Regent University's Christians United for Israel chapter and spoke alongside world leaders at numerous conferences and events. She is an active member of the Philos Project, an organization that seeks to promote positive Christian engagement with the Middle