There are many subjects that can be covered under that title. They could include Israel\’s astonishing achievements in science, medicine, technology and agriculture, among others. They could include the fact that, as of 2010 (and nothing has changed since), Israel, with less than 8,000,000 people, had recorded 16,805 patents for a wide array of products/goods, compared to 836 for the entire Arab world (22 countries, over 420,000,000 people).
I could go on, but I assume you get the idea.
That said, however, this blog is not about any of those things. This blog is about the importance of Israel as a haven, a safety valve, a last bastion, for Jews fleeing anti-Semitism.
Since Islamic terrorism in France is a major news story right now, it is a good time to point out that the 500,000 or so Jews who live in France have increasingly been under siege – both by the far larger number of Muslims (8 – 10 times as many in France as there are Jews) and by French anti-Semitism, which has been an ongoing problem for decades.
And what do you do when you are under siege? If you can leave, you consider doing so…and maybe bite the bullet and emigrate elsewhere.
Excerpted from Ivan Plis\’s article at dailycaller.com:
Israel\’sMinistry of Immigrant Absorption has reported that 2014 saw a 10-yearhigh in the number of “olim,” or Jewish immigrants to Israel,with 26,500 Jews moving to the country in the past year.
Forthe first time ever, France was the largest source of Jewishmigration, with 7,000 Jews making aliyah (literally “ascending”)to find a new home in Israel. This is more than double the rate for2013; the last year saw numerous violent attacks on synagogues andJewish establishments in France following the eruption of conflictbetween Israel and Gaza.
Estimates are that something like 10,000 French Jews will emigrate from France to Israel this year. That is 2% of the entire Jewish population of the country…the equivalent of over 2,000,000 Mexicans crossing the USA border in one year alone. And, as the article continues, Jews in other countries are streaming into Israel as well.
Without Israel, where would they go?
The USA, you say? Ok: how many per year would we even allow in? And how did the USA react when Jews were being slaughtered by the millions during WWII? Read about the voyage of the S. S. Saint Louis, loaded with Jews desperately trying to avoid the concentration camps and virtually certain death and find out. Then wonder why Jews supported FDR and his administration, the way they support Barack Obama and his today. A key paragraph:
Whilethe negotiations continued, the St.Louismilled around Cubaand then headed north, following the Floridacoastline in the hopes that perhaps the UnitedStates would accept the refugees. A U.S. Coast Guard shipand planes followed the St.Louisto prevent it from landing. Treasury Secretary Henry Morgenthau, Jr.learned of this from the newspapers, but did not intervene beyondverifying with the Coast Gaurd commander the St.Louis wasbeing followed.
Asking again: without Israel, where would they go?
I don\’t know either.
But I sure as hell know where the S.S. Saint Louis would have gone if Israel existed at that time.
That is the importance of Israel.
