While Israel is the homeland of the Jews and it is important that we come to populate and live in this holy land, the modern immigrant is not one being rescued from poverty and persecution by the hands of an anti-semetic regime. We new Olim are not leaving behind us our entire lives as those before us once did. We are not forced to start from anew and struggle as our counterparts were forced to. We maintain our academic degrees, receive preferential treatment for our fluent language skills. Hell, some of us never even have to learn the Hebrew language if we move to Jerusalem where we are literally overflowing with Americans out of college who make Aliyah as a rite of passage. Lawyers from European nations are given job advisement, Dr's find a way to practice in the new land, and we now all enter while maintaining foreign bank accounts from our previous lives as home owners and stock brokers etc... We hold dual citizenship, travel freely, and even those of us with economic problems do not face the hardships of tent encampment as those from North Africa did, or the degrading work that was forced upon those coming from the Soviet Union 20 years ago. We didn't come from underdeveloped nations to a bizarre new and modern life. Overall, there are people that need this more than we do. The real truth is, the concept of modern Aliyah needs to be rethought and while I agree we need to encourage the right of return it is not our divine right to be paid by an obviously struggling government for doing so. In short, Lo magia lanu!

The current absorption package is not even adequate as it is. For a single person it is enough to feed yourself for the first 8 months, thats about it. If anything the government needs to give more incentive and assistance in the package, not less!

I differ with your analysis of the situation. I too am a proffessional from the US who made aliyah 13 years ago. At the time I was a young physician barely able to pay my rent let alone feed my wife and young child. Since I was from the US I did not receive the financial Basket that Russina immigrants received. Being from the States I was considerd wealthy and was not deservant of the stipend the Immigration Ministry allotted to other immigrants. Perhaps your case is different , maybe you are from a wealthy family or have made aliyah later on in your career and you are financialy secure. I was most certainly not, and the insensitivity to my situation by the Govt. almost sent me packing. All immigrants who are in need of assistance should be entitled to the govt. subsidies alloted, regardless of their profession or country of origin. haya Magiyah Li

Who appointed you as the representative for the "New Oleh"? I guess you are not aware of vast amount of Olim who leave their good paying jobs in the States to come here and receive Sal Klitah and other benfefits for the few half year if not more. Or the Olim who formerly had medications covered by insurance in their former countries only to have them rejected by the (greedily criminal) Kupot. How about the Olim who cannot afford tutors for their children to compensate for an embarrassing Ulpan program that does little to integrate children into Israeli culture. And we won't even get into the social issues that develp from a family being used to a quality of life which they are no longer near. Do you honestly believe that all Olim make their millions and just live off of it? Or do you think that all future Olim are millionaires and this is just your incentive to keep them earnings there milllions elsewhere? Next time think before you speak on behalf of others.

I certainly don't plan to make aliyah for the great monetary benefits. If this budget cut means money will be going to places that are in dire need of extra funds, Gum zu letova.

We all knew it would happen because it was never based on something real. It was a romantic notion of reviving the barren lands, but now it has turned into a nightmare. The religious Zionists, is based on Torah, they understand that the land of Israel must be built for G-d therefore it will never die.

At the time the money allocated to me as a new oleh was enough to buy a pair of jeans. I was going to stay but a call from my late dad changed all that. He was a survivor of Auchwitz and a fighter in the War of Liberation in 1948. Ha called and said to me 3 words in Yiddish which I will never ever forget. "Kim shoein aheim." My dad was not an expessive person but those three words cut thru my heart like a knife. I guess my dad wanted me in a safe place after all he went thru in life. My brother on the other hand, who was 5 years younger went to Israel in 1979 only to be murdered by Arabs in 1980. Of course that about killed my father. He was heart broken and so he lived for the next 26 years with nay a word about my late brother. The only time he mentioned my late brother was on his death bed when he whispered his name. Israel is a hard land. Our history as Jews has been hard and will be forever. May we all merit some happiness.

In a bad economy its logical to cut spending. But why are there spending cuts when the economy is good?

I love America! Take me to America! Ah, no. I hate Americans. Dont take me to America.

Rabbi Kahane wrote, regarding Aliyah, first the poor would come then the middle class, then finally the poor again. But the truth is only the rich are able to afford Aliyah. The rest of us are going to get stuck.

poor Israelis sacrified and contributed a lot toward the absorption of many immigrants. Now many well-off Israelis won't contribute a little for the absorption of (too) few immigrants?

Oh, how I feel for you! Sometimes, the harshness of that "Jewish" spills over. My father, a Jew, was hauled off in l940. My mother, a Christian, never stopped calling out his name in her sleep in such heart-wrenching ways, it would scare us kids to death. It was the last word she whispered before she died 14 years later, and it was the only time she said it in such a peaceful, tender way, we could only guess that he was holding a hand out to her. We hoped so, anyway.

I guess you are not aware of vast amount of Olim who leave their well paid jobs ..... you wrote . If someone leaves a well paid job , he is probably a good proffessional in one of the most wanted of them . So he , or she , will find a well paid job here too . Don't you think that when you leave a well paid job , you have some , or more , spare money ? I made Alyah in 2001 , from a west European country . For me "sal Klita" was also not far from nothing . The plane ticket , a taxi from airport to my family , 6 months health insurance , and that is all i think .

If the new immigrants come from wealthy countries,then they should receive a larger basket.They gave up more to come here.If they come from a poor country,a smaller basket.They want to move up economically. If they are uneducated,elderly or with a criminal or mental problem.Do not make aliyah!

It is better for Israel to get rid of the Army's dodging draft in general. Should there be a campaign to include Haredim as well in the Army,imposing a law that the descendants of all Haredim families who entered the country AFTER 1948,thereby having accepted Sionism,must accomplish the Army duty,and to others,who are simply shameless leeches,should be a law to heavily punish draft dodging. By doing so,among other qualitative measures,Israel garantees the quality and strenght of Jewish population and don't have to rely so much in immigration. There is no need of a superpopulation,which would tranform Israel in a bad place,but a qualiltative population,following the principles of a Jewish State.

From reading the responses it seems even professional people who have great earning potential, have a very hard time at first and need initial help. I suggest that after X no. of years the newcomers' situation should be apprised. If they are able, let them repay the money given to them when they first got here. Those who are unable to pay should not be made to pay.