Olmert: 80% of Russia's Jews assimilating
Prime minister presents cabinet with data on slumping immigration from former Soviet Union, increase in assimilation abroad. Current situation may cause Jewish community in former USSR to vanish, he warns
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert began Sunday's government meeting with a discussion about the declining numbers of immigrants coming form the former Soviet Union to Israel.
According to the data presented by the prime minister, there is a dramatic rise in the number of immigrants, who choose to leave Israel a few short years after arriving, and moreover, a greater assimilation rate amongst former Soviet Union Jews.
Cabinet meeting (Photo: Reuters)
The ministers were also given a review of the new data by representatives of the Foreign and Immigrant Absorption ministries.
"This is a very disconcerting situation, form the Jewish communities' point of view," said Olmert. Some 880,000 Jews leaving in the former Soviet Union are allegeable for immigration to Israel, but as things stand now, 80% of the community is assimilating.
About 600,000 Jews chose to leave the former Soviet Union in favor countries other than Israel in the past few years, noted Olmert, and 38,000 of those who chose to come to Israel have since left the country.
"This data raises the significant concern that in one generation's time the Jewish community in those countries will all but disappear," concluded Olmert.
