Absorption difficulties. (Archive)
Photo: AP
Most 'Russian' olim still suffer from discrimination
JDC study finds most immigrants from former Soviet Union would like to be seen as Israeli but feel they are not, even though motivation to enlist in IDF is high among their sector
Most of the immigrants from the former Soviet Union believe the Israeli people see them as "Russians," while they would prefer to be viewed as just Israeli, concludes a new study conducted by the Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) and the Israeli government.
The study revealed that 54% of the olim would like to be considered Israeli by the veteran inhabitants of Israel, but only 18% reported they felt themselves perceived in this way. One out of every four immigrants said they had been discriminated against because of their national background, the most prominent culprits being police, the legal system, and the Hebrew-language media.
Repercussions
Central Bureau of Statistics says negative balance of immigration continues. Study says that 58% of 21,500 Israelis who left country in 2005 were born abroad, of these 78% in the former Soviet Union
The study also discovered a high motivation among the immigrants to enlist in the IDF. 37% of men said they preferred to serve in combat units, 24% ranked their desire to enlist as high, and 53% ranked their desire to enlist as moderate. Women's motivation to enlist was ranked lower than men's.
40% of parents complained of discriminatory treatment of their children by school-teachers, and half of those polled said their children had reported discriminatory remarks made by other schoolchildren. 31% of parents said their children had suffered violence at the hands of schoolchildren who were not immigrants themselves.
The poll was conducted among 1,025 people who immigrated to Israel between the years 1990-2005. They were interviewed in person and in Russian. The poll's results are scheduled to be presented before the JDC's executive branch and Israel's Welfare, Education, Absorption, and Housing Ministries.
The presentation will aim to instigate the development of a new social program for the absorption of immigrants in Israel. The director general of the JDC, Arnon Mantver, stated that "the study proves that the absorption of immigrants from the former Soviet Union into Israeli society is good, but a spotlight needs to be directed towards those places where it is still found lacking."
