... top doctors,professors,pilots, CEO's of the computer companies,Hollywood moguls, actors( yes,actors). Looser :-)

You don't have to be apologetic.When you spent countless hours whis the books to become a doctor , guys like aaron was drinking arak and going to soccer games. Good Luck! :-)))

I agree with all that said that people's lives in Israel should be improved. Those same people who come back for the 8000 shekels will not stay long after they realize how difficult some things are here if the 8000 shekels are the reason they are coming back for. However, I just don't understand why making their return more difficult and I don't see the reason for that 8000 shekels fee. This is total nonsense. As a new resident, I just had to register without having to pay, as a returning resident (youth!), my son has to pay this NIS 8000 fee. For what? I don't know. He has now to look for a job, a place to live, and start a new life with NIS 8000 debt so that he can get medical insurance. Makes sense ot anyone? (BTW, he had insurance in the UK since he is also a European citizen) However, according to what I read, there is a catch, he has to let them know six months in advance! So, essentially, this doesn't mean much. When people decide to come back, most of the time they just do it and don't wait six months for which I don't really see any justification, the same way I don't see justification for that fee. Anybody can make sense of this?

Sad that Israel does not make an effort to improve the comfort and conditions of the residents in the country. While some people want to try other horizons, life in Israel should be as attractive as it is anywhere else in the developped world and people like #25 would not feel that he has to leave in order to live a normal life. The security of this country does not justify in any way that the israeli standard is much lower than the rest of the civilized world, even if a big part of the budget goes to the army and security purposes.

it is simple to says that yordim are just "weak" but the truth is often otherwise. many come for economic reasons with the intention of returning to israel. nearly all the yordim i know want to live in israel.

dont ever try to find the "sense"in anything here...the only sense is that the money is lining some fat cats pocket...alkso you will very quickly find out that there is no justification for anything that they do...the politicians have sold us out....oh yeah...welcome back 'home"

To all the people puzzled by the importance of yordim. A large percentage of the yordim are skilled professionals in varied fields that would help generate $$$ in the economy. Giving money to the poor or to other's in need is just that - giving money. Removing the bitter taste of health and tax punishment for daring to leave the country in an effort to encourage aliya of skilled professionals is an investment. It's not "fair" or "moral" but it makes economic sense. It's been like this for the last 59 years, it is not going to change any time soon.

Ministry of Absorption wants to keep sitting in their offices being paid a fat salary. They MUST do something, but they know nothing how to keep people stay here in Israel. So, that is their first step.

I would add "be slave in that land". Sin is the country itself which has built such life for all its citizens. After living through all their time in Israel, Jews, who return home - to Galhut - will abandon their Jewishness and grow thei children up to be faithfully determined to whatever country Jews are going to be part of. Citing Mr. Burg, the idea of Zionisms is over. People just want to eat and sleep without being disturbed by fullish dreams of number of people. See you in Galhut, habbibbi.

was built as a place to fight terrorism in the Middle East whenever it wakes up. The Land needs people. Everything makes sense. So, be proud to die for IDEA. morons!

I am astonished at how much more it appears Israel values the average STD-pushing Law-of-Return criminal than it does her most loyal and productive citizens. Sadly, the committed are taken for granted while statistical bodies are bribed in desperation.

tell me where does he plan for us to live?sderot?west bank?hevron?olmert and jacob seem to be at cross purposes wouldnt you think?by the time we all come back to olmerts disengagements we'll all have to live on houseboats in the mediterranean.

false ideas are come apart. Israel was build on false idea that jews could survive being cut off of rest all the goish world. The idea has been devastated. Jew is not BETTER and WORSE them rest of the world. Nowadays, we are all eye-witnesses that Ghalut is Gan-Eden for jews who DO want to be part of the World.

from somewhere 'abroad'. Moreover, I would be a fervent Zionist somewhere in New York City. Do you know at what extant is the pleasure to love Israel via CNN channel ?

Maybe we have to face the facts - that Israel (in terms of mentality and attitudes) is a third world country hiding beneath a thin veneer of first world modernity. I still get asked after all these years by people who cannot conceive why i possibly came to Israel, why I am here. They'd love to jump on the first gravy boat out of here and I have the passport to do it - should I want. להיות עם חופשי בארצנו - lihiot am hofshi beArtsenu is becoming a bigger joke day by day.

How about a 100,000 tax break to stay put, or free university tuition, some kind of real incentive?

to New York City and then return to Puerto Rico? Those are called neo-Ricans. Mexicans who move to America and then move back to Mexico are called the Spanish word for a burnd out cigarette butt.

Hows about benefits for all citizens living here such as lower electric bills,higher paying jobs, better schools,better leadership! Less corruption,paying local authority workers on time, then you would have less people leaving Israel in the first place! In other words what I am saying is that if you improve the quality of life here in the first place then Israelis would not leave for greener pastures elsewhere!

just lkook closely at his photo...smirking..smug..wo would believe a rip off and liar like this??

Who needs these yordim? We don't . We should be fighting poverty and corruption at home not bribing those who've been living it up in the flesh pots of Europe and the US for years who have decided to come home to take advantage of our excellent medical facilities. Let them stay away - it's their choice if they don't want to contribute to the country.

after living for so many years without the corruption in israel why anyone in their right mind would want to go back to a country filled with thieves and racists

to count countries without such corruption. Get real. At least in Israel, most natives still care about one another and the government is personal.

Interesting..." flesh pots"..."to take advantage of our excellent medical facilities" ... " wait for weeks in "kupat holim" or months for surgery" .Maybe you can stand in line to get "hashtalat moah".:-)

" most natives care about one another"--Joke?, " goverment is personal" --- ?????. Are you for real? aaaa... must be your shoes...:-))

All the complaints!! OFCOURSE they should come home, EVERY Jew should come (back home) to Israel!! 700.000 - 750.000 is A LOT of Jews!! They left Israel for different reasons, B THE CHANGE! Got complaints about the g'ment? VOTE en masse! B THE CHANGE! Invest in Israel, in order you to get Kosher grandchildren en large, healthy families, while living a meaningful life! IY"H this will happen!!

you all made good points and i'm happy i saw these talkbacks but what can we do if the minister already made up his mind we can't change it :Y

Isreal needs to spend money to purify its society and make it a better place to live. Teach people to stop cheating one another, spend money for enforcing consumer protection, enforce polite driving laws, and tech people family values. Make it easier to cath and report criminals. Most of all stop importing US telivision and smut. One G-d One Torah When ISreal becomes a Torah nation, people will come without incentives and payoffs. Most I made aliyah with spent the money and went back to the US.