Sounds like somebody is trying to score free airplane tickets

do we really want those losers back here?

They abandoned us to make money in America. Didn't do their army service, didn't pay their taxes and didn't vote and now I and other taxpayers, reserve duty soldiers and activists have to pay for their return? ARE YOU KIDDING KE? Leave them in America to fend for themselves. That's the American way.

You did a big mitzva,it would have been an even bigger Mitzva if you gave quietly and did not tell.

Having lived in the USA , I met many ex Israelis who moved there only for one reason $$$$. Knowing how difficult it can be here, in a way who can blame them. Many only received an education lacking values , in a "Culure" worshipping secular Idols. In the end Idols must fall , so people will be forced to see what realy matters in our short lifespan on earth. Hopefully many will return here with a better understanding of the value of having our own country and will contribute to a more honest society.

Begging the government to solve the mess they got themselves into instead of, oh, working off their debts and having some personal responsibility. I'd imagine they only called the Israeli consulate after discovering, to their horror, that the United States doesn't have a National Insurance institute they could mooch off of.

not accepted back to the former position of sabra in Israel, it appears, which is the case in other countries, too. Puerto Ricans who move to New York and then return when they find it too challenging are called Neo Ricans. Mexicans who migrate to America and then return home hat in hand are called something worse, a Spanish word that means cigarette fag.

THEY WILL COME BACK TO THE PROMISED LAND AS THE PROPHETS SAID SO! ALELUYAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

you are not allowed to leave Israel without a return ticket home. Further, some of the comments are clearly stereotypical generalizations, which no doubt come from the anger which is brought out upon reading about this situation. The truth is however, I can't think of many situations where the reason for the misfortune is no doubt due to greed and irresponsibility. The ministry must find the funding to bring these unfortunate Israelis home, however I hope they at least have the decency to put these Israelis to work, in order to pay off this national debt.

so they thought the grass was greener on the other side. let them stay there. Why should this country pick up the pieces. I could have easily returned to England to "make money" but instead i stayed where I belong. Besides if live was so good for them in the US why didn't they save for a rainy day?

Grass is never greener somewhere else. Israelis living in the US were lurred by the " americanization " of Israeli society. This americanization is a clear sign that Israel has not so much to offer to its own citizen at this time . Low wages for most of them , erratic political decisions, irrealistic economic approach and above all an " arab type" bureaucracy which precludes business initiatives...no wonder so many leave to the US which has always been " the ultimate" country for many Israelis....Well, the US has also its own rules and regulation and no money = no home .....just like in Israel where , I recall , over 1.500.000 citizen live below poverty level . A good occasion to reflect upon the different faces of capitalism and the various risks associated with leaving one's country. All those " expatriates" could have helped Israel becoming a stronger and better nation....but WHY would they have stayed ? answer anybody ?

TAKE OUT YOUR RACISM AND PROUD!!!!!!!!!! your commentaries are so disgusting!!!!!!!!!

The Jewish People have always been made up of different kinds of Jews. We have to make every effort to explain to all Jews that the Land of Israel is their home. Some of them may want to become religiously observant, and some may not - but if this Land cannot be the home of all Jews, then our State will not be able to last. A united Jewish people will not fear anti-Semitism as explained at : http://xrl.us/bju8t

Isn't that exactly what America voted for in Obama, that 95% of America will mooch off the 5% with money and bail out the banks and auto workers,m you hypocrite!

We should all welcome them back with open arms, we just shouldn't have to pay for them! Make them pay for it themselves by doing some sort of National Service for a year.

Why most Israelis go to live in the States? To make money of course. I lived in LA for 14 years. All the Israelis I knew there talked of Israel as their home. If the money has dried up, then what will they do? Go home, Mike

don't help israelis return home. when things get better around the world they will be the first to leave.

you mean der is no gold in de streets of America? ders no cats in America? shades of Feivel Mousekewitz! Will the Olmert boys return and risk going to jail for draft dodging and being AWOL? Of course all yordim are welcome back here but let them come back the same way they left. No one paid their tickets to chutz laaretz, there is no war going on where Jews are being rounded up and sent to concentration camps G-d Forbid. I was always taught that if you make a mistake you have to pay for it!

The whole article doesn't make any sense. Only those owning stocks might have, for the time being, lost 20-40% of their value of stocks. Real estate went down 20%. I don't see how an Israeli because of that cannot pay his ticket back. If they had a lot of money, they would still have plenty for a ticket. If they didn't, the current crisis would have had a very limited influence on them. Is this another Olmert's scam to get free tickets for his family?

Thats EXACTLY right!

Are these not the same Israeli that badmouthed Israel before leaving.Am sure that amongst the requests are those who said they were off th America to become millionaires.Then of course there are the cowarrds that ran away being draft dogers.They come back to be unemployed,want NII stipends,want all types of perks,and are definitely not the best of character.Will they be housed in beit hasalom in hebron?The politician want thier votes.

Someone gets himself into debt, he can get out by selling himself into indentured servitude and pay back his debts.

Funny when I was living in the States and spoke to Israelis they said" you are nuts for moving to Israel, we dream to come to America", now because they did not save money for a rainy day they are crying to come back here, and when everything gets better in the USA they will be among the first to leave again. Those that lost their houses in the States probably bought houses they couln't afford in the first place because of the mortage rates were low, those that are making decent salaries in the USA are staying put, so it is only the ones that couldn't make it there that are returning... what will they do here,we are in the same boat so to speak, high tech is laying off, as are other jobs so......... What do they expect Betuiah Leumi to pay them for their return? Make them pay for the tickets after they get jobs here, just like we did when we made Allyiah 14 yrs ago!!

All efforts must be made to accomodate any Jew who wishes to live in Israel. It makes no difference if he never lived here or once did and left. If makes no difference what his reasons were for leaving. As long as he wants to live here now, let us stretch out a welcoming hand and invite him back with a smile and encouragement. Afterall, he is our brother and has every right to live here, as do those of us who are here already. Welcome.

At least the mexicans can walk home.

You are a voice of reason in a desert of insanity sir.

What do you expect from a group with an attitude problem? "The entire world is responsible that they are crack ass stupid." I say this...If they want to return let them pay their own friggin way. If they cant well too friggin bad. Schnorrer day is over...Dont let yourselves be sucked by these JO's A bit of tough love will go a long way..and if some of them fall thru the cracks, and end up sucking sand, well so be it.

They're talking about humanitarian cases?? Are they totally out of their mind? And what about the kids who lives in poverty in Israel, without having the chance of travelling outside the country? What about them then? It should be qualified as what? A social cataclysm? Here in Montreal, the israeli are landing here, are taking all the advantages that Quebec could give them (that is more than 100$C per month and per child, that is a 7$C a day for a kosher kindergarten, just to name few) then they are asking for tsedaka or help to JIAS or other community organisation, and when they realize the winters are way too serious (usually after one or two years), they return to Israel. Shall the Israeli consulate in Montreal pay the airplane fare?