A total of 38,000 immigrants arrived in Israel since last year's Independence Day, the highest such annual figure in two decades, the Jewish Agency said on Sunday.
The Jewish Agency's reports come days before Israel launches its 74th Independence Day celebrations, scheduled to take off Wednesday evening, May 4, and last until the evening of the following day, May 5.
According to the report, after the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine two months ago, Israel welcomed a massive influx of people from both countries — mainly Jews exercising their right to Israeli citizenship as per the Law of Return.
The Aliyah and Integration Ministry added that out of this year's 38,000 new arrivals to Israel, nearly 9,000 hailed from Ukraine, nearly 6,000 hailed from Russia, and some 400 came from Belarus.
“We have been through two intensive months of absorbing immigration. From the start of the war in Ukraine, the State of Israel has received more than 15,000 new immigrants and this is a source of great national pride,” Aliyah and Integration Minister Pnina Tamano-Shata said in a statement last Monday.
Israel's population rose by 176,000, or 1.9 percent, since last year's Independence Day, according to the Central Bureau of Statistics.
The number now stands at 9,506,000: 73.9% Jews, 21.1% Arab and 5% others.
Besides the 38,000 immigrants, some 191,000 babies were born and 55,000 people passed away.