On Tuesday morning, about a month after the deadly terror attack in Paris, dozens of new olim from France landed at Ben Gurion Airport. Most of the attention was given to one couple: Lilian and David Bittan, 81 and 82 respectively, who held hands and shed some tears. "We wanted to come to Israel together, in love," they said.
The Bittans, who had been residents of a Paris suburb, will now live in Netanya. "We always knew we'd move to Israel, and now as the years pass you can't postpone the decision anymore. If we had waited a little longer, we would not have made it, or one of us might have passed away. It was important to us to do it together, while holding hands and loving each other," they said.
- The couple has four children. Two of them have moved to Israel, and the other two continue living in France.
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Celebrating Hanukkah with Jewish Agency Chairperson Natan Sharansky (Photo: Moti Kimchi)
(צילום: מוטי קמחי)
The Bittans are among 50 olim from France who have tied their fate with that of Israel's Tuesday. Upon arrival, the olim and representatives of the Jewish Agency participated in a Hanukkah ceremony and lit the third candle.