The government was expected to advance an emergency plan to boost aliyah and speed immigrant absorption amid a surge in antisemitic incidents worldwide and heightened security fears following last week’s deadly attack in Sydney.
According to a report in Makor Rishon, the Aliyah and Integration Ministry presented the plan at a government meeting held Sunday in Dimona, and the initiative was pushed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu under the name “Aliyat HaTekuma.” The report said the plan was drafted before the Sydney attack, but was now set to be fast-tracked for approval and implementation.
The proposal set a national target of absorbing 30,000 immigrants in 2026 from countries experiencing rising antisemitism, including France, Britain, and Australia, and outlined measures tied to housing support, education integration, and employment placement. The estimated cost was about NIS 600 million in the first year, and about NIS 1.1 billion in the second year, the report said.
Aid in absorption
Among the steps cited were a push to shorten eligibility processing so prospective immigrants could receive approval within about a month of applying, and an “absorption grant” in the first year that would be deposited monthly automatically, without requiring new immigrants to fill out additional forms.
The plan also included expanded assistance in finding apartments and support with rent in designated “absorbing cities,” with additional funding directed to local authorities based on the number of immigrant families absorbed.
The report described a proposal to steer immigrants from specific communities abroad to specific Israeli cities, including directing immigrants from parts of France and Britain to cities such as Eilat, Nahariya, Ashkelon, Haifa, Beersheba, and Maale Adumim.
Hauser: Treat aliyah as a strategic event, led by the prime minister
The plan was debated publicly over the weekend, after former cabinet secretary and former Knesset member Zvi Hauser argued in a Saturday opinion piece that Israel should view the current moment as a historic window, not a routine administrative file.
Hauser wrote for Israel Hayom that aliyah should be led directly by the prime minister and managed like a strategic national event, through a dedicated emergency-level cabinet that coordinates across security, economy, housing, education, employment, infrastructure, justice, and foreign affairs. He warned that antisemitism was increasingly “entering the mainstream,” and that the Sydney attack should have jolted decision makers in Jerusalem because it signaled a broader pattern, not an isolated overseas incident.
In the same op-ed, Hauser urged a proactive national effort he dubbed “the 11th million,” calling for Israel to act quickly to translate momentum into policy and bring a million Jews to Israel in the coming years, arguing that such windows can close quietly if leadership hesitates.
Aliyah fairs and rising interest
The Makor Rishon report said Aliyah and Integration Minister Ofir Sofer recently held aliyah fairs in Australia for the first time in about a decade, in cooperation with groups including the Jewish Agency and Nefesh B’Nefesh, and that officials saw increased interest following attacks and antisemitic incidents in several Western countries.