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del.icio.us Digg It!  new Last update - 07:16 25/10/2006 Absorption Min: Without draft, more Israelis abroad would return By Shlomo Shamir, Haaretz Correspondent Special arrangements for the conscription of children of Israelis living in the United States to the army could lead to doubling the number of emigrants who return to Israel, Absorption Minister Ze'ev Boim believes. Boim is on a visit to large cities in the U.S. in an effort to persuade Israelis to return home. Boim told Haaretz yesterday that he had already spoken with senior Israel Defense Forces officers about changing the regulations for conscripting the sons and daughters of returning Israelis. "The entire IDF policy with regard to sons and daughters of returning Israelis is superfluous," he said. He said he planned to raise the question soon at a cabinet meeting and propose that the possibility be considered that these youngsters would not be drafted at all. Some 6,000 Israelis returned home during 2005. "Forty percent did not need the Absorption Ministry's assistance at all and did not ask for special benefits," Boim said. "It would easily be possible to double the number of returning residents to 12,000 a year if the government decides to make things easier for them with regard to the draft and other matters." Advertisement Boim said another improvement would be abolishing taxes on assets acquired abroad and changing the laws about health insurance and national insurance. He added that a highly successful employment fair had been held a few days ago in New York and that some 250 Israelis had attended. "I spoke personally with many of those who participated and explained that the time had come to return and that conditions were now ripe," he said. Similar fairs are due to be held in the coming days in Boston, Los Angeles, Miami, San Francisco and Toronto, Canada. Several leading Israeli firms are for the first time participating in these fairs. They include Teva, Intel and Manpower. "This is the largest campaign ever to get Israelis living in the U.S. to return home," said a senior Israeli consular official in New York. The Absorption Ministry estimates that some 650,000 Israelis currently live abroad, some 450,000 of them in North America Bookmark to del.icio.us Bigotry prevails Haaretz.com TV: A new study shows a rise in racism against Israel's Arabs. High and dry Hamas seizes hundreds of pounds of marijuana in Gaza - and burns it in public.   1.   Coming Home 05:08  |  IsraFan 25/10/06   2.   Fairness? 06:16  |  Sam 25/10/06   3.   what`s the point, then? 06:26  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 25/10/06   4.   well duh ! 07:36  |  SJ 25/10/06   5.   Don`t Come Here! 07:46  |  American/Israeli 25/10/06   6.   military service, the draft, and the burden 08:06  |  Dror 25/10/06   7.   Home is in the US 08:48  |  me 25/10/06   8.   why go back ? home is in the US 08:51  |  former Israeli 25/10/06   9.   draft 09:20  |  babariba 25/10/06   10.   Cowards for Israel 09:26  |  Clickfool 25/10/06   11.   melbourne 09:38  |  Dror 25/10/06   12.   IsraFan #1 09:52  |  Ari ben Yisrael 25/10/06   13.   Infamy! Infamy! They`ve all got it in for me!! 10:20  |  Clickfool 25/10/06   14.   Coming home and handing my son over to IDF 14:04  |  Orit 10/12/07

Today Online Burston: Hamas - If we can kill them, we can talk to them Send response Russia said trying to lure Russian olim back home Responses: 73 Akiva Eldar: Building in E. J'lem undermines spirit of Annapolis Responses: 26 Editorial: Israel is ignoring the law by closing its gates to non-Jews Responses: 2 Amos Harel: Israel should beware the truly dangerous outposts Responses: 4 Religious party leader: Same-sex families undermine Judaism Responses: 37 Rosner's Domain Jervis & Cohen discuss the flaws of the Iran NIE Poll: Who's your Democratic favorite for 2008? December Factor: Giuliani, Clinton, Bloomberg, McCain In defense of Hanukkah (WTR) More Headlines 13:02 EU: Dual-track approach is the only way to solve Iran nuclear crisis 12:44 Sources: Russia working to lure emigrants back from Israel 11:24 Saudis welcome Meshal in bid to broker new Hamas-Fatah talks 13:26 Heirs of Holocaust victims could claim up to NIS 200M in assets 10:37 Police remove 60 right-wing activists from W. Bank outpost 13:42 Palestinians make 3 feature films despite no audience, funding 12:50 U.S. army chief meets Israeli officials to discuss Iran report 10:11 Petah Tikva to halt funds to schools refusing to enroll Ethiopians 12:49 Police seize suspect in Haifa assault-robbery of woman, 81 Previous Editions Select Day 09 dec 07 dec 06 dec 05 dec 04 dec 03 dec 02 dec 30 nov 29 nov 28 nov 27 nov 26 nov

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